Want to stay active at home
Staying active and healthy is more important than ever right now. Any activity that gets your body moving is great your health and wellbeing.
You don’t need fancy gym equipment to stay active. Everyday activities such as doing the vacuuming, hanging out the washing, and mowing the lawn all count towards your daily activity levels.
Try to break up long periods of sitting by getting up and moving for a few minutes every hour. You could dance around your living room to your favourite music, or walk up and down the stairs.
There is no situation or health condition where exercise is not a good thing, and in some cases physical activity can be a miracle cure.
Our Alive team have created some online fitness class videos to help you get healthy at home.
Active at home
We have produced a number of Online Fitness Classes to follow along at home.
You can also check out these easy-to-follow workouts which are a great way to get active at home:
- NHS strength exercises
- NHS balance exercises
- NHS flexibility exercises
- NHS gym-free workouts
- NHS ten-minute cardio and toning workouts
- This Girl Can home exercise guide
If you know anybody who would like exercise support but doesn’t have access to the internet – we have created a postcard which can be downloaded below:
Exercises for older people
At Alive we understand the important of being active at home no matter what your age and ability.
Active Norfolk have put together some resources to help older people and those with long-term health conditions stay active at home, which will help your physical health as well as boosting your mental wellbeing.
Try to aim for a mix of activities to improve strength and balance.
As with any kind of physical activity, start slowly and gradually build up the time and intensity of your workouts, and don’t forget to warm up and cool down!
Further resources
Active Kids at Home
Keeping children active and healthy at home is super important right now. Whilst exercise is important it also has to be fun. Everyday household activities can count towards your child’s daily activities, things like getting them to make their bed everyday as quick as they can, and playing fun tidy up races, not only make chores fun but get your little ones moving.
Why not dust off the board game twister, or have garden races, or a themed sports day, with egg and spoon races! There are also some great online workouts especially for children, which you and you family could all have a go at.
Active Outdoors
There are loads of great ways to get active and stay active outdoors in our local area. Click on the links below for info on some of the fun ways you can move your body to keep active during this time.
Get great tips, advice and guidance on how to keep or get active in and around your home from Sport England. Join the Movement and share how you’re getting active during this time.
Running is a great way to improve your fitness and stamina and stay active.
Couch to 5k – Couch to 5k aims to get you from zero to 5k in 9 weeks, by following an easy step by step guide. Suitable for all ages and abilities.
Parkrun – In the absence of the usual Saturday morning events this is an alternative for people to participate in a 5k walk, jog or run. You choose your route and follow the appropriate guidelines for physical activity wherever you are based. Parkrun is free and Adults can join from 15+ and the junior route is suitable for 4-14 years. You can register your time if you already have a parkrun profile or you can sign up for one here: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/
Run Sandringham – Complete 5k or Half Marathon as a continuous race, on the route of your choice at your own pace. Run any time from 1 – 31 January. Your “12 registration includes a printable bib and a race certificate and medal in the post. Minimum age for 5k is 11 and 17 for half marathon.
Walking is a great way to keep moving and stay active outdoors in your local area, and is perfect for family time.
Treasure Trails – Try something new with friends and family and explore with a Treasure Trail – an imaginative and fun way to discover and learn about different areas of the UK. Go on one of our Trails to make the most of the variety that Norfolk has to offer, with historic towns and villages as well as a host of locations in The Broads National Park and the Norfolk Coast to explore. Treasure Trails are perfect for the whole family and suitable for all ages.
King’s Lynn Weird Walk – This short walk will guide you to what might be one of Norfolk’s most haunted buildings, an exorcist’s house, the place where a witch’s heart bounced to the river and far more … on a walk that highlights Lynn’s weirder side.
Interactive map – Interactive map of walks and cycling routes in Norfolk
Nar Valley Way – There are a variety of free circular, short and long walks available on the Nar Valley Way suitable for all ages.
Munzee – Munzee is an exciting 21st century scavenger hunt for everyone to enjoy and it’s a great way to explore Norfolk. Have fun competing with your friends and family to hunt and capture a trail of QR codes hidden in the surroundings.
Gaywood Valley Activities – The Treasures of the Gaywood Valley are a series of free exciting interactive circular walks in West Norfolk complete with treasure maps, walk instructions and fun activities to do along the way, suitable for all ages and abilities.
Geocaching – Geocaching is a free modern day treasure hunt and is enjoyed across the world by adults and children alike. You just need a smart phone or other GPS device to help track down the hidden caches. Caches vary in size and shape and some are even hidden as fake rocks or logs so you can really test your detective skills.
Rambling – Find a group walk or a route that has been verified by Ramblers.org. Subject to COVID restrictions. Sutable for age 15+ years.
Dersingham Bog – Dersingham Bog Walk is a 8.0 kilometer loop trail located near King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching.
Sandringham – Explore the most popular trails near Sandringham with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers. Parking charges may apply.
Bawsey Country Park – Bawsey Country Park offers a variety of activities and experiences that bring you closer to nature and allows you to explore the hundreds of acres as a family. Parking changes may apply.
Reffley Wood – Reffley Wood is a 52.4-hectare (129.4-acre) site located a few miles east of the centre of King’s Lynn, directly adjoining the town’s urban fringe and accessed off the A148 (Grimston Road) to the north and the A149 (Queen Elizabeth Way) to the east.
Best Trails nr. Kings Lynn – Looking for a great trail near King’s Lynn, Norfolk? AllTrails has 15 great trail running trails, walking trails, kid friendly trails and more, with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers, and nature lovers.
Shouldham Warren – Shouldham Warren is a wooded area on the edge of the fens, located a short distance to the north of the village of Shouldham with a track to the parking and picnic area. 2 marked walk, yellow walk – 1k and red walk 3k.
Snettisham Woodland – This woodland walk is away from the hustle and bustle of the seaside towns and you can experience a little peace and quiet in the wood as well as enjoy some great views over the Wash from the edge of the wood.
River side walks – The Fen Rivers Way, a long distance path running for nearly 80km between the historic settlements of Cambridge and King’s Lynn, traces the course of rivers that drain slowly across the Fens into the Wash. The walk along the river here at Denver takes in part of the Fen Rivers Way.
Fen Rivers Way – The Fen Rivers Way runs for nearly 50 miles between the historic settlements of King’s Lynn and Cambridge, tracing the course of rivers that drain slowly across the Fens into the Wash.
Cycling is a great way to stay active outdoors and explore your local area.
Cycling Routes – If you have a cycle rack for your car then look no further. Here are some great routes to enjoy in a variety of locations through Norfolk. Lots of off road cycling with guidance on places to avoid!
Low-Impact Exercises
Low-impact exercise involves less impact and therefore less strain on your body. High-impact exercises such as running and HIIT are higher in intensity and harder on the body. Some exercises, such as swimming or biking, are no-impact, meaning that these movements don’t involve any contact with the ground and are gentle on the joints. Beginners embarking on a new exercise program often start with low-impact exercises.
My health champion has a great range of low impact exercises from low impact cardio, to yoga and even seated exercises.
Low-Impact Exercises for Health and Wellness | HealthChampion (myhealthchampion.com)
Active Apps
Activity Trackers
- Apple Activity App – iPhone & iPod | Apple Watch
- Fit Bit
- Strava
- Nike Training Club
- MyFitnessPal
- Run Keeper
- Google Fit
Fitness Apps
- iPrescribe Exercise – Website | Apple App Store | Google Play Store
iPrescribe Exercise is a free, evidence-based app which analyses your health, current fitness level, disease status and resting heart rate, and produces a personalised 12-week physical activity plan that is tailored to your needs and will transform your life.
- Sworkit – Website | Apple App Store | Google Play Store
The Sworkit Workouts and Fitness Plans system is for people new to fitness, who want to supplement their current fitness habits, or who are just too busy to make it to the gym – whether you’re a new mum getting back in shape, a dad no longer digging that “dad-bod”, a traveller needing fitness on the road, or a busy professional who just needs an easy way to get in great shape.
- Home Workout – No Equipment – Website | Apple App Store | Google Play Store
Home Workouts provides daily workout routines for all your main muscle groups. In just a few minutes a day, you can build muscles and keep fitness at home without having to go to the gym. No equipment or coach needed, all exercises can be performed with just your body weight.
- Fitocracy – Website | Apple App Store
Fitocracy motivates you and helps you succeed at fitness and level up in real life. We make exercise fun! Track your workouts, earn points, unlock achievements, beat quests, and slay the laziness dragon. Join the best fitness community on the planet and become the person you were meant to be.
- FiiT – Website | Apple App Store | Google Play Store
FiiT is offering a 30-day free trial and 25% off their app, which has more than 600 varied workouts and training plans – from entry level to advanced. You can also connect with friends in the UK’s only live leaderboard high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes.
Bee Fit at Home
Are you finding it hard to keep your little ones occupied whilst home? We have some fun Bumble Bee Fit colouring sheets for children of all ages to colour in, find out which which bee lives in this hive with our Hive Activity, can your little one find all 6 differences in our Spot the Difference Bumble pictures, which can also be coloured in after! and help them with English by trying to find all the words in Bumbles honeycomb!
There are lots of fun things in the Bee fit club to keep your children entertained whilst on lockdown and not only will it help keep them entertained, but they they can even count it towards their home learning, just print them off and away you go!
Print the sheets below:
Keeping Occupied at Home
Let’s All Create Activity Pack
“Let’s All Create” is a fun interactive pack with loads of exciting activities for children to get involved in at home. Activities in this pack have been gathered from many different cultural and creative organisations and are designed to be fun for all ages. Children can have fun with activities such as making cut-out creations, or making a museum in a jar with things you have got at home! Just print the document below.
ARK1778-Lets-Create-Packs-FP-Interactive.pdf FINAL
Cinema at Home with Alive Corn Exchange king’s Lynn
Create the full cinema experience with our Cinema at home packs! cut out a cinema ticket for each member of your family, and even make your own popcorn box! Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook!
2029-25 Alive Corn Exchange Cinema-at-home pack WEB
My Lynn Cup Craft session at home
Make and decorate “My Lynn Cup” your very own King John Cup at home. Make a model of the King John Cup using anything you have at home. You can use anything you have at home, Lego, modelling clay, anything goes! Once you are done snap a quick pic and send it to storiesoflynn@alivewestnorfolk.co.uk. All images will be made into a showcase gallery we will use on Stories of Lynn website.
Further resources
There is lots of great content available online to keep you feeling healthy and well whilst you are at home.
Join the Movement
Join the Movement is a brand new Sport England campaign funded by the National Lottery, giving you the advice and support you may need during Corona Virus. Visit their website to find a great selection of online platforms and fitness content.
Active Norfolk
Active Norfolk has lots of helpful advice and support for businesses, and some great information on mental wellbeing during this difficult time. Visit their website to try out some mindful breathing exercises, and read hints and tips on mindfulness from the NHS.
Les Mills on Demand
Les Mills on Demand is offering a 30-day free trial.
Experience unlimited access to the platform with more than 800 workouts that are taught in 21,000 gyms around the world – sessions ranging from 15-55 minutes.
You can also get the whole family active with their Born To Move, kids programming.
Further workout videos
If you want more workout videos, you can also try:
Disclaimer
You are performing the exercises linked to from our website at your own risk.
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