Friends, I know this quarantine sucks. We’ve been stuck inside our houses with limited contact to people and the outside world, and who would have thought it was going to be as hard as it is?

But while the rest of the world is closed, you can do things in your own house that are a fun alternative. Crafts, puzzles, movies and more are just some of the endless possibilities.

Then there’s the possibility of working out. With all of this free time on your hands and the undeniable fact that most of us have been sitting for long periods of time for hours on end, exercise might be the best thing for your mental and physical health right now.

A local expert in my town, Lauren Woodworth, has been involved with fitness for 6 years. 

Woodworth is a personal trainer working towards becoming a health and fitness coach. She has her own Instagram page where she shares workouts, home videos of food, and encouraging others to try what she does.

“Stay positive. This can look like reminding yourself that you CAN get there, that you CAN get out of the ruts, that these things are only temporary. Sometimes it means working harder, sometimes it means resting and pondering on what your next move should be. Don’t remain complacent,” Woodworth said. 

As a coach, Woodworth takes on clients to help them eat right, document meals and work towards a specific fitness goal. The tips that she recommends are achievable and simple.

“The biggest thing when it comes to weight [or] achieving a fitness goal is nutrition. People like to think that they have to do certain workouts, but really, people just need to focus on getting their heart rate up,” Woodward said.

Nutrition is important, but Woodworth emphasizes whole foods.

“Especially during a time where sickness is at the forefront, people need to be consuming micronutrients: from whole food sources, from vitamins, from minerals,” she said.

Lilly Page, a nurse at St. Jude Medical Center in California with a side hustle for fitness, recommends that if you’re having a tough time with working out, to find your “why.”

“Why do you want to work out?” she said. “Try to find a positive reason. Because you want to feel healthier; because you want to feel those endorphins; because you want to have more energy and feel better about yourself.”

Page has taught fitness for six years. Her fitness journey encouraged her to be creative with her workouts after a sports injury in 2014.

“I’ve tried a few different types of workouts, and right now I’m really liking yoga,” she said. “Hiking, running, biking and swimming while keeping a social distance are really good ones. Even just going for walks can be amazing for the body and soul.”

Both women recommended high-intensity interval training workouts.

“HIIT workouts and circuits are fun because they’re quick and effective,” Page said.

“As far as workouts, a lot of people are sticking to HIIT. I’d advise switching it up to avoid burnout. Go with a full-body band burnout one day, then maybe run hills the next, then maybe a HIIT, then recover, then maybe just get steps in,” Woodworth said.

With that being said, I’ve put together a list of an easy, stay-at-home circuit that you could do. This one is a regular exercise routine that you can do without any gym equipment.

The Full-Body Experience:

20 regular squats

20 sumo squats

15 donkey kicks (per leg)

15 fire hydrants (per leg)

15 lunges (per leg)

15 curtsey lunges (per leg)

20 crunches

20 bicycle crunches

10 side-plank crunches (per side)

10 reverse crunches

20 mountain climbers

10 second plank (repeat in intervals)

10 hip dips (per side)

15 pushups

15 pull-ups (use a door frame – get creative with this one)

15 tricep dips

*If you want to get creative with arms, look around for something you could substitute as a weight — a water bottle, a drill, a dog (I’ve seen crazier); anything works!