It is important now more than ever to find ways to promote a healthy lifestyle, yet current CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidelines along with general risks of going to the gym have made it difficult for many to go workout. That doesn’t mean that you can’t get creative and find other ways to stay active, though. Here are five ways that you can stay in shape without going to the gym.

1. Group Zoom Yoga SessionsWith Zoom becoming a cornerstone for our daily lives, why not use it for something fun? Yoga is a great way to get your body moving and can be adaptable to fit your goals. Yoga can range from meditation-based practices that focus on mental health and putting your mind at ease through simple and stress relieving movements, to a grueling endurance workout that will leave you sore in all the right places for the next day (or two). So throw your friends a Zoom invite, and get your bodies moving with a group yoga session. If you would like to be led by an instructor, there are some great free guided sessions on YouTube. “Yoga With Adriene” has something for just about everyone.
2. A quick stretch between classes
   There is nothing worse than that tight feeling your entire body gets after sitting all day at a computer. One way to avoid this is to use the ten minutes in between your virtual classes to stand up and do some stretches. Just ten minutes a couple times a day can go a long way, not only in keeping your body from feeling tight and getting your body to move throughout the day, but it also could lead to overall increased flexibility and mobility for your body. Who doesn’t like to move better and feel better when you move?
   Here’s a quick ten-minute sample stretch you can do in between your classes:
   –Good Morning Stretch
   –Try to touch your toes (hold at bottom for 15 seconds
   –Pidgewon (one minute each leg)
   –Down Dog into Up Dog x3
3. Tabata
   “Tabata workouts?” Yep, you heard that correctly, and yes, it is a real word believe it or not. Tabata workouts, otherwise known as high intensity interval training, is a series of workouts that are done for 20 seconds, with ten seconds rest, for eight rounds totaling a quick four-minute workout.
   A sample Tabata exercise would be pairing burpees and jump squats: 20 seconds of burpees, ten seconds rest, 20 seconds jump squats, ten seconds rest. Don’t let the short amount of time fool you, this will whip you into shape quickly. If you’re feeling bold, repeat the four minutes again. This, too, can be done in between your classes, but you may have to explain to your professor why you’re short of breath and sweating so much, so be ready for that conversation.
   
4. Commercial core
   Who says watching TV has to be bad for you? Take a chance on this one. When you’re watching TV, every time there is a commercial do a plank for as long as possible. Repeat for as long as you can take it. By the time you finish watching the big game or your favorite show you’ll be on your way to abs of steel.
   
5. Bodyweight CrossFit Workouts (advanced)
   This is for those that are up for a real challenge. There are an abundance of CrossFit workouts that require no equipment that you can challenge yourself with to complete in as short of time as possible. Here’s an example called “The Hotel Room WOD”. Have fun with this one, it requires no equipment, but it requires some endurance and mental toughness:
   20 Rounds for time:
   – 5 push ups
   – 5 air squats
   – 5 sit ups

While these may not be the first things you think of when thinking about how to stay fit during these strange times, these are ways that you can get your body moving and take a break from the couch and the computer screen. Try to pick one of these and do one every week, as you get comfortable with it, add another day. Eventually you will be doing something every day to keep your body feeling and moving right and supporting a healthy lifestyle. Good luck!