10 Creative Ways You Can Stay Active and Healthy While at Home

If you’re feeling restless, listless or straight-up bored from all the time spent at home these days, there’s a plethora of simple activities you can do around the house to help you feel rejuvenated, active and healthy. Whether it boosts your physical or mental well-being or both, these little movements and actions can be easily incorporated into your daily routine.

A man opens his bedroom curtains to let in the morning sunshine

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Create an Active Routine

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with binge-watching your favourite TV shows (we’re all doing it!), it’s imperative to both your physical and mental health that you craft an active daily routine that suits your schedule. Consider getting up at the same time every day for a workout session or a walk around the block. Don’t forget to take regular breaks for all meals, including breakfast, and build in relaxing showers and quiet time. You can also try these activities to do while spending way more time indoors.

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Stand and Stretch

When working from home, it can be easy to neglect regular standing and stretching sessions. With our necks craned forward and our backs hunched, we’re not doing our bodies (or minds) any favours by not ensuring we stand up and move away from our computer screens once every 30 minutes. If it helps you stick with it, work some tasks into your “stand-up” routine so that it encourages you to move around on a regular basis. For example, start a load of laundry one hour and get up the next to hang them up outside. Your body will thank you. You can even try these tips to make every room in your home look clean and organized in less than 10 minutes.

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Get Cooking (or Baking)

Not only is it a great mental exercise to try out new recipes in the kitchen, but it also gets us up on our feet. There’s no better time than the present to try out all those dishes you’ve bookmarked over the years. So if you’re in need of a distraction or just an excuse to stretch your legs, whip out that apron and get cooking (or try one of these baking projects)!

A corner with a basket of knitting needles and yarn

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Maintain Your Hobbies

Try to maintain all your regular hobbies or broaden your horizons and take up a new one. Even the quietest and most solitary of hobbies (knitting, crocheting, painting) is considered an active exercise by most experts. They’re gentle, soothing movements that can ease the joints of the hands and play a big role in overall mental health. Nothing boosts the mood quite like the opportunity to tackle a hobby or project we love. You can also learn how to make DIY hand sanitizer and reusable disinfectant cleaning wipes.

A woman on a solitary walk through hilly terrain

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Refresh Your Daily Walks

Get creative with your regular jaunts outdoors for some fresh air. Try new routes and explore different neighbourhoods or wooded ravines in your area. If you once enjoyed the company of a regular walking buddy, why not call them while outside or set up a FaceTime session so you can (virtually) take the walk together? Seeing a friendly face will work wonders on your mental health.

A home library with a rustic ladder and area rug

Lauren Miller

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Try Gentle Lifting Exercises

When we hear words like “exercise” and “fitness” we tend to immediately jump to the most extreme examples of staying physically active. But even slow, gentle movements go a long way toward improving circulation and boosting moods. If you don’t have any at-home weights, consider the types of activities you can do around the house that promotes both upper body movement (think: organizing the books in your library, window washing, creating a gallery wall) and lower body movement (painting the walls, arranging furniture, transforming an awkward nook into a useful home office).

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Tackle Those Chores

We’re currently in the thick of spring cleaning season, so why not dive right in and work up a sweat while you do it? Not only is it a great way to stay active, a clean and tidy space has the ability to boost our emotional well-being. To help you get started, refer to our ultimate spring cleaning checklist or check out these things healthy, happy people don’t keep in their homes.

An at-home yoga studio with Buddhist decorations

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Stretch it Out

If you’re not up for a jog around the block, consider a gentle yoga practice to stretch out your muscles. If you’re new to the practice, it can seem a little daunting but there are plenty of online resources that suits all ability levels. It’s the perfect way to stretch, breathe and restore some sanity. For decor ideas, peek inside these inspiring yoga spaces that will keep you feeling zen all year round.

An outdoor hydroponic garden on a balcony, starting to bloom

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Take up Gardening

Although avid green thumbs have no doubt jumped on this opportunity already, a great way to stay busy while at home is to set up a garden. For something new, try setting up your own hydroponic garden or become a pro at container gardening. Either way, it’ll get your heart pumping and lighten your mood. Whether you’re looking for vegetable garden planners to help you grow all year round or want to know how to build your own greenhouse, we’ve got you covered.

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Create a Home Gym

What better time than the present to carve out a space in your home where you feel inspired to maintain a regular workout schedule? Brighten the spot with indoor plants, creative storage and fun wall art. If you already have an at-home gym, now’s the time to reorganize and decorate it the way you’ve always wanted, like this beauty from Save My Reno. For more inspiration, check out these basement home gym designs you’ll want to work out in.