Living Well at Home: Tips and Tricks for Stay-at-Home Wellness
By Lindsey Ochmanski
With Gov. Gretchen Whitmer calling for Michigan residents to stay home, you may find yourself running out of Netflix and Hulu shows to binge or puzzles to complete. Although we do love our streaming services (especially while stuck at home) we thought it would be fun to share some tricks and tips to get out of bed and off the couch. Let’s get that blood pumping!
Virtual Gyms and Studios in Grand Rapids
AM Yoga is providing free online classes on their Facebook page! Catch them when they are going live or check out their past videos that are available now.
YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids is offering free streams and program options, including:
- Y-360
- Mossa® Move
- Les Mills On Demand
- Stay Health-Y 600 Fitness Challenge
YouTube
Both YouTube channels listed below offer free at-home workouts with no equipment needed. Hundreds of videos are available across a wide variety of workout types!
Full-Body Deck of Cards Workout
Got a deck of cards on hand? Shuffle ‘em up and start!
- The exercises:
- Squats, push-ups, jumping jacks and sit-ups
- Assign each exercise to a suit in the deck:
- Squats = Diamonds
- Push-ups = Hearts
- Jumping Jacks = Spades
- Sit-ups = Clubs
- Your number of reps is the face value of the card
- Try to make it through a whole deck!
Challenge Yourself to Stay Hydrated
Easier said than done! At the end of the day, have you ever wondered if you consumed enough H2O? Fitness instructors recommend that your daily water intake should be half of your body weight in ounces. Some have even found that water can provide just as much of an energy boost as your morning coffee. Don’t believe it? Now is the perfect time to give it a try.
Smoothie Shop Closed? No problem!
Don’t waste fresh produce that may be going bad on your kitchen counter. Chop up those bananas or other fruits and veggies and freeze them for a delicious at-home smoothie!
Don't let your produce go to waste! Consider crafting a smoothie instead. Photo courtesy of Denis Tuksar, Unsplash.
Sample Recipe
1 frozen banana, peeled and sliced
2 cups frozen strawberries, raspberries or cherries
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
2 to 3 tablespoons honey or to taste
We all know the importance of staying physically healthy, but it’s important to also pay attention to your mental health! Here are some tips to keep spirits bright during these uncertain times.
Social Distancing Doesn’t Mean Social Disengagement
Stay connected with family and friends who aren’t lucky enough to be quarantined with you! These tools will allow you to see smiling faces from your own living room:
Houseparty – Download your own house party! Connect with several users to play games or just chat.
Zoom – Popular for business meetings, but can also host an exciting virtual happy hour.
Facebook Messenger – Don’t feel like downloading another app? Simply log into Facebook and invite your friends to a video chat.
Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Teams is a fun way to stay connected – it makes it easy to share files, instant message or video chat.
Feeling Anxious? Try These.
- Take a break from scrolling through your news feed. Try limiting yourself to only 15-20 minutes per day (or less)!
- Take a walk outside. Get some Vitamin D (hello again sunshine in Michigan) and take a stroll through your neighborhood. Spring is here, and the fresh air can help calm nerves – just remember to continue practicing safe social distancing.
- Meditate or stretch throughout the day; this can help reduce stress, control anxiety, lengthen your attention span, improve sleep and decrease blood pressure.
- Download the award-winning app Calm – it can help with sleep, meditation and relaxation.
If all else fails, you can also check out our list of entertainment recommendations to help get you through the next few weeks. No matter what, we’re here for you!
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