As we all know, we are all locked up inside our house in the current pandemic that the world is fighting with. Lot of countries are operating on mandatory lockdown of all non-essential services including gyms, shopping malls, banks, colleges. We have more time on hand due to various reasons like most offices shifting to working from home, schools and colleges operating with online delivery. We all are expected to stay home and avoid public gathering as much as possible and also maintain social distancing at all times. During this time lots of people are struggling with anxiety, inactivity, boredom and missing working out.
With more than ever netflix and chill weekends and lots of cooking and eating finally compelled me to use my time to workout atleast 3-4 days a week. Staying fit and feeling good is ever so important at all times and especially during times like these, taking care of our health has become crucial. Not only for ourselves, but also for people around us. This disease is such a domino effect, and you gotta stay safe to stop it and prevent it to pass onto someone else. Mornings were hectic when things were normal, i would find excuses to avoid going to gym. But, during the lockdown, since my mother is also working from home, and I have online classes, we have a bit of free time in the mornings. To avoid finding excuses, we have promised to hold each other accountable for working out. So that we end up working out if not for ourselves then for the other person.
Meditation and Pranayama
I love yoga personally more than cardio because of a number of reasons like flexibility, calming my anxiety, relaxing my mind, body and soul. I do yoga two days a week, starting off with 15 minutes of meditation and pranayama ( a.k.a controlled breathing excercises). Followed by 20-25 minutes of yoga. One of the best thing about yoga is that you do not need any equipment except a mat, a quiet place and an open window for some fresh air.
For meditation and pranayama, I startoff by reciting gayatri mantra 10-15 times keeping off the stress and thoughts and letting the mind be calm. The literal meaning of gayatri mantri is :
“Oh, creator of the universe. We meditate upon thy supreme splendor. May thy radiant power illuminate our intellects, destroy our ignorance and guide us in the direction of enlightenment by purifying our inner hearts.”
The gayatri mantra does not follow any particular religion. It is addressed to the power of the universe. Check this article If you are curious to know the benefits and meaning of gayatri mantra. Here’s a video to chant along the mantra or just listen to it while deep breathing.
For meditation, I start off by lighting a candle, and focussing my concentration to the light for 5-10 mins with deep breathing. I chant Om 10 times where I take one long breath and chant Om as i release the breath.
For meditation here are some good videos:
I then move on to kapalbhati, anulom-vilom and bhastrika pranayama.
Here are some good videos to follow along for pranayama:
Yoga
Yoga is one of the best form of excercise for me. I feel more open, positive and energized. Yoga can be a lot, especially if you have never practised it before. You must begin light and stretch only to the point you feel comfortable. If you stretch too much you might get a nerve catch. So start slow and build your body flexibility. Adreine’s Yoga For Complete Beginners workout is a good starting point. One of the best yoga guru If i may say so, is adriene. Her channel is called yoga with adriene. She has lots of videos for every issue from anxiety, weight loss, power yoga, morning yoga. My favorite videos on her channel are:
Another youtube channel that has lots of yoga videos is sarahbethyoga.
Here’s my list of favorite videos.
Another videos i like from other channels like popsugar and psyche truth are:
- 30 minute Full Body Yoga for Flexibility & Strength
- 20 Minute Fat Burning Yoga Workout Beginners
- Morning Yoga For Weight Loss
- Weight Loss Yoga for Flat Stomach & Abs
- 30-Minute Power Yoga For Tight Abs and a Toned Butt
- 35-Minute Pure Joy Yoga, Cardio, & Meditation Session
- Feel-Good, Feel-Strong Yoga
- 20-Minute Total Body Sculpt and Tone Workout
Pilates
This post would be incomplete without mentioning popsugar fitness. I cannot tell enough how much i love their workouts. Got 10 mins, you’ll find a workout, got 30 min you’ll find a workout. There’s something for everyone for FREE. (P.S. I love you popsugar fitness.) Especially during this COVID-19 phase they have been very kind to launch an app called ACTIVE by popsugar. I personally love Jake DuPree. If you have done an of his workouts, you’ll have to agree that his sassy comments keep your spirits high and motivation to complete the workout even higher. I don’t know what it is but the giggles and vibes during jake’s workout make me look forward to it. I am currently completing his 21 day full body transformation. I started from beginner workouts for the first week slowly building up my stamina and moving onto 21 day challenge. I would highly suggest you do to same if you are a complete beginner. If you are a more active person, then you know your body limits and have more flexibility to perform advanced exercises. What I do is, I go to popsugar fitness channel and their playlist section which has specific videos of a particular category grouped together for ease of use.
Here’s a list of my favorite popsugar videos and playlists:
My another favorite channel is Blogilates. Her abs and arms videos are the best. Like popsugar, she also has various challenges. My favourite videos from her channel are
I would love to hear which are your favorite exercises ? Or which form of exercise do you like the most? Are you a cardio person or a yoga person? Share your favorites videos in the comment section below.
