Being physically active is critical for your overall health. If you aren’t doing something to keep your body moving, you risk becoming unhealthy. Your muscles may weaken, your metabolism may slow down, and you could start to feel sluggish if you don’t stay active.
Worse yet, you could also damage your immune system. In the time of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to maintain your health. Getting active might not necessarily save you from contracting the average cold, but it can certainly help boost your immune system when you are suffering from a mild sore throat. As such, you can typically recover faster and experience milder symptoms than you would otherwise. How to cure an itchy sore throat? Plenty of fluids, rest, and visiting your doctor when necessary. Exercise is more of a preventative method than a treatment, though working up a sweat can also help in some cases when you’re already sick. Just remember that there are differences between a sore throat and itchy throat, and having either of those symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean that you have COVID-19. Trust your doctor to better understand your health. In fact, you should also visit your doctor when you want to engage in a new workout routine.
Are you ready to get healthier this year? Finding time to stay active can be challenging when you manage a household, a family, and a job. How are you supposed to make physical activity a priority if you have other priorities to handle? There are ways you can combine being active and getting things done inside (and outside of) the house. Here are ten ways to incorporate fun outdoor activities at home into your routine and stay active both inside and outside the home.
Do an Online Workout
One of the most beneficial ways to stay active inside your home is to do an online workout. An online workout provides the same benefits as hitting the gym, only you get to work out in the comfort of your own home. It’s also convenient if you have other responsibilities to tackle at home, but can spare an hour or so for working out.
There are several online workouts you can do. If you’re looking for lighter exercise, you could take an online yoga class or a meditation class. If you want a more robust workout, you could take an online Zumba class or a HIIT class. If you have workout equipment in your house, you could even participate in an online group class and have virtual motivators. We live in a world where technology allows us to do a lot of things virtually, such as seeing an online doctor or shopping for groceries online. This means you can essentially do any workout you please online.
You can also do online workouts at home, but outdoors. Take your laptop or phone outdoors and enjoy the fresh air while getting a workout in. You could workout indoors, or you could turn it into one of those fun outdoor activities at home.
Spruce Up Your Home
You can stay active inside your home and update it at the same time. Sprucing up your home can give you a workout while you make upgrades to your house. You can stay active by painting the walls, redoing the flooring, and installing fixtures such as a new washer and dryer or some off grid energy storage in your home. You may be focusing on making the updates that you don’t even realize how active you are.
Sprucing up your home doesn’t just include cosmetic upgrades. Doing some pest control or even thoroughly cleaning your home can help you stay active as well. Before you know it, you’ll be more physically active and your home will be spruced up.
Work On the Lawn
There are fun outdoor activities at home you can do that also help you stay active. One of those activities is working on the lawn. Lawn maintenance helps get your body moving while you update your outdoor space and keep it intact. Examples of lawn maintenance include raking the yard, lawn spraying, and planting a garden. Between carrying all the materials and constantly being on the move, you’ll be active for hours.
There are other lawn maintenance projects you can work on, too. You can build a fire pit, reseed the grass, and mow the lawn so it looks presentable. These activities may require more physical activity, which means you’ll be more active. Be sure to stay hydrated while you’re working on the lawn, though. If you’re doing too much physical activity outdoors, you could get dehydrated easily. Drink plenty of water while you’re working on the lawn and staying active outdoors.
Build a Deck
There are fun outdoor activities at home that get you moving and add value to your house. One of those activities is building a deck. Building a deck gives you additional outdoor entertainment space and adds to the overall aesthetic of your home. If you want to build a deck, make sure you have the proper permits and materials to do so. Also, make sure you know the exact dimensions of the deck you’re building. This will help you get the appropriate amount of materials and give you an idea of how much labor it’ll take to build it.
Expect to be active if you’re building a deck on your own. You have to carry the materials, put it all together, and possibly run back and forth between the job site and the store. You’ll feel all the work you’ve done at the end of the day.
While you’re building the deck, you can also look into making other yard updates. For instance, you could update the fences. If you don’t feel comfortable fixing up the fences by yourself, you can look into different fencing services that can help. The more lawn updates you do, the more active you can be outside your home.
Swim in the Pool
When thinking of doing fun outdoor activities at home, one thing you can do is swim in your pool. Swimming keeps you active and gets you out of the house. You use your legs, arms, and abdominals to float in the water and swim from one side to the other. You may think of it as a fun, leisurely activity to do in your backyard, but it’s also an activity that keeps you active and healthy. You can also use your pool to have fun and be active with your friends and family.
If you don’t have a pool in your backyard, you can have one installed. Research pool builders in your area who can help install it correctly. A pool not only helps you and your family stay active, but also adds value to your home. If you decide to sell your home one day, you could get more money thanks to your pool.
Go Camping in the Backyard
Around 40 million Americans go camping each year. It’s a fun activity that keeps you active and gets you to explore the outdoors. If you’re looking for fun outdoor activities at home, you can camp in your backyard. There are many perks of camping in your backyard. For starters, you know you’ll be camping in a safe space. If anything were to happen, you could easily make it to your home and deal with the issue. You’ll also be close to the store in case you need food or other necessities. You can still be active outdoors while being close to your home.
You can camp in your backyard numerous ways. You could set up a couple of tents, or if your backyard is big enough, you could park an RV in it. If you don’t have an RV, you can go to an RV dealership to see what you can get. Once you’re done camping in your backyard, you could use the RV to camp at other spots.
Activities you can do while camping in your backyard include making a bonfire, stargazing, and catching fireflies. You can even bring games like cornhole and badminton to play during the day so you stay active.
Plan a Scavenger Hunt
If you want to participate in unique and fun outdoor activities at home, consider planning a scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts are a fun way for you and your family to stay active and ignite some healthy competition. You can hide candy or small prizes around your lawn and have your family look for them. You could also turn it into a scavenger hunt where your family must find clues in order to get the grand prize. If you want to make it even more interesting, you could split your family or friends into teams and have them work together to complete the scavenger hunt.
You can make the scavenger hunt more active by spreading out clues inside and outside of your home. You and your family will have so much fun finding the clues that you won’t realize how active you’ve been trying to find everything. Make sure the hiding spots aren’t too hard to reach, though — you don’t want anyone to get hurt while trying to have fun.
Work on Side Projects
There are fun outdoor activities at home that can you can do to pass the time and stay active. For instance, you could work on side projects that you’ve been meaning to complete for quite some time. Perhaps you want to tear down and rebuild a shed in the backyard, or finally clean out the garage. Doing these manual side jobs can get your blood pumping and allow you to cross tasks off your to-do list. If you’re getting rid of things or moving them, make sure you look into a trailer service that can help you move everything at once.
You can also do side projects for family and friends, or work on projects outside of the home. If you (or someone you know) has a lake house, you can work on fixing up the boat deck or other parts of the home that need repair. You must have the proper boat decking hardware and other necessary materials in order to get the job done. Get all the materials you need beforehand so you don’t waste any time while working on the project.
Another option is to pick up a side project that keeps you active and requires you to learn a new skill. Examples of these side projects include furniture making and car restoration. These activities keep you up and moving, and you could even use these new skills to make some money on the side.
Go For a Run
When looking for fun outdoor activities at home, keep in mind that you don’t have to stay home the entire time. Something fun you can do that starts at home is going for a run. You can start in your driveway and run around your neighborhood until you’re satisfied. Running is a fun activity that keeps you active and gets you outside the house. You can run to stay active, relieve stress, or even train for an upcoming race.
Before you go out for your run, make sure you properly stretch and take actions to prevent injury. If an injury does happen, make sure you know what your insurance covers, whether you have private insurance or have medicare. It’s important to stay cautious while running and not push yourself too hard, especially if you’re new to running. Stretch your legs and back out before heading out, and don’t push yourself too hard.
Build a Shed
Do you have a lot of tools or lawn care items stacking up in your garage? Does it seem like no matter how much space you clear out in your home, the items keep piling up? If so, it’s time to build a shed in the backyard. Building a shed is a great way to create more storage space for your home and keep you active outdoors.
Start by scoping out how much room you have in your yard. Then, figure out how big you want the shed to be. Its size will depend on a number of factors, including how much stuff you need to store and how large of a structure you’re legally permitted to build. Then, you’ll need to gather the materials and get to building. Building a structure from the bottom up can be a laborious process, so consider enlisting the help of friends or professionals. The project will be worth it, though. You’ll be active, add value to your home, and get to spend time outdoors while creating an effective storage area.
If you’re creative enough, there are many fun outdoor activities at home you can do. You can also come up with fun indoor activities that allow you to be active and productive at the same time. It’s important for your overall health to be physically active, but being active doesn’t mean you have to constantly be working out. Even doing the smallest physical activity around the home and outdoors can contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle.
