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Jump Rope Workout at Home

Easy Exercises You Can Do At Home

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Staying indoors has become the new normal for all of us as we endure the coronavirus pandemic. While remaining isolated is the best way to curve the spread of the virus, it’s still important to be doing things that will improve your physical and mental health, especially during times of global uncertainty. 

Exercise has long been one of the greatest things an individual can do to improve upon their physical and mental wellbeing. However, many are struggling to adjust their lifestyles to remain active and healthy while stuck inside during a public health crisis. Additionally, research shows that living an inactive life for an extended period of time can lead to an increase in depression, anxiety, and a decrease in physical health/motivation as well. 

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The main goal is simple, do something to keep your mind and body engaged for at least 30 minutes everyday. This means doing some sort of physical activity besides pacing around your house. Exercise is also an amazing way to keep your bodies systems running smoothly and efficiently, which is of the utmost importance especially during a pandemic. 

If you own an exercise ball, stairmaster or treadmill, maintaining a solid cardiovascular workout routine is easy. If not, you want to look for activities that are specifically meant to increase your heart rate; jumping jacks, sprints, climbing up and down the stairs, etc. Covid-19 aside, heart disease is normally the number one killer in the world, so these types of exercises are imperative for everyone, regardless of age or health status, to do.

Jumping rope and setting up a hopscotch course to run back and forth through are just a couple of other easy solutions for ways to get your blood pumping and heart rate going at home. YouTube is also an amazing free resource to use.

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There’s a multitude of actual fitness instructors who have accounts and upload full workout routines for their subscribers. For individuals with televisions that are WiFi compatible, you can easily pull up any of these videos on the screen so you’re not bending over the phone or computer to really see the instructor. 

If you’re more interested in developing mobility/flexibility and strengthening your muscles, you’re going to want to look for more resistance-based exercises. Typically in a gym setting these exercises would use weights and resistance bands to help your body work even harder, both of which can be found online. If you’re not looking to spend any money, push-ups against the wall, squats, lunges, and wall-sits are just a few easy at home exercises that will lead to successful results. 

Online cardio dance classes like Zumba are also available online for low prices, and you can find other hip hop choreography/exercise classes on YouTube as well. These types of classes are especially great for engaging your mind and motivating yourself to continue to exercise because it’s fun. Dancing along to popular music in sync with another person while also getting a full-body workout is just as enjoyable as it is effective. Plus, if you’re the type of person who gets shy about dancing in front of other people, this type of online exercise is perfect to do alone from the comfort of your own home. 

As the world continues to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important that we remember to take care of our physical and mental health. Make a routine, write out a weekly schedule, choose exercises that can be fun and impactful, and of course, keep health and safety as your number one priority.

Young Girl doing School Work

Tips For Keeping Kids Entertained During Quarantine

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Trying to occupy your time during a global pandemic can be extremely stressful and overwhelming, and if you’re a parent, it can be even tougher. Quarantining with kids is no easy task, however, there are a multitude of things you and your children can do together that will not only occupy your days but also be fun for everyone. 

First and foremost, you should be trying to get as much outdoor exposure as you can. Obviously health and safety needs to be your number one priority at all times, however, the weather is finally starting to warm up again, so if you’re privileged enough to have some sort of outdoor area attached to your property, utilize it. If not, go for a walk if you’re still able to in your specific area as well. Social distancing initiatives tell us to be at least eight feet apart from one another, so as long as you maintain that mentality when you’re out, getting your bodies moving is the perfect way to engage your minds, bodies, and souls in some real activity; it should also help tire out your kids. 

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One of the hardest parts about having your kids at home and not in a more organized school setting is the lack of schedule. Since we’re still in the earlier stages of this pandemic, it’s important to establish a daily schedule now, and stick to it as much as possible during the work week. If you have a child who was old enough to be enrolled in some sort of school, make sure you specify which hours of the day will be dedicated to school work. Then, schedule out times for all three meals, activities, television, etc. This will not only help your child better adjust to life in self-isolation, but also it will make your adjustment period easier as well; definitely consider making yourself a daily schedule.

As a part of this schedule, make sure you separate a “recess” period at some point, especially if your child has school work every day. By giving your child a dedicated hour of recess in the middle of the day, they’ll be more motivated to finish whatever they have to do in the morning, and will have the energy to finish their day afterwards since they were able to get up and do some sort of leisure activity. 

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It can be really easy to leave your kid with some sort of smart device and call it a day, however, since we’re now living during a time where streaming shows and playing Angry Birds is becoming second nature, it’s still important to set screen time limits. This is especially true for kids living in isolation, you want to ensure that their brains are still getting proper stimulation, and not just from mindless cartoons. 

Instead, put your kids to work by turning household chores into family-fun activities. Kids love to get messy, so let them lend a hand in the kitchen when you’re making your meals, this way they can also learn some basic kitchen skills for the future.  More basic chores like cleaning their rooms or vacuuming can be turned into competitions or races to offer some sort of greater incentive for a job well done. 

One of those incentives can include choosing a movie for movie night, which by the way, should be every night at this point. I know we just said that we need to be monitoring screen times throughout the day, but no one said anything about what happens at night. Before you tuck the kids in, watch something together as a family and rotate who gets to choose the film every night. Living all together under one roof can become very overwhelming, very fast, so wind down every night together with some classic mindless entertainment, salty snacks, and loving company. 

Two Girls Working Out at Home

How To Keep Yourself Entertained During Quarantine

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In times of global pandemics, it’s important to remember to do things to keep your mind occupied and distracted from the constant updates and statements about a rapidly spreading virus. Binge-watching your favorite shows and taking on some new hobbies are just two general examples of ways you can keep yourself busy during times of quarantine, so what should you try today?

Thanks to the many art and cultural institutions throughout the world, you can bring the likes of museums, Broadway plays, theatrical productions, and opera performances, right into your living room. Google’s Arts and Culture Department has collaborated with over 500 of the world’s most famous museums to offer virtual tours and lessons on some of the most famous artwork in history. 

In addition, Broadway has its own streaming service, and BBC is offering a digital “Culture in quarantine festival” for fans of all things theater and dance. The Metropolitan Opera is also streaming exclusive versions of some of its most famous performances every night. 

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Another great way to keep yourself occupied, while also feeling like you’re doing something to benefit your physical health, is doing an in-home workout routine. There are plenty of free options covering a multitude of types of exercise on YouTube. Not only will you ensure that you’re keeping your body running to the best of its ability, but exercise also is a great mood-booster, especially when you’re stuck inside. 

Along those same lines, taking an online yoga or meditation course, or simply going on YouTube for free, will also improve your physical health while improving your mental well-being as well. The overall goal of keeping yourself entertained when quarantined and distanced from the outside world, is to do things that are enriching for your mind, body, and soul. 

You don’t want to simply sit in front of the TV and distract yourself with mindless reality shows all day, although that’s not the worst option, you want to do things that will keep you from being in your head too often throughout the day. 

The more time you spend just thinking, the more likely it is that you’ll get trapped in an endless stream of consciousness about all things COVID-19/pandemic related. While it’s important to stay informed, it’s just as important to completely separate yourself from that narrative that we’re constantly hearing about at all hours of the day. 

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Some local entertainers are taking to their community Facebook groups to host online dinner parties, happy hours, hangouts, or even concerts. Just because we can’t all physically spend time with our distanced friends and family, living in a time of advanced technology gives us that ability. We have endless access and communication to whoever we want to talk to, whenever we want to, so might as well take advantage of it. 

“Join us tonight from wherever you are! Social distancing is good for the world right now, but still hard on us as individuals — emotionally, mentally and even physically. So let’s stay connected and, for the love of Pete, let’s keep making music!!” wrote New Jersey local singer Meghan Carey on her artist Facebook page before performing a virtual concert on Saturday.

Finally, make sure you’re going outside and getting some fresh air at least once a day. Just because you need to be socially distancing yourself from others, doesn’t mean you can’t go on a solo walk around town, assuming there’s natural spaces for you to go. Many national parks and services around the US are waiving their fees to encourage people to go for more walks while keeping a safe distance around other people. 

Fresh air is good for your physical and mental health, so like anything, just make sure you’re maintaining those two important aspects over anything. It can be easy to get trapped in a binge-watching marathon but that won’t be good for your mind or body in the long run, so get outside, do some yoga, and take a deep breath, we’re going to get through this.

Car Travel

How To Itch The Travel Scratch, Without The Travelling

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There’s no denying it, if we could, we’d all follow those inspiring Instagram influencers who tell us to just “live our lives and travel the world!!!!” However, the reality is that most of us aren’t receiving sponsored plane tickets to stay at a fancy resort paid for by some make-up brand to advertise it’s new foundation. Most of us are working 9-5 and just barely making ends meet, but why should that mean that we can’t experience the same joys that so many get from travelling? There are plenty of ways that individuals can recreate that “wanderlust” type euphoria that comes when discovering new places, right at home! 

The first thing you can do is imagine up your dream vacation, and write it down. The “Bucket List Vacation” is a new trend sweeping millennials, and gives you an ultimate goal to work towards. If you want to go to Italy only so you can get an espresso from a specific cafe in Calabria where your grandparents first met, do it! Or at least write that down as a goal for when you finally save up enough coins in your “travel” jar. No matter how silly of a reason, it’s special to you specifically and that’s all that matters! Your vacations are meant to be YOUR time to rest and relax however you choose. So create a whole Bucket List just for places you want to see within your lifetime, and forget everyone else…unless you want to plan a trip to Paris with all your BFF’s or something, then totally go for it. 

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Love Padlocks At ‘Le Pont Des Arts’ In Paris, A Popular Bucket List Vacation

Now that you have a list of dream vacation destinations, let’s figure out how you can scratch the travel itch until then. First, take a language class. Learning a new language is an amazing way to not only be introduced to a new culture from the comfort of your own home, but also experience it for yourself. It can allow you to take a certain mental escape and embrace another cultures art of communication. Additionally, you can learn the language that is native to one of your bucket list locations, this way, you’ll be more prepared and comfortable to actually go!

Food is another incredible way to recreate that “travelers high” so many are chasing. Trying a new cuisine offers the same level of cultural experience as travelling to the actual place. When I say try a new cuisine, I don’t mean go to a new Chinese restaurant as opposed to your usual spot, but actual new cuisine. Try new foods from anywhere, even if it scares you. 

“Eating and appreciating something new reduces our fear of a foreign place, there’s a sense of familiarity when we’ve tasted a community’s food before we visit that community — and there’s an interest in the people, culture, and history as a result. Fundamentally, it makes us happy when we taste something different — there’s a moment of enlightenment, of realizing that there is something else out there in the vast universe that we’ve suddenly grasped — and it’s for that instant, the one that sparks an even greater hunger for understanding, that we taste new cuisines,” said chef and restaurateur Simone Tong, of New York’s Little Tong Noodle Shop, in an interview with Travel and Leisure’s Online Magazine.

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Chef Simone Tong of Little Tong Noodle Shop

Don’t be afraid to be a tourist in your own city. Explore all the areas you know well already, but with a fresh perspective. Atlas Obscura’s city guides are a great resource to use to tell you all about the lesser known hot spots in your city and any special events occurring near you. Get in the car and go to the places you’ve never really explored because they’re viewed as “basic” or “overrated” tourist spots. Go into it with an open mind, even if it does end up being basic and uninteresting, at least you’re out of the house and experiencing the community. If it ends up being not your cup of tea, go somewhere in your city that is, this way you won’t view it as a wasted day. 

TREAT! YO! SELF! As we all have learned from the iconic episode of “Parks and Recreation,” the art of “treating yourself” to a day of complete pampering and spoiling yourself is normally exactly what the travel doctor orders. Recreate the hotel vacation experience by ordering food for delivery, getting into sweatpants, putting on a face mask and scented candle, and ordering a movie on demand. That’s right, avoid streaming, that’s easy, go out of your way to pay the $5 to rent a movie you’ve never seen, kick up your feet, and multitask with some online shopping. Yes, I know spending money kind of defeats the whole purpose of “travelling without the travel”, however, as stated previously vacations are meant to relax you and be for you. So who better knows what you like than you? Take an at home vacation for a day and go nuts, and don’t worry, you won’t get the credit card bill for another month, so you can worry about it then. 

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The final tip to be offered is to take a day trip. If you have access to a car, or public transportation, wake up early one day and go somewhere that’s not crazy far, but far enough that you’re going out of your way to get there. Even if it’s just getting a meal in a town 30 minutes from you, changing up the scenery from your normal hometown streets is good for your mental health. So often we all find ourselves getting stuck in the monotonous cycle of waking up, doing our morning routine, working, coming home, doing our nightly routine only to go to bed and start all over the next day. 

Changing up our routine and scenery as often as we can is important so that we don’t feel suffocated by our own schedules. On weekends, try to hang out with friends who you normally don’t see that often because they live far, same with family. Go to a new park and just be present, shop at a new boutique, look up local community events such as farmers markets and art shows. There’s something new in every town that you can do.

All of these experiences will not only embody the euphoria one experiences when travelling to a new place, but also prepares you for when you’re finally ready to check off all the different places on your bucket list.