The way we workout is just another one of the things that 2020 has completely blown up.
I used to teach several yoga classes a week, and I bounced around town to take various fitness classes, too. Now, while many places have reopened, working out from home remains appropriate for a lot of us.
This week I’m sharing my favorite at-home workouts. Not the massive national apps, but a few of my favorite local options, which can be accessed from anywhere.
1. Big Power Yoga (Bigpoweryoga.com).
Big’s classes are excellent. They’re a more athletic style of yoga, but the teachers offer modifications and make it clear that students can choose their own pace.
Owner Nancy Perry says “our classes are designed for all levels, and are challenging at the same time. The best thing for a new student to do is give themselves grace and commit to trying it for a few weeks so they can start to experience the benefits and become more relaxed in and familiar with the practice.”
Big charges $40 a month for unlimited streaming of live classes.
2. Ride Indoor Cycling (Ride-indoorcycling.com)
You clearly would need to have an exercise bike for these classes. I bought a used one from Facebook Marketplace, and I love it.
As Peloton has exploded in popularity, I’ve chosen to stream classes from local vendors instead. A lot of studios are offering some great stuff in this area, and Ride is my favorite. The classes are fun and energetic, and as you ride to the beat of the music, you’ll definitely work up a good sweat.
Ride charges $12 per class and the classes are available for 24 hours, which is awesome. You don’t have to catch the live slot to catch the class. There’s also an option to pay $35 a week for unlimited streaming.
3. Interval training on your own.
Incorporate 20 seconds to a few minutes of high-intensity actions into your typical walk, run, bike or circuit workout. Then keep moving but take it down a notch to let yourself recover. Do four to five rounds of these intervals.
Picking up the intensity often means speeding your pace, but it could alternatively involve increasing resistance or doing something else that’s more strenuous. The idea is to challenge yourself in short bursts.
These workouts are great for heart health, and they’re considered to be a very efficient way to exercise. The surges in intensity mean benefits in less time.
I offer a few free interval workouts on my website, marcisharif.com. There’s “Cardio Core” on the homepage and under the Free Stuff tab, a workout called “Burpees & stuff. As the titles suggest, they both involve a good amount of jumping, pushups, etc. If that’s too much, you might try “Yoga for strength, balance, and flexibility” or “Wind down yoga” (both are also on the Free Stuff page). Wind-down yoga isn’t strenuous; it’s a gentle and relaxing routine.
Remember, it’s not all about burning calories or needing to change anything. I’m mostly interested in exercise because it simply feels good to move.
I hope these options include something that will feel good for you. Feeling good is something to be thankful for—especially in 2020.
Happy Thanksgiving!