With all that’s going on in the world right now, many of us are noticing a change in the way we live our day to day lives. Many of us are stressed and have a lot more free time at home. Exercise is essential to maintaining our health and wellbeing.

It is something that is easily accessible from home and doesn’t need to require a gym or a class. Here are a few simple at home exercise suggestions to help get your heart rate pumping, get a sweat going to help detox your body, and allow for the production of those feel-good hormones, like endorphins. So grab your essential oils, put on some of your favorite music and let's treat ourselves. Your body and mind will thank you in just a few minutes!

Stretching

Stretching is an essential part of fitness. It increases circulation, improves flexibility, and calms the body and mind. Your body is intuitive and knows what it needs…so just feel around and go where you feel called. Feel tight and achy in your neck and shoulders? Apply our Polar Peppermint or Pain Relief oil and do some slow neck rolls to the right and then to the left. Take your time and remember to breathe. Work at the computer all day? Apply our Polar Peppermint or Pain Relief and roll out your wrists and give them a gentle massage. Sit down on the ground with your legs out straight and try to touch your toes. You can bend your knees if you need to but make sure you are getting a good enough stretch and remember to be gentle with your self. Take your time, these poses are most effective when we don’t rush them and allow ourselves to sink in and be present with our breath.

Yoga

Yoga is an incredible way to improve circulation, strengthen the body and immune system, and calm the mind. I love to light a few candles, put a few drops of Lavender or Bergamot oil into my diffuser and find a yoga tutorial on Youtube that calls to me. Sometimes I feel like doing an energizing Vinyasa Flow class, and other times I feel like winding down to a calming Yin yoga stretching class. You can even research pictures of poses on Google and copy them. Some of my favorite poses include, Happy Baby, Downward Dog, Warrior II, Cobra, Pigeon Pose, Triangle Pose, and Child’s Pose. Do what feels good and hold the poses as you breathe in and out, letting go of any stress or tension.

Dance

Sometimes, well, most of the time… I resist working out, but I know when I do I feel so much better afterwards. Aside from being proud of myself for taking the time to take care of my health, I feel stronger, more energized and more at peace in my mind and body. Exercise is a great way to let go of all the negative or fearful chatter in the mind. Sometimes when I don’t feel like working out, I turn on some of my favorite music and have a solo dance party. This is great to do alone and really let loose when no one is watching. It’s also a fun mood-boosting activity to enjoy with others, like your kids and partners. You are never too old to dance, so go at your own pace and let the music guide your movements.

Workouts

If you don’t have access to a place to go on a walk or a run, doing jumping jacks, sit ups, pushups, or squats inside can be an excellent way to get your heart rate pumping. If you have trouble motivating yourself, diffuse or rub an uplifting Orange oil to energize you, and tell yourself you will be able to watch that favorite show or have that delicious snack after you have done 25 jumping jacks, or 15 pushups, etc. Making deals with myself like that always work when I’m lacking the drive to get up and get moving. I always feel so much better after a do. A workout doesn’t have to be an hour long. You can do 10, 15, 20 minutes or more. The key is getting your heart rate pumping and if you break a sweat, even better!

I like to remind myself that working out isn’t a chore, it’s a gift! It truly is a gift to be able to move our bodies and give ourselves a little extra love. Hopefully, when we all are able to be back to our normal daily lives after this COVID-19 lockdown, we will all be running to the hills and hiking trails and enjoying moving our body in nature and breathing in that fresh air. I’m sure looking forward to it! Until then, thank goodness for essential oils and diffusers, that capture the beauty of nature in a tiny bottle.