You may be housebound for the 21-day national lockdown, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay active. Exercise is crucial for mental and physical health, particularly in times of stress, so it’s a good idea to find ways to get your heart pumping and your body moving. Here are a few ideas to add to your at-home exercise arsenal.

Grab your skipping rope
If you’re looking for a fun and challenging workout that’s sure to burn a few kilojoules, then skipping is for you. Along with providing a hefty dose of childhood nostalgia, it delivers an excellent cardio workout – and you can do it anywhere. As with any new exercise routine, it’s advisable to start slowly. If you’re keen to get started, take a look at the beginner programmes offered by Crossrope and Real Simple.

Hit the (yoga) mat
If you’re looking for a workout to help improve flexibility, balance and muscle tone, then yoga may be for you. You’ll find plenty of routines online – for example, the popular Yoga with Adriene YouTube channel offers a variety of yoga and meditation routines. If you haven’t done yoga before, be sure to check out Adriene’s Yoga for Beginners and Foundations of Yoga series.

Use your body weight
No weights or exercise equipment at home? No problem. You can do a wide range of exercises and activities using just your body weight. Have a look at this workout guide from Self, which offers 53 bodyweight exercises that you can mix and match to create different routines. There are lots of resources available online, so do a bit of googling to find a few workouts that work for you. 

Take some time to meditate
This activity is less about getting your heart rate up and more about getting your stress levels down – and if you’re feeling a bit anxious at the moment, it’s worth adding it to your lockdown routine. Mindful, Headspace, Calm are just some of the websites and apps that offer guided meditations and calming exercises to help you relax, manage stress and get better sleep.