Necessity is the mother of innovation and whilst in the time of coronavirus a sweaty gym isn’t the most inviting of places – I’ve long preferred the comfort of my loungeroom floor anyway.
Self-motivation is hard. But for me motivating myself to pack a gym bag, lock in a class time, pay up to $30 and travel to the gym is much harder than pushing aside my coffee table, laying down a yoga mat and rolling onto the floor in nothing but whatever ugly, comfy outfit you have on (read underwear and my old bed t-shirt).
Another benefit to the lazy at-home workout is you can choose your timeframe. We’ve all got 10 minutes to spare but the beauty of getting started is that once you’re there, YouTube suggests another 10-minute workout and before you know it you’ve done an hour.
To get started you really need nothing. A beach towel would suffice. Cans of beans for weights work if you’re in a pickle. But if you’re keen on a little more formalized workout gear then a yoga mat, hand weights and ankle weights will up the effectiveness of any at home workout.
From left: PHOTOGRAPHY @barrebody; Shanina Shaik @shaninamshaik.
For mental health
My friend is a psychologist and once told me “honestly, sometimes I think yoga is better than therapy”. Ever since I really became a yoga convert. And after reading Your Body Keeps the Score even more so. The best thing about Yoga with Adriene is while you can choose a workout for abs, weight loss or strength training you can also select them if you’re feeling stuck, yoga if you’re suffering from social anxiety or you need a little perspective. Sometimes your body just needs a big tension release by way of a full body stretch. There’s no performative yoga here. No competition on your down dog style and simply “an invitation for awareness” on where your body and mind is at today.
For physical health
For strength training and muscle building that is as far from your local cross fit center as possible, than Pilates routines are your best bet. And really, you can choose as little or as big of a workout as you want for as much or as little time as you have. There are 5 minute, 10 minute, 15 minute or 35 minute workouts.
For as soothing and relaxing as Yoga with Adriene is this is kind of the opposite but once you have the general idea of the routine it presents a perfect opportunity to watch Netflix, listen to your favourite podcast and just play your favourite music to drown out the beeps.
No more excuses.
The never fail
If you really love the class format but can no longer make it in for your usual programming than Barre Body’s online classes are perfect for you. You can choose from Pilates, Barre, Yoga or stretch classes and take part in their personalised support from coaches and teachers. The space may not be the same as the bright, open, light wood interiors you’re used to but the workout will be and in these times of isolation any way to keep your body moving, healthy and fit is enough.
