We all want to live healthy. Whether it’s through clean dieting, going for walks or runs, weight training, doing yoga or anything in-between. Many people used to rely on working out with friends or scheduling classes with personal trainers to stay motivated. But when quarantine hit, we found ourselves forced to look for alternatives with fitness centers closed or access limited. Wondering how to live healthy at home? As the world went online to find ways to stay connected, the fitness world did the same.
Through new and upgraded technology, you can find motivation, set and adjust goals, monitor health statistics, challenge other users and—most importantly—challenge yourself! Fitness technology can range from apps and wearable trackers to full home gyms with interactive video screens. Whatever your budget or exercise preference, you can find useful technology to help boost your fitness and guide your progress. The only thing you really need is the determination to stick to the health plan you choose.
Let’s talk about a few of these options, and how they can help you better understand your own health and get the most from your exercise routines.
How to exercise at home
We’ve probably all seen commercials flooding television and streaming apps recently with many examples for how to live healthy. They feature exercise equipment with built-in video screens to stream live and recorded training classes directly to your home. Training equipment like MIRROR, Tonal, Peloton®, Bowflex® and Tempo Studios offer all-in-one experiences for even the most dedicated gym rat. There’s no question each of these give you trusted, well-built equipment along with access to professional trainers. You can feel confident you’re getting the most out of your equipment, as video instructors guide you through exercises you can do—and show you best practices for performing each exercise safely.
No matter your budget, there are many options available to show you how to get in shape at home safely and keep you motivated through your sessions.
Tracking your health
Another popular option in fitness technology is wearable devices, or fitness activity trackers. These devices can be worn in the form of smart watches, fitness bands or an app on your phone. They remind you to exercise, monitor your progress throughout the day, and alert you when you’ve reached your goals.
If you’re the type of person who likes seeing progress, you might really enjoy using an activity tracker to help you live healthy. They keep a record of all your activity through the day—be it specific activities like running or working out, or simply tracking your steps as you clean your home.
Being able to see that you’ve logged over 1,000 steps before lunch might motivate you to spend part of your lunch break going for a walk to get an extra burst of steps in before the workday ends. Or seeing that you’re way behind compared to your normal averages could convince you jog around your neighborhood after work, or squeeze in a workout session in your living room before dinner.
Some more advanced devices can also read your pulse, monitor your sleep quality, encourage you to get moving when you’ve been idle for too long, and even log your food and water intake. These trackers can show you how to feel better and how to start living a healthier lifestyle.
There are also several basic models available that track your steps, monitor your pulse and inspire you to keep moving. And most of these models sell for under $100, so they won’t break the bank!
Stream fitness classes from your living room
Switching from the gym to fitness classes to your own living room might seem restrictive. But there are several great fitness apps available to help you get a gym-style workout at home. These interactive fitness apps give you the option to set specific goals, track your progress, set daily reminders, participate in virtual classes with instructors and share your progress with others through social media. You can even find fitness apps that specialize in finding music designed for your taste and your choice of exercises.
With hundreds of options available, you can find apps to best fit your needs and goals. This could be targeting a specific type of workout or trying a wide variety of exercise routines. Options may also include meditation and sleep assistance to help relieve mental stress.
There are several great options to help you combine your home equipment with online fitness sessions. Downloading apps like MyFitnessPalTM, Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer, Jillian Michaels FitnessTM, Headspace®, and The Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout will give you access to workouts that don’t require any additional home equipment. You will also find great workouts that include free weights, stationary bikes, resistance bands and training balls.
You can also search YouTube for free videos related to specific workouts of your choosing, including spinning classes, yoga sessions, meditation and body weight exercises.
Did you know? You can stream workouts through Peerfit!
Peerfit, available as part of a Meritain Health® benefit plans, offers plenty of options to maintain an exercise routine without having to leave home.
- Stream local studio classes—Take a favorite fitness classes, with favorite instructors, in a preferred space.
- FORTË and BurnAlong—Peerfit’s digital fitness partners, FORTË and BurnAlong, offer thousands of classes, from fitness to mindfulness, that can be streamed anytime, anywhere.
To learn more about Peerfit and how to add it to a Meritain Health benefits plan, please contact your Meritain Health representative. If you’re a member with access to Peerfit and you want to learn more, just log in to your Healthy Merits member portal.
This article is for informational purposes only, and is not meant as medical advice.
