MPI So Cal Connect
 

Find Your Balance and Wellness in Chaos

Print this Article | Send to Colleague

As we head into week four of sheltering at home, most of us are settling into our new normal, though our current life circumstances are far from normal, and it often feels like week 400. For many of us, the usual and hectic schedules of work, travel and life demands could weigh heavily on our ability to practice whole-life wellness and balance, and finding time for extracurricular activities can often take a backseat.

On one of my 3,000 Zoom calls last week, our board did a round-about asking the question "It took a pandamic to..." with a positive response required. Posed with comtemplation on our current situation, I have realized that in the past few weeks with a forced quiet and moment of stillness in what is usually a hectic schedule of travel and one plane after another, is that I have slept better than I have in years and resumed my fleeting yoga practice. One of the small joys I have found is being able to practice yoga or do a HIIT workout with some of my favorite teachers from across the nation. The yoga studio I love from my hometown in Tucson has multiple classes available. The pilates teacher I love in Nashville, or the Insta-famous HIIT instructor whom I have never been able to afford to see are all doing livestreaming videos on various platforms. Frequenting their classes also helps support their studios or income and in turn we are helping out in a small way to keep the community we love afloat.

To help you stay motivated, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite at-home workouts and activities to keep you moving. These external websites and third-party apps are our go-tos, so I hope you find them helpful as well! Come work out with us! 

  YMCA Ketchum-Downtown You can still access some great classes from home! Check out their Y360 on-demand videos.
  YouTube In between cat videos, check out some of the at-home workouts offered by channels like FitnessBlender and POPSUGAR Fitness.
Websites Blogilates Free Pilates videos varying in length (most videos are 10-30 min), can filter by level and body focus, also has a fitness calendar
  Alo Yoga Offering a 14-day free trial of their virtual classes (then $20/month after that).
  Classpass

Offering free virtual classes for everyone, you do not already need to be a Classpass member. You can access thousands of workouts from the Classpass app or online.

  BeachBody on Demand

Beachbodyondemand.com is offering a 14-day free trial and offers popular workouts such as insanity, 21-day fix, PiYo and more. More info.

  Peloton

Free for 90 days right now. Classes include spinning, running (treadmill and audio-only for outdoor runs), strength, cardio (dance & HIIT), yoga, meditation, walking. You can filter by length of class, music genre, etc. No bike needed!

  FitOn

Free app with assortment of classes including HIIT, strength, toning, cardio, Pilates, yoga, barre, dance (on-demand and live). You can filter by length and intensity of workout. Includes weight and bodyweight-only classes.

  FitBod

Free app (right now) if only doing bodyweight exercise. Puts together strength combinations and HIIT workouts based on the muscles you want to work, or puts together a plan for you hitting different muscle groups on different days

Apps Basecamp Fitness LA

Basecamp Fitness LA is now offering FREE online workouts 4x a day, 7 days a week, to accommodate many schedules. These workouts can be accessed via Instagram Live @BasecampFitness. All of the workouts can be done at home - no equipment necessary. They know that many have been deeply affected by what’s happened and want to help our community in any way they can to keep people healthy (mentally, physically and emotionally) and connected while in isolation.

  Instagram

Besides being our favorite “just taking a quick work break” app, Instagram has a ton of live workouts you can utilize. Some of our favorites are @xcorestudio, @bold_studios, @barrys, and @onepeloton.

  Wanderlust TV

Wanderlust is a global yoga brand whose ultimate mission is to help you “Find Your True North” for a healthy and inspired life. They have many free daily practices on Instagram as well as streaming on the Wanderlust TV app. They are currently offering a 30-day free trial and is $9.99 per month after that. More info.

  Fabulous

This is a great APP that takes you on a wellness journey, with reminders to drink water, breathe, create a morning routine, stretch, and generally take care of yourself. They have a free trial with nominal costs to keep going if you like it.

  Headspace

Mental health is just as important as physical health, so make sure you’re taking time to destress and clear your mind. They’re currently offering some free meditations within the app.

  WebEx or Zoom

Hear us out: if you have a meeting or call you need to make, why not take it while walking around your neighborhood (while maintaining a safe social distance from others, of course!). Just getting outside for fresh air can do wonders for your health.

Do you have a favorite that didn’t make our list? Let us know! We’re always looking to try something new, and would love to share it with others! - By Anastasia Johnson

 

Back to MPI So Cal Connect

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn