Keeping Healthy at Home
As social distancing and self-isolating are becoming common, and we are no longer able to offer our members our clubs to train in, we’ve been coming up with ways to help Novocastrians stay fit and healthy at home. From virtual workouts to making the most out of your home environment, here’s how the Planet Fitness team can help you stay active while at home.
It is recommended that adults should do strength exercises, as well as 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, every week. But how can you achieve that when gyms and sporting facilities across the country are closed, and we are being asked to stay home where possible? You may be worried your fitness will suffer over the coming months, but even though Planet Fitness isn't physically still here to help you out, we are still committed to putting your health and fitness first.
While you may not be able to stick to your regular routine of leaving the house, going shopping, meeting friends, and coming to the gym, you can create a new routine at home which includes alternative ways to keep active. As tempting as it may be to stay in your PJs all day, in the long run, this is bound to harm your overall mood.
Try getting up at the same time every day, doing a workout first thing, taking a shower and making breakfast. There are loads of studies backing up the benefits of routine on positive mental health. You know exercise is good for you—but do you know why? Studies say that physical activity can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Moving regularly will lift your mood and keep you fit, and it will help you to stay focused. Win, win. Try setting a reminder on your phone at three different times across the day when you know you’ll be able to pause and get some movement in. Why not do a gentle yoga stretch in the morning, walking around your yard on your lunch break, and a workout from the Planet Fitness AU app in the evening?
The concept of using makeshift weights at home can seem daunting, but strength training doesn’t have to mean using heavy weights in the gym. Use items from around your home to add weight to your workouts. Things like cans of food, bottles of water, or bags of rice can all be used to help with strength training. If the idea of lifting tin cans, flour bags and water bottles doesn't appeal to you, try getting imaginative with other bodyweight ways you can move inside. Practice your planks. And perfect your sit-ups. Lunge in front of the TV, incline press-up on the sofa or do tricep dips on a chair.
Remember to stretch! Moderate stretching or incorporating some yoga into your day will help avoid stiff joints and maintain proper blood circulation. Try following along with a YouTube yogi; we recommend Yoga With Adrienne or, if you want to get your kids involved, try Cosmic Kids Yoga. After all, we could all use a little Zen at the moment.
Incorporate a walk or a run into your day, to get some fresh air and sunlight. Go for a walk in less busy areas and stay away from other walkers or runners, making sure to keep at least 1.5m between yourself and others. Even a simple walk around your yard to stretch your legs and get your body moving can be enough.
Be sure to download the Planet Fitness AU app to help you stay fit at home; it's got tons of features like workouts, nutrition info, and progress tracking. To download, simply go to the App Store on iPhone or Android and type in ‘Planet Fitness AU’, then click the ‘Download’ button.
We would also like to take this opportunity to reassure our members that all memberships have been frozen. No payments will be taken during this time. If you are a prepaid member, the length of time Planet Fitness is closed will be added on to the end of the membership, so you don't miss out on any time with us. The health and wellbeing of our members, staff, and community remains our top priority. Stay safe, take care of your loved ones and yourself. We will get through this.
