Keeping active while studying and spending time at home

These days we are spending a lot of time at home which means less opportunities for physical activity. But does it? There are plenty of ways that you can still get your daily dose of fitness at home.

Studying online means sitting in front of your computer for up to 4 hours a day. This is a long time to spend staring at a computer screen so ensure you take regular breaks (as instructed by your teacher).

Here are a few suggestions to follow every time you take a short break from study.

Stand up: Walk around your house/apartment for at least 2 minutes.

Stretch: Follow some of the suggestions below, spend at least 2 minutes doing stretches.

Get some fresh air: Walk outside or open a window and get some fresh air for a couple of minutes. Or even better- take your computer outside if possible and sit in a shaded area.

Outside of your study time there are plenty of other methods for exercising at home. Experts suggest that you get 10 minutes of intense physical activity per day, or at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.

Equipment required: Get a yoga mat or find a soft and supportive place to exercise like a rug or carpeted surface. Other than that, you don’t really need any equipment to do exercise at home. There are a lot of exercises you can do just by using your own body.

Some ideas for exercising at home

Watch some home exercise video tutorials.

Whether you want a full-on cardio workout, core strength builder or a simple yoga class, there are plenty of exercise tutorials on YouTube. We have shared some of our favourites below.

Use the stairs

If you have stairs in your house or live in an apartment building, try running up and down the stairs. There are some great cardio activities that involve using stairs. Many athletes even use stairs to train for various different sports.

5BX

5BX is a method used by the Royal Canadian Air Force to gradually build fitness and strength. It starts off very easy but gradually builds up as days go by, until you get to your target level of fitness. And the best bit? The exercise routine only takes 11 minutes out of your day. Read more about it here.