If you are looking for alternatives to take care of your health at home, the following article has good news for you. Fortunately, nowadays, it is possible to take care of yourself practically through online classes. Here are our top exercise recommendations for you.
Yoga
Firstly, we have yoga, an ancient Indian practice whose primary purpose is to promote its practitioners’ physical and mental balance. This is made possible by the activity’s postures and stretches combined with breathing and meditation techniques. Considered a self-care practice, yoga is effective in combating stress and anxiety. And even though it is only associated with mental health, the activity also offers incredible physical benefits, namely: Activation of blood circulation;
- Increase in respiratory capacity;
- Improved focus and breathing;
- More flexibility and motor coordination;
- Promotion of body awareness and self-knowledge ;
- Muscle strengthening.
Because it is a manageable activity, yoga can be practiced at home with the help of mobile apps. So, you can benefit from the training whenever and wherever you want.
Meditation
Similar to yoga, meditation is also an ancient practice, only focused on taking care of mental health. It helps to deal with stressful day-to-day situations by mastering one’s emotions. For this, the activity seeks to bring the practitioner to a deep stage of concentration, in which the mind is not interfered with by thoughts, concerns, or feelings. That’s because the fewer distractions, the greater the focus of the mind on what matters. In this way, you will gradually reach a more mature emotional state, balanced and able to understand and positively deal with the issues surrounding you. As for the benefits of meditation, several of them are scientifically proven:
- Reduction of stress and anxiety;
- Improved self-esteem;
- Self-knowledge and increased ability to concentrate;
- Development of positive feelings;
- Improved sleep quality;
- Relief from chronic pain.
All you need to get these benefits is comfortable clothing, a quiet place, and a yoga mat or mat. Also, it would help if you chose the meditation modality that best meets your relaxation needs. Do you want to live in the present, getting rid of past or future thoughts? Then mindfulness can be an excellent choice. Do you need to get rid of certain mental agitations that keep you from being a calmer person? In that case, you can opt for Samatha meditation. Or, who knows, bet on Yoga Nidra to relax deeply and connect with your “inner self” more intensely. The fact is that there are several modalities of meditation that can help you take care of mental health at home in an easy way.
Pilates
Pilates is a century-old method of physical exercise made up of more than 500 different activities, a favorite of physical therapists and physical educators. Fully customizable and easy to practice at home, it combines stretching and resistance exercises with breathing and concentration techniques used in yoga and meditation. For this reason, it is one of the complete self-care tools, as it allows you to take care of your physical and mental health. In addition, practice is also a great ally in musculoskeletal rehabilitation treatments. Here are some other health benefits of Pilates:
- Correct posture;
- Offers more flexibility and motor coordination;
- Reduces pain in muscles and joints;
- Tones the muscles;
- Helps to lose weight;
- Reduces symptoms of stress and anxiety;
- Improves breathing capacity;
- Activates blood circulation and fights cardiovascular diseases;
- Strengthens the pelvic floor;
- Increases the ability to concentrate.
And contrary to what you might think, taking care of your health at home with Pilates is very easy, thanks to the mat pilates modality, in which all the exercises are performed on the floor. To start practicing, you only need a mat and some specific accessories.
Functional Training
Functional training is for those who like a more intense workout, focused on short-term but high-intensity exercises. It is ideal for those who want to achieve physical conditioning and healthy weight loss, as well as more willingness to face the challenges of everyday life. Based on movements you perform every day, such as sitting, standing, running, and jumping, for example, this group of exercises offers you more quality of life. That’s because, in addition to getting you out of a sedentary lifestyle, it still helps you gain muscle mass, energy, and vitality.
Dance
And who said it’s impossible to follow the choreographies of gyms and dance studios at home? Thanks to online classes and mobile apps, you can now follow the steps of your favorite songs in the comfort of your home. Follow the teacher’s instructions to move your body and enjoy various health benefits. Among them, the following are the main ones:
- Increases blood circulation;
- Promotes body awareness ;
- Slimming and toning the muscles;
- Stimulates interaction with other people;
- Increases respiratory capacity;
- Strengthens immunity;
- Fights stress, anxiety, and depression.
Healthy Recipes From Different Diets
If you find it strange to include healthy eating in the list of tools to take care of health at home, know that this is not by chance. After all, it’s no use taking care of physical and mental health and forgetting one of the most significant pillars for a complete transformation, food reeducation. With the help of technology, you can access different diet recipes and learn to prepare tasty and nutritious dishes. Thus, you can enhance the results obtained with the above activities and take care of your physical health.
Workplace Gymnastics
Last but not least, you can also count on gymnastics at work. Although it is considered a health and wellness tool aimed at work, it can be practiced at home without difficulty even because their exercises are composed of several types of stretching to work the muscle groups most damaged by repetitive work activities. In this sense, gymnastics at work is an excellent ally in the fight against occupational diseases such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, tendinitis, and low back pain, among many others. Therefore, if you work all day sitting or performing repeated movements, you should give work gymnastics a chance.
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