Home Exercises You Can Still Do Before The Year Closes

Let’s kick it up for the last stretch of 2021!

When the new year starts, everyone is optimistic. This year, we’ll be more active, more present, more efficient. But with 2021 almost at its close, it’s hard to look back at the promises we made to ourselves in January. Nevertheless, there is still time. 

So for those that promised 2021 would be a physically active one—yes, even amidst the lockdown—this is your reminder that you can still get up and do something. Below, we’ve listed down some easy exercises to ease you into an active lifestyle beyond the usual yoga.

Hula Hooping

Who would have thought that a childhood past time would one day be considered a real exercise activity? While you might think that hula hooping doesn’t do much as it mostly requires you to stand still and swing your hips, there are actually several health benefits that the hula hoop provides—if it’s a weighted (read: not plastic) hoop that you’re using. 

For one thing, using the hula hoop for a home exercise is a form of aerobic exercise, which overall helps strengthen your hearts and lungs, improves your blood flow, lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease and improves your brain function. Hula hopping also burns calories (between 165 to 200 calories per 30 minutes!), reduces the fat around your waist and hips and increase core muscle mass.

Jump Roping

Using the jump rope might seem a little intimidating because of all those videos we see with quick steps and intense arm movements. But the thing is, you don’t have to be that skilled to reap the benefits of the jump rope. 

Even as you’re just starting out, jumping rope acts as an effective and efficient cardio option. It also provides total-body strengthening, increases agility and even boosts bone density. Not to mention, it improves body coordination and helps enhance your balance, too.

Dancing

Don’t be so quick to judge or turn your shoulder on dancing. Yes, we’ve all seen the videos those professional videos, but we’re not trying to make you a performer here—we’re just trying to get you to move. 

Even slow dance moves improve the condition of your heart and lungs, increases muscle strength, endurance and motor fitness, improves balance and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. 

There are so many options and videos to follow out there—you just need one that suits you! Consider the time you can put into the exercise, the space you have at your home and the equipment you have on hand (or can easily get on hand).