Staying Fit While Staying Home

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At Texas Foot Specialists, we’re doing everything we can to maintain our high standard of podiatric care and keep our patients and staff safe during the coronavirus pandemic. For more on the measures we’re taking, click here. We also know that as days turn into weeks, families are having to adjust their routines. We want to encourage our patients to find new ways to be physically active while observing social distancing and other precautions currently in place. These may interfere dramatically with your usual exercise and fitness activities—but it doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to stay active.

  • Start a walking program. It’s good to get outside if possible and, if you live in a neighborhood that is not congested and permits appropriate distancing, a walking program can provide exercise and fresh air. Choose a goal-oriented program that has a time frame (3-6 weeks, for example) and where the level of intensity builds. This will increase your sense of purpose and also be a way of marking time. If you live with others, get a walking buddy or two. Consider teaming up with someone you can’t be with and use facetime to walk and catch up at the same time.

  • Set up an indoor gym. If you’re not comfortable going out or you have too much work to allow for an extended walk, get creative about fitness in your home. Use whatever exercise equipment, fitness balls, weights, etc. that you have. No equipment? Improvise: fill water bottles to varying levels for weights, take a very thick book and place on the floor for stepping, etc. Remember, there are lots of equipment-free exercises: planking, crunches, leg lifts, arm circles, jumping jacks. Set up a home circuit and take work breaks to do one station every hour.

  • Go high tech. The internet is chock full of fitness programs, exercise routines, and ideas for working out at home. Take full advantage of them. Investigate television exercise programs as well.

  • Take family fun breaks. If you have children, make fitness fun. Have a flash dance party or get everyone to “Follow the Exercise Leader” through the house. Physical activity is a stress buster and can help decrease anxiety and increase connectedness.

As always, if any activity causes you to experience foot or ankle pain, please contact our podiatrists, Dr. Bruce Miller and Dr. Gregory Mangum in our Sugar Land (281-242-4448), Pasadena (281-991-0600) or Houston (713-664-6677) offices for a phone or in-person consultation.