Stay Active Year Round With These Indoor Exercises

About Tori Thurmond

Tori Thurmond combines her creative writing background with her marketing experience in her role as the Content Specialist at Brookdale. When she's not writing, she's probably spending time with her two cats or knitting.

Staying active is not only good for our physical health

but it can also be good for our mental

well-being. However, when the colder temperatures start to set in and the days get shorter, exercising outside isn’t always the best option. Consider these exercises you can do in your own home to help you stay active when the weather outside isn’t ideal.

Yoga

Yoga is a spiritual and physical practice based in Indian philosophy. There are many different types of yoga, ranging from gentle movements to more physically demanding practices. This variety is what makes yoga a great exercise option for people of any age. Yoga can have physical benefits such as the possibility of improving balance and heart health and may also have mental benefits like helping with managing stress and aiding in better sleep. Researchers have begun to look specifically at whether yoga can promote healthy aging and certain studies have found that the practice can have a positive influence on cellular aging, mobility, balance, mental health and prevention of cognitive decline.

If you’re interested in giving yoga a go, consider watching Introductory Yoga With Rhonda Flowers. Rhonda walks us through a beginner’s yoga session, offering modifications for each pose.

Low-Impact Training

According to fitness trainer, Todd Durkin, low impact exercises can be one of the best ways to stay fit at any age. Durkin defines low impact as, “essentially anything that’s not high intensity, like running or jumping. Great examples [of low impact exercises] would include walking, strength training with light weights, body-weight exercises and any exercise that’s easy on the joints, like swimming or cycling.” Many low-impact exercises can have similar benefits to high-intensity workouts but often require less equipment, making low-impact training a great option if you want to start exercising in your own home.

Foam Rolling

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique that uses a foam roller to apply pressure and massage a part of your body or muscle group by rolling the tool back and forth. While foam rolling is typically used to warm-up or cool-down from a workout, you can participate in the practice without tagging it on to another workout to receive possible benefits like easing muscle soreness, managing fibromyalgia symptoms and helping you relax. Because most foam rollers are relatively small, they should be easy to store and pull out on a cold or rainy day when you don’t feel like going for your afternoon walk.

Indoor Sports

The colder months aren’t always conducive to some of the sports that we know and love, but consider taking the fun inside until the weather is warm and sunny again. If you’ve recently picked up a usually-outdoor sport like pickleball, check to see if your local sport complex offers access to indoor courts. Similarly, if you enjoy swimming, look to see if there are any indoor pools in your area. Luckily, some sports, like the ancient Chinese practice, tai chi, are easy to move inside. If you don’t have to put your favorite hobby on hold this winter, why would you? Sometimes, it just takes a little creativity to keep the fun going.

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