It’s no secret that we prefer to be physically fit by staying active in the great outdoors.
Those activities that we love, however, require us to have some degree of physical fitness to be able to participate. Our preferred types of physical fitness would almost always be something outdoors in nature, like a family hike near Portland or snowboarding at one of our favorite PNW Ski Resorts. For various reasons, that’s not always possible. But, we still need to remain active, so we can jump right back in when the time is right.
We’ve put together some of the best ways to stay active in your neighborhood and at home. But first, you may want to ask yourself an important question.
What does being physically fit mean to you?
Obviously, we all can have different definitions of being physically fit. Ultimately, it boils down to your why. Yours may look completely different than mine. And, that’s okay.
The health benefits are no secret. You may want to stay physically fit for health benefits, such as:
- Improving your heart health
- Keeping your weight under control
- Reducing your risk of heart attacks and other diseases
- Improved mental health and moods (thank you, endorphins!)
- Better sleep and reduced stress.
- And, so much more.
You may also stay active because you want to look great. I may not ever get my six-pack abs back (let’s be real – carbs are life), but who’s to stop us from trying?!
Or, maybe you want to be able to stay active and keep up with your kids?
Whatever your motivation, it can seem a lot more challenging when you aren’t able to head to the gym or a local trailhead. But, keeping your “why” in mind makes it much easier to stick to your goals. Even if you have to sub out your favorite physical activity for something different.
There are soooo many ways to workout. But, it can actually take a long time to sort through all the options out there. So, we pulled together this list of ways to stay active at home to help you choose the right fit for you. It’s a long post with lots of ideas, so pull up a chair (or a yoga mat) and let’s find something that works for you!
Ways to Stay Physically Active at Home
Fun Ways to Stay Physically Fit
Let’s be real. Sometimes when you’re stuck at home and need to work out, you just need it to be fun. These activities are ones that you can truly enjoy while you get your heart rate up.
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Balance Board
Our entire family loves using our balance board. It’s a great way to work on our balance, core, and leg strength. This Beginner Workout is a great way to start.
Trampoline
Full-size trampolines or even mini-trampolines are a great way to keep kids (and you) physically active. You can even add things like a tramp board or basketball hoop to change it up. We have this trampoline and LOVE it. JumpFlex was also at the top of our list.
If you have a mini trampoline, give this workout a try.
Or, this one if you have a full-size trampoline:
Skateboarding
John has always enjoyed skateboarding. About a year ago, our oldest decided that it looked like fun and he wanted to give it a try. He’s been practicing on our back trail ever since. A couple of weeks ago, our youngest decided he was ready to give it a try too!
Inline Skating
I remember using rollerblades as a kid and I actually really loved them. Truth be told, most of my memories come from the skating rink…how old does that make me sound?! Anyway, I’ve been totally thinking about grabbing a new pair to keep up with these new skateboarders in my life.
Fun Ways to Keep Kids Physically Fit
When it comes to being physically active, kids are terrific about it…as long as you can keep it entertaining and fun. These are some of the best ideas we’ve seen to keep your kids excited about exercise.
GoNoodle
GoNoodle Good Energy at Home is full of fun, energetic videos to get kids moving. They also have calming videos for things like meditation and yoga as well. These short, engaging videos will get your kids moving AND smiling.
Cosmic Kids Yoga
For a wide variety of kids yoga videos, Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube is a great place to start. Here’s a sample for you to check out!
Streaming Workout Subscriptions
My favorite thing about workout subscriptions is that they keep it fresh, and I cam do them at whatever time works best for me.
Know you need to do cardio, but hate to run? Choose a cardio workout from your favorite subscription service for some variety!
Desperately need an excellent yoga routine to de-stress and stretch? Choose the right workout for you at the moment on demand. Plus, you won’t have to dig for that DVD that’s probably scratched and unreadable anyway. 🤪
Beachbody On Demand
Beachbody on Demand has been one of my favorites for years. Nope, not a coach. Although, maybe I should be for how often I tell people about it. 😉 I enjoy the variety of workouts, the massive library, and the coaches. There is always someone who fits my personality available as an instructor.
Sometimes I will go through entire workout programs like 21 Day Fix, PiYo, or 80 Day Obsession. But, other times, I will just choose the workout that suits me that day. Last week, I knew I needed to suck it up and get in a cardio session. But, I was NOT in the mood for HIIT or a run. (Have I mentioned I hate running?) So, I pulled up a Country Heat dance workout video and got my heart rate up. I probably looked ridiculous, but who cares when you’re at home?!
Glo
Glo is one of my favorite subscriptions. I’ve currently paused some of the others that I’ve used in the past to use this one exclusively. Their library of yoga classes is extensive and includes a searchable database where I can filter by length, difficulty, instructor, and type. Recently, they have been adding lots of additional classes that include pilates, barre, fitness, meditation, and more. In addition, they have live classes that are included in their subscription rate (currently $18/mo or $162/yr).
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The Yoga Collective
The Yoga Collective is another great online yoga subscription. I love that I can search their database by length of time, type of workout (vinyasa, yin, etc.), and even instructor to find the perfect fit for each day. They have been adding new videos consistently since I have had a membership, and I use this subscription regularly.
Daily Burn
I have not personally tried Daily Burn, but I’ve heard great things. Plus, they currently have a 30-day free trial, so it may be a great time to give them a shot!
YMCA 360
At the time of publish, the On-Demand workouts on YMCA 360 have been made available for free during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have group exercises, sports classes, and options for kids.
Related Reading: Family Adventures You Can Do from Home Right Now
YouTube Fitness Channels
YouTube Fitness Channels can be as awesome as workout subscriptions. And, sometimes even better since they are free! Below we have listed some of the most popular channels and a sample workout for you to check out.
Yoga with Adriene
My personal favorite on YouTube. I LOVE her videos and always come away feeling so much better!
Sarah Beth Yoga
Fitness Blender
Body Rock
Bodybuilding
Sweaty Betty
Turbulence Training
BeFit
Online Workout Plans and Websites
There are a lot of websites out there with full workout plans to keep you active and healthy. Here are a few of the best ones we have found.
Fitness Blender
Fitness Blender has a fantastic database of workout videos, plans, meal plans, and more. You can even search for videos by length, workout type, and the equipment you have on hand.
The Relentless Woman
I love how Rachel at The Relentless Woman makes programs for real women. Like, seriously. She gets that we are humans and need to treat ourselves sometimes. And, she’s a mom so she totally understands that we don’t have 5,000 hours a day to do all the workouts and all the things. I purchased her Battle Body Program a couple of years ago and loved how it was structured. It was manageable and I saw real results.
Her current program, The Fasting Forward Challenge, is focused on Intermittent Fasting and workouts you can do at home. With this program, she is giving you At-Home Body Weight Workouts, Permanent Access to Fasting Forward, an Interactive Private Facebook Community, Live Workouts, and a Custom Intermittent Fasting Calculator. Plus, The Fasting Forward Challenge is at an accessible price point for everyone. Seriously!
Onnit
Onnit has supplements and workouts available on their website, like this bodyweight workout or this kettlebell workout.
Self
Self has a library of women’s workouts available for free on their website. They have everything from cardio to weights to low impact workouts to suit any body.
Sport Specific Workouts
If you’re looking for functional fitness ideas to keep you ready to hit your favorite sport or outdoor activity again, these are some great ways to maintain endurance and muscle memory.
Snowboarding
Full Body Fitness Moves for Snowboarding
Related Reading: The Snowboarding Gear You Need to Get Started
Hiking & Backpacking
This series of workout moves from REI is perfect for getting ready for future hikes.
Skiing
Mountain Biking
Workout Equipment for Home
When you’re trying to stay active at home, it can be helpful to have a few basic pieces of workout equipment on hand. You don’t always need a full gym set up at home – although, how cool would that be?! But, you may want to have a few basics like these available.
Resistance Bands
Free Weights
Yoga Mat
Yoga Props
Sliders
Pull up Bar
Workout Recovery
When it comes to workout recovery, now that we are getting older, there are a couple of things we couldn’t live without to help our muscles recover faster. We have several things on hand to work on different areas that come in incredibly handy…especially when we aren’t able to get a massage.
Foam Rollers
There are several versions of foam rollers. We’ve tried a lot of them over the years, and we much prefer the long foam rollers with some sort of texture on the surface. However, if your muscles are extremely sensitive, you may find one of the soft foam rollers with a smooth surface more helpful.
Massage Hook
This thing is perfect for getting into specific knots that you wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise. I tend to get knots near my scapula, and this is the ideal thing to get at those hard to reach areas on your own.
Massage Gun
We had heard good things about massage guns, but kind of thought it was probably not worth it. Holy. Cow. We were wrong. John convinced me that we needed to have one, and it’s a total game-changer. It’s insane how much it helps if we use it after a particularly hard workout, day of snowboarding with the kids, or any other time we are feeling old…I mean, sore. 😅
Peanut Massage Ball
I hadn’t seen these things before until I went to a workshop at one of the Wanderlust 108’s a couple of years ago. Think of it as an upgraded tennis ball to dig into those sore spots you have after working out.
Final thoughts on Staying Active at Home
Even though staying active isn’t always easy in certain seasons of life, you can still stay healthy and active with a little bit of creativity. Find an activity that speaks to you, give it a try, and have fun with it!
How do you like to stay active?
