Your Home Is A Gym

Lockdown is no excuse not to keep fit. Here’s inspiration to break a sweat and stay healthy

- Sandy Cook

THESE are tough times. We’re confined to our homes and we can’t even take a walk around the block, let alone go for a long-distance run.

Every day the Coronavirus numbers go up, yet more people are diagnosed and yet more people die. It’s enough to make you want to crawl back into bed and pull the duvet over your head.

But don’t. Now more than ever we should all make an effort to exercise – it’s a balm for both body and soul, experts say.

Exercise releases endorphins, your body’s feel-good hormone, and when endorphin levels go up, they can counteract the stress response that’s so damaging to the immune system, says Tony Maloney of the US’ National Institute for Fitness and Sport.

So, with gyms closed and the street out of bounds, it’s time to turn your home into a bespoke exercise area – and it’s pretty easy, really. All you need is a dollop of inspiration, an injection of get up and go, and a dose of know-how.

USE WHAT YOU HAVE

You don’t need a Pilates ball, a set of weights or even a yoga mat to get fit at home. A beach towel or bathmat are good yoga-mat substitutes, canned foods make great dumbbells and furniture makes excellent gym equipment. You can also do some form of exercise in every room of your home.