Disclaimer up front: These suggestions are only if you are feeling inspired to move. If this post is triggering to you in anyway, please know you are beautiful, you are trying your best, and you are enough.

One of the most surprising things for me during this quarantine period has been how much I have missed the gym. Up until my early twenties, I was not a fit person. In fact, past me would NEVER believe that the words “I miss the gym” would come out of my mouth. Working out was never fun for me. It was punishment. It was guilt-ridden. I always felt like I was never enough, never doing enough. There were cycles of trying new things and failing. I would have never been caught dead in a gym as it was always a scary place. Then I did some hardcore work and reframed my thinking about it (after getting thoroughly addicted to running.) I stopped thinking about it as EXERCISE and started thinking about it as MOVEMENT.

See EXERCISE is good, great actually. It’s really important, but it also is a triggering term. It evokes images of plans, programs, diets, and bodies that are entirely unachievable for some people. MOVEMENT can mean anything. It can look like anything and evolves day to day. Some days movement is squatting your personal best, other days it’s a quick 20 minute walk around the block to clear your head. Some days it’s not even leaving the apartment, but cleaning out your closet (more on that later).

Movement is something I strive for daily. It’s how Laurel and I talk about our active lifestyles. We believe in moving to feel good, whatever that means for you in the moment you are in. No guilt.

So that being said, here are some tips I have been following during this time to incorporate movement into my life at home:

1. Act as if you are still commuting

For some of us, our commute served as a key part of our daily movement. I used to walk at least twice a day and from the subway stop. This was such a great and easy way to get in two 20+ minute walks without even thinking. I know I was going to feel this loss immediately when we started to work from home, so now I treat the beginning and end of the day like I am still going to commute to work. Before I sit down to start my day, I go for a quick 20 minute walk around the block (practicing safe distancing, of course). At the end of my work day, I do the same before I start cooking. It’s a really nice way to break up the work day.

2. Invest in a foam roller

I don’t know about you, but I have traded in my work office for a shotty glass table that is far from comfortable to work on. I had purchased a foam roller years ago when I was in physiotherapy and it’s the best end of day activity. For just 5 minutes, I treat myself to a little roll and feel all the tension in my muscles melt away. It’s really nice to just breathe and focus on my body for even a few minutes. I never ever regret taking this time for myself. Not sure what exercises to do? Here’s a really nice breakdown of some rolling techniques to try.

3. Daily Plank Challenge

Planking is one of those exercises that I hate to love. On one hand, they are hard and uncomfortable. On the other, I know it’s working wonders on muscles that I need to strengthen (hello back, abs, shoulders, stabilizers, everywhere.) I always try to incorporate them in my regular gym routine, but regular and routine are both words that don’t exist right now. So instead, I am trying to plank everyday for as long as I can until I fail. It requires nothing from me, but getting down on the ground and holding it for as long as I can. I don’t have to change, I don’t need to roll out mats or do the mental gymnastics normally needed to work out. Usually I try it out right after my workout for the day, but if not, it’s usually on a random work break.

4. Garden, organize, or clean!

Again, this is about movement and not feeling the guilt that can be associated with working out. The best way to move? By doing something productive! Now I don’t have a garden (oh how I wish), but I have a closet that is in constant need of organizing. And I have books, hundreds of them actually, that need a good thorough tidy. And I have laundry that needs to be done, and a pantry that could do with organizing… and the list could go on. I honestly feel like house work, chores, garden work, playing with kids, all count as daily movement. Next time you feel guilty, think about all the work you’ve likely done to move your body in a day. You’re doing your damn best!

5. Find a fitness challenge that inspires you

Whether it’s a 30 day yoga challenge, a daily walk for an hour, or something more intense, find something that inspires you to MOVE. For me, I have been doing a fitness program from a book that’s all bodyweight/circuit training. I love it because it leaves me huffing on the floor and has been a great substitute for the gym. But it’s not going to look like that for everyone. And it doesn’t look like that for me everyday. In fact, the goal of movement shouldn’t be calories burned or exhausting yourself. It should be to get out of your head and into your body. It’s about showing yourself some love and expending some energy.

What’s your favourite way to move daily? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!