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Now more than ever, daily exercise is a necessity. You may have a regular routine that continues uninterrupted despite the various limitations on gatherings. But perhaps now that you finally have time, you can find an online class or get out for a daily run or walk and develop your own routine. Here are a few of our favorites for a workout at home.

Yoga

Whether you’re taking advantage of time at home to try yoga for the first time, or missing your fellow yogis at your local studio, there are many ways to practice online. Austin’s own Adriene Mishler has a YouTube channel Yoga with Adrienne that offers several series of classes for beginners and more advanced practitioners. Bonus points for her yoga pooch Benji!

Stretching

Spending too much time on the couch bingeing movies? Or, perhaps you’re working from home and missing your standup desk. If you’re getting a bit creaky, try ‘Classical Stretch’ with Miranda Esmonde-White. It’s a short 22 minutes of stretching and strengthening that usually can be found on PBS stations in the morning. If you’re sleeping in, record it.

Cardio

There are a host of cardio workout videos available online. Some are free; some are from online fitness clubs with fees. Fitness Blender is free and gives you options to choose a video based on your level of fitness, body focus, training type (strength, cardio, Pilates, Barre and more), and exercising with or without equipment. No excuses!

Dance, Dance, Dance

There’s nothing like dancing to get your heart pumping and relieve stress. Stream, pull out the lps or cds, and play the music that makes you move! Make it a family dance party or go solo and enjoy all your favorites.

Walking and Running

Still feeling the urge to multitask? Need an incentive to get out the door? Try combining your walk with a favorite podcast or audio book. The rules: shoes on first and out the door before you begin listening. 

Want to put your daily walks into a larger context? Consider some challenges like Walking to Rivendell (458 miles from Hobbiton to Rivendell), a Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella (476 miles from Roncevalles to Santiago), or John Muir’s 1000 mile walk (791 miles from Jeffersonville, Indiana to Cedar Key, Florida but note that Muir did take a much longer, scenic route). Log your mileage, follow your progress on a map, and celebrate at the end of your journey!