Will's Top Fitness Tips

As Newcastle enters their second week of lockdown, we want to remind our members about the importance of maintaining physical activity for their wellbeing. 

According to NSW Health Data, last year 42.3% of women and 34.1% of men did not exercise enough in their everyday life. 

Our Balance Health & Fitness Manager and Instructor Will, has given us his top tips for maintaining a strong fitness regime whilst at home:

1. Create your own workout space in a separate room or outside in the fresh air. Fill this space with your favourite equipment or motivational pieces to prepare you for a good session!
2. Try and test different workout times, if you usually workout in the morning, try working out at night and end the day on an endorphins high. 
3. Get a family member or friend involved (via Zoom). Working out with someone else will help keep you accountable and motivated.
4. Utilise apps such as the 'Health' app on iPhone to track your steps or movements during the day.
5. Make kids apart of your session and adapt your routine into a game to keep them interested and focused. For instance, using chalk to draw out different workout stations and activities. 
6. Set reminders to get up and get moving to avoid sitting for long periods at your desk or lounge. Low intensity walks or jogs are a great way to start or end any day. 
7. Set small daily goals and work on increasing these throughout the week. For example, walking 2km one day and 3km the next day.
8. Use everyday household items such as water bottles, laundry detergent bottles to replace dumbbells or weights. A steady chair is great for triceps dips or leg raises. 
9. Take advantage of new workout music playlists on Spotify or Apple Music. Here's our favourite playlist. Or listen to podcasts on your walk/run. 
10. Utilise stairs around the house for functional training. Challenge yourself with varying speeds for step ups. 
11. Practice mindfulness during your exercise to feel present with each body movement. Remind yourself that doing something is better than doing nothing at all!
12. Try one of our Balance at home videos from our library series. 

There are countless benefits to regularly exercising which is particularly important during these challenging times. We hope these tips have helped our members sustain a healthy lifestyle :)