Staying Occupied: Fitness Links

Since we all need to do our part and stay home, it means that our fitness and mindfulness routines are completely gone. Thankfully, there is a lot online but it is hard to know where to start. So, I have decided that for my own sanity, I will go hunting for links for all of us to use. Since I can’t try all of the videos (boy, would my body hurt!), I will organize it like this:

• Company/Individual website and/or video links
  • Videos I have tried with comments

I will add new links once or twice a week – so please keep coming back to this post! The *NEW* links for the day will be marked. This post was updated Monday, April 13, 2020.

FITNESS:

• *NEW* We love dance – Dance in the Body You Have
  • I did a few of the videos and like that the participants look like us (aka not 21 years old and a size 4). They are zumba based so no cueing – you might want to watch each video to familiarize yourself with the routine before trying yourself. 
• *NEW* PopSugar/FitSugar are running Facebook Live classes and have a variety of exercise types on their YouTube page.
• *NEW* Our local Variety Village has videos on YouTube for a variety of abilities – from kickboxing to fall prevention.
• Don’t think you can dance? Start with Misty Tripoli and she will get you moving. I have taken her certification and it changed the way I taught fitness. Moving should be fun – so enjoy Another One Bites the Dust. If you love it, there is a 30 day trial offer to access videos.
• Les Mills is used by Goodlife for most of their programs. I did this free BODYJAM  workout (45 minutes)
  • This is a dance fitness workout – do what you can, move around, and have fun.
• Our whole family did the Les Mills family friendly fitness called Born to Move. 
  • The moves are simple and the songs are silly.
• I stumbled on this Facebook page by accident – Jazzercise on Demand – I was having trouble with all Facebook Live video but from what I saw, it was fast and a high intensity.
• Zumba lovers can move to LIVELOVEPARTY.tv – Little Miss and I spent 15 minutes doing:
  • Senorita (3:34 minutes)  
  • Get Ready (3:04 minutes)  
  • Can’t Stop the Feeling (3:58 minutes)
  • Title (2:58 minutes) 
• YMCA 360 has a variety of free videos – Bootcamp, Yoga, Weightlifting, Tai Chi
• Planet Fitness is posting a video each day to keep people moving.

BALLET BARRE:

• *NEW* Tracey Mallet is the founder of Booty Barre and provides a strength focused workout that lengthens and tones the muscles. You will need the kitchen counter or a higher backed chair for the barre workouts and a mat for the pilates segments.
  • I have taken Tracey’s workshops at canfitpro’s annual conference – your cheeks will burn!
• *NEW* I like the company name – Lazy Girl Tips – and the Barre for Beginners looks like it has a comfortable pace.

YOGA:

• *NEW* There are several videos by Rodney and Colleen Yee on the Gaiam YouTube page. If you visit the annual Toronto Yoga Conference, you may be familiar with their classes in the garden court and as workshops.
• *NEW* Alleviating Hand and Wrist Pain is part of a Yoga For All mini workshop with Dianne Bondy. 
  • Dianne is alway helpful with her teachings!
• A Neck/Shoulder/Back video by Paula Lay (10 minutes)
  • Great stress relief and it helped relieve some tension.
• Another Carey Sims gentle sequence that involves chair and standing work. 
• 3 ways to use props in Warrior III from Yoga International.
• Gentle Yoga Flow with YogiApproved.com (30-minutes)
  • Keep a block or cushion handy just in case – I used mine on the high lunge.
• Sit & Be Fit runs on PBS WNED at 5:30am each morning. There are also videos available online so you can do it anytime during the day! Classic Fit by Essentrics runs at 6:00am – I did their workshop several years ago … it is harder than it looks!
• Dianne Bondy is an inspirational teacher that has made it her mission to bring yoga to all. I took her workshop last summer on Inclusion and learned some great new tricks. Her book is a great starting point for those who need to learn modifications. There are tons of videos on her YouTube channel – her 21 Day Yoga for All Challenge looks like the perfect way to get us into a daily practice.
  • Her book – Yoga for Everyone – is a great starting point for those who need to learn modifications.
• Carey Sims is a part of the Accessible Yoga community and he has a few videos on YouTube
  •  Gentle Chair Yoga is a great introduction for someone new to fitness or with aches and pains. You only need a chair unless you are short (place a pillow under your feet) or need help lifting your leg (a belt or scarf can be used to assist the lift).
• Lululemon has brought their community classes online. 

PILATES:

• Body Harmonics
  • Pilates & Movement Standing Sequence – 10-minutes or less – The movements were terrific but I found it a little fast. You might want to pause the video at certain points and do the move at your pace. If you want a longer workout, add to the number of repetitions.

QIGONG:

• *NEW* Golden Harmony Qijong (Beaches) has an hour-long sequence on their Facebook page. 
• Tyler Trahan was recommended to me by two participants – they like 20 minute morning and 10 minute evening routines.

MASSAGE:

• *NEW* As my participants know, I’m a huge advocate of foot rolling. Omega Health & Fitness shares foot work to tackle leg and back pain. 
• *NEW* I own all of the items from AcuBall;.created by chiropractor Dr. Cohen, The mini-ball is my favourite! Use the ‘Click Where It Hurts’ option on their website.
• *NEW* I also own all of the balls from Jill Miller’s Yoga Tune Up Balls and her book. Great short videos on YouTube.

MEDITATION:

• *NEW* A Loving Kindness Meditation to Help with Resilience from the magazine Mindful. 
• *NEW* Deva Premal & Miten Meditation each day on Facebook – 3:30pm 
  • The previous videos are also available; the meditation is the same each day but the songs at the end seem to vary each day.
• *NEW* Chocolate Meditation is an enjoyable moment. Find a piece of chocolate that you know you will enjoy and put your full attention on eating it. Inhale the aroma. Savour every bite. Sit with the sensation.
• Body Scan: First start with trying to slow down and expand your breath. You want your inhale to fill in all directions – into your ribs, towards the spine, into the belly, and down towards your pelvis. Once you feel like you have a calming and slow breath, begin to scan your body. Think of the scan like a MRI machine, starting at your head and slowly working towards your toes. When you notice a spot of tension, pause, and try to release the tightness. Then continue your scan. When you get to your toes, work your way back up towards the crown of your head. 
• If you have a smart phone or tablet, I suggest you download the Buddhify meditation app. It is $6.99 on Apple devices and $3.99 on Google – although I think I got it for cheaper so maybe they run sales. I like that they divide it by need and time you have available to sit and focus. 

MUSIC:

• Chanting for Humans Everywhere by Citadel is a terrific EP and it appears to be on YouTube!
• If you take my classes, you know that I love Deva Premal with her soothing voices and mantras.
  • My favourite album is Love is Space.
  • One of the first mantras I learned was Aad Guray – It is a nod to GURU – that which brings us from darkness (GU) into light (RU).

SPROUTING BALANCE BLOG: 

• I’m running a ‘Staying Occupied’ series on my website; I hope to post something everyday showing something we have done within our household.
• I’m sharing a daily email with friends/family with links to family friendly websites; a summary of all the links can be found in the post Staying Occupied: Helpful Links.
• Little Miss loves to draw so I decided we needed a Drawing a Day Challenge!

Please share links with me that I can add to this post. Let’s create an awesome resource that we can all enjoy!

Note: This series was created due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the requirement to practice social distancing and stay home as much as possible. I hope that despite all the closures and the crazy grocery store lines, you can still find opportunities to stay calm, enjoy the extra time with your loved ones, organize the areas that need to be addressed, and find something (book, movie, craft) to bring you enthusiasm. Choose to be as balanced as possible and stay healthy.