Exercise is vital for our mental and physical health, and is arguably more important than ever during periods of social distancing and self-isolation. At Charity Challenge, we aspire to see the positive in every situation. So even though we are all going through an incredibly unsettling period in our lives, we have somehow been given a gift to slow down, refocus and take care of ourselves. Now is not the time to sit down and give up, it is the time to put a plan in place and kick start a new training regime, so we are all ready to take on that Charity Challenge when the time allows.
The key to a successful training regime is planning and motivation. Once you start, the endorphins that you release will take care of everything else. To help you get fighting fit for your upcoming challenge, or just to keep in shape without leaving the house, we have put together some of our favourite tips and advice for training at home.
Virtual Charity Challenge
We have turned a selection of your favourite trekking and biking challenges into Virtual Charity Challenges so that everyone can continue to fundraise and train at home. Trek, walk or run 56km over 5 days to get you ready for your upcoming trek to Machu Picchu. Climb 7,120 steps, or 475 flights of stairs to reach the summit of Mt Snowdon. Or cycle 435km over 4 days to take on the London to Paris bike ride. For a full list of Virtual Charity Challenges available read more here
The Altitude Centre – Train at home live stream
Our partners at The Altitude Centre have set up a range of options for you to continue training whilst at home during this time.
- Live Stream Classes
- Live Stream Personal Training
- Live Stream Pilates
- Live Stream Consultations & remote programming
They have also been extremely kind and given all Charity Challenge participants a free class. If you choose a Live Stream class from the schedule here and select ‘sign up’ on your chosen class, you will be able to discount a single session to £0 using the code CCfree (case sensitive).
Housework & Gardening
While you may not be in a gym pumping iron or hiking up your favourite mountain, it is still exercise and requires you do to work and burn more energy than sitting on the couch watching Netflix. Daily chores like cleaning your house, mopping the floor, mowing the lawn, cleaning the car, even digging & shoveling soil are all examples of moderate exercise, which helps improve health and fitness. We highly recommend putting on some fast tempo music that you really enjoy and dance, while cleaning. Clean home = cardio workout = clear mind. Win – win -win!
Online Sessions
The influx of free online sessions has opened up a whole new world to training at home! Yoga, cardio, Pilates, strength, dance, HIIT, boxing, you name, they have it. These are some of Team Charity Challenge favourites:
- Own your goals Davina – Free 30 day membership access to a huge variety of fitness classes from HIIT, boxing, dance and more with nutritionist approved recipes and meal planners.
- PE with Jo Wicks – Free30 mins sessions live streamed every day at 9am to get the blood pumping. Sessions will be continuing every day until children are back in schools.
- Sweaty Betty – Free workouts ranging from yoga to HIIT, explore the video library to find a class to suit your time frame and fitness level.
- More yoga – Free range of yoga and mindfulness classes across their London studios where all are welcome.
- Team GB Olympians – A freeguide from Team GB Olympians on easy-to-follow workouts which you can do at home.
- PopSugar Fitness – Free access to over 500 workouts from celebrity trainers and fitness experts across strength, cardio, dance and yoga.
- Dancing with Oti Mabuse – Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse creates free online classes for both adults and kids during the coronavirus pandemic.
Forest Bathing
Forest bathing or ‘shinrin-yoku’ was first developed in Japan in the 1980s, following scientific studies conducted by the government. The results showed that two hours of mindful exploration in a forest could reduce blood pressure, lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels and improve concentration and memory. They also found that trees release chemicals called phytoncides, which have an anti-microbial effect on human bodies, boosting the immune system.
Next time you are social distancing in the local park, forest, or even garden take the time to really focus on the natural world around you: from the rays of sunlight catching the leaves to birdsong echoing from the canopy. Nature is one of the best prescriptions out there!
Fitness apps
There is a plethora of fitness apps in the marketplace to help you exercise more, track your performance, make your diet healthier, start practicing mindfulness or sleep better. These are some of Team Charity Challenge favourites: Fitbit, Strava, Map My Walk, Map My Run, Steps App, RunKeeper, Apple Watch, Apple Health, and Google Fit
So there you have it, some of our favourite tips and advice for training at home. We would love to see your training progress or learn any other tips you may have while social distancing. Please share via Facebook , Instagram, Twitter or email us at info@charitychallenge.com
Good luck, stay safe and stay at home.
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