Dealing with the pandemic this year has been a struggle for me, as it has been for the whole world. Taking care of my mental and physical health has not been as easy as in past years. When everything shut down in March, all I had at home was an old, stationary bike, which is more than what a lot of people have. As someone who taught and participated in CrossFit six times a week, this was quite the change. Thankfully, this summer, Minnesota was kind to us, and I was able to play sand volleyball most days. Even though I was uncertain when I would go back to work, I was able to get outside and make the most of the time that I was given. Positivity was key!

With winter here and gyms not at full capacity, it is important to keep moving while still staying safe. If you are not feeling comfortable going back to the gym during this time, having a workout routine at home will still be an option! Creativity, fun, and moving your body in the house is all you need! Here are some ideas requiring no equipment to keep you moving:

1. Get steps in!
   1. Using your steps in your home, whether it is a flight down to the basement or a couple of flights through your apartment building, take advantage of this built-in stair stepper!
   1. Getting up and moving throughout the workday, whether it is to do a chore around the house or to get the blood flowing to the legs, take just five minutes every hour to increase your movement activity!
2. Use common household items to substitute your weights!
   1. While doing your normal squats, lunges, or shoulder press, use old milk jugs filled with water to mimic the weight you used when at the gym!
   1. Do you have a child? Or a pet? Lifting your favorite people and pets up off the ground can not only get a sweat in but practice good body mechanics!
3. Do not forget, bodyweight activities are sometimes the hardest!
   1. If you are used to lifting heavier weights with smaller repetitions, just adding the number of repetitions you complete can be an easy substitution. For example, if you are usually doing squats for 3-5 repetitions with a weight, bumping the number of repetitions up to 30 or even 40 without weight can help you feel the burn.
   1. A lot of people would love to forget about the burpee! No matter what age you are at, being able to get off the floor quickly and efficiently is important. Doing a modified version, where you take shorter steps as you are on the ground, can make this movement easier, but still effective.

If you have questions or need guidance, visit our website, or schedule a free consultation with one of our professionals.

In Health,

Hillary Rotunda

Starting from when she was a little girl, Hillary’s passion has always been in living a healthy way of life through movement and eating right. She played many sports when growing up but ended up sticking with volleyball and softball through college at Concordia College in Moorhead. While at Concordia, she earned a double major in exercise science and nutrition, graduating in 2015. After moving to the cities from my long-time home of the Fargo area, she was not quite sure what her passion was until she started working as a personal trainer. She learned from brilliant personal trainers and physical therapists, which led to her discovery of corrective exercise being her passion. She has decided to finish up the classes needed to apply for physical therapy school, which she plans on doing soon! She is excited to be at Live Your Life Physical Therapy to learn as much as she can from Dr. Norman and all the physical therapist on staff!