Staying active at home
More and more of us are spending time at home, so we’ve compiled some ideas on how you can keep active. Staying active is really important for our mental and physical wellbeing.
Team ARU has put together a selection of online exercise platforms that you can do in your own time or join in live online. Whether you like to exercise first thing in the morning, break up the day with a lunchtime routine or wait till the evening, there's something for everyone.
Are you looking for ways to keep your children moving? Take a look at our resources and tips for getting active with the kids.
LES MILLS on Demand allows you to enjoy the Les Mills experience in the comfort and convenience of your home with over 1000 workouts to choose from. The workouts range from 15 – 55 minutes, and you can work out when and where it suits you with classic programmes such as Bodypump™ and Bodycombat™, do mindfulness exercises and even get the kids active with Born to move™. There are a variety of plans available to purchase, after a 14 days free trial.
The Old Factory Gym have teamed up with Les Mills to offer their members FREE access to Les Mills on Demand for 30 days. To find out more information on how to start your FREE 30-day trial please email The Old Factory: [email protected]. When you sign up you’ll be asked to enter your payment details, but you won’t be charged for the 30-day trial. If you want to continue beyond that, you’ll automatically become a paying subscriber at the special rate we’ve negotiated with Les Mills (£7.94 p/m, RRP normally £11.95p/m). Please note this trial is valid for new subscribers only.
Fiit is a fitness app that delivers motivating fitness classes straight to your phone or tablet, whenever you want. You can train with a variety of fitness experts and choose from hundreds of classes ranging from Cardio, Strength or Rebalance which are 25 or 40 minutes, from entry level to advanced. There are several memberships available to purchase, after a 14 days free trial.
Move GB has thousands of classes for you to access, these can be live or on-demand. There are a huge variety of different classes. This is available for just £1 for the first week, so definitely worth trying out, then £12 for 12 weeks after.
Here are some of the best free video content that will keep you moving in your own home, there is something for everyone:
Body Coach TV is the home of Joe Wick’s workouts. On his YouTube channel he has hundreds of free online workouts that cater for all fitness levels.
Nike Training Club offers a flexible 4-6 week personalised training programme. Whether you have access to a gym or your training at home there is a workout for you.
Our Parks is known for delivering fitness sessions in parks across London and the UK. On their YouTube channel you can find at-home workouts, delivered by qualified instructors, to do at any time of the day. The classes vary in type, difficulty and many sessions are suitable for families to participate in together and you can sign up for free.
NHS Fitness Exercise Videos are a selection of free exercise videos that can all be done from home. You can take your pick from instructor-led videos varying from aerobics exercise, strength and resistance, to Pilates and yoga. These workouts have been created by fitness experts and range from 10 to 45 minutes so you can choose a workout that fits into your day.
POPSUGAR Fitness have over 500 fresh workouts from celebrity trainers and fitness experts whether you want to focus on strength, sculpt or dance there is something for everyone. Tune into POPSUGAR Fitness on YouTube or download the app 'Active by POPSUGAR' which is free to use.
This Girl Can has a huge range of ideas to get active, it also has lots of stories from others who have got active through This Girl Can.
Wellbeing Walks are short and over easy terrain. They're open to everyone but are especially aimed at those who are least active. Each walk has specially trained volunteers who are on hand to provide encouragement and support, and to make sure no one gets left behind. Walking has several benefits that keep our bodies and minds healthy, an opportunity to meet new people and can help prevent illness.
Couch to 5K is a free programme that takes people from their couch to running a 5K in nine weeks. Each week you complete three sessions which gradually build up intensity and the distance you run. You can also chose which coach to guide you through the sessions.
Let’s Ride Local is one of the simplest ways to get active outside and can be done with the whole family. British Cycling have created Let's Ride Local to encourage safe and responsible cycling; the website includes tips and advice on riding locally, as well as instructions on teaching children how to ride.
Workouts aren't just about getting your heart pumping and burning calories. It's just as important to slow down and reconnect with your mind and body.
Yoga with Adriene provides free high quality yoga sessions on YouTube which are aimed at all levels, all bodies, and all genders. If you are new to yoga check out Yoga for Beginners and Foundations of Yoga Series. Adriene encourages participants to find what feels good and has over 700 videos to try.
Relaxation Techniques can help you when you're feeling a bit stressed or worried. There are many different techniques that you can try.
Mind have developed a wellbeing toolkit designed to help you manage stresses in your life during this time. If you set aside just a few minutes each day for yourself it can have a huge impact on your life.
Headspace has one mission: to improve the health and happiness of the World through meditation. You can try Headspace and learn the essentials of meditation and mindfulness with their free basic course. You can download the Headspace app or sign up online to start meditating today.
While we might not currently be able to take part in as much physical exercise as we used to, many people have started playing Esports to fulfil their competitiveness. It can be a great alternative in the meantime. Esports is a form of sport competition using video games with competitors playing in different leagues or teams. There are a variety of different games including:
- FIFA Series (Football)
- Madden NFL (American Football)
- NBA 2K (Basketball)
- Formula One (Racing cars)
Team ARU have our very own Strava group that anyone in the ARU community can join its called ARU Runners. It’s a great way to share your routes and times, with others who are also interested. You could also make a group of your own and compete against your friends across the globe. There have recently been many challenges where runners have been creating their own Strava Art using roads as the outlines to their images, it is interesting to see what you can make whilst running a route.