The best home workouts to do, according to your mood

Working out at home may not be our first choice of exercise, but it is necessary to keep up with a fitness routine during these unprecedented times where staying home has become a requirement and a socially responsible thing to do.

Of course, being stuck at home involuntarily has repercussions on mental health. Limited social interactions can lead to feelings of gloom and doom, even for the introverts and homebodies.

All the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 could also wreak mental havoc for the calmest of us, causing anxiety and worry.

Here's when workouts play a bigger role than ever. Besides helping us stay in shape physically, they are also vital in preserving our sanity. Remember those happiness-inducing endorphins that are produced when we exercise? Also, let's not forget that workouts are a powerful outlet for us to channel our emotions.

You can find a variety of workout videos on YouTube and Instagram, where a number of studios and instructors are offering free online classes.

But for an instant workout prescription, and to cut the browsing process, check out our recommendations below, according to your mood.

Mood: Sluggish

If working from home has got you camping in front of your laptop and drifting in and out of online meetings, it can make you feel unproductive. It may be tough to prioritise a workout after a long work day – by the way, is there even an end to it? Moving your butt from the chair to toilet seat is hardly an accomplishment.

Workout prescription: Stretching or pilates

Stretching

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Stretching awakens your idling muscles and improves overall blood circulation in your body, making you feel energised and nimble without having to do much. It’s also great for relieving any neck or backaches from sitting in the same position for an extended period of time.

Pilates

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If you’re up for sweating it out, pull out your mat and get your core working with a session of pilates. Strengthening your core is key to improving posture, and doing other exercises and daily activities more effectively.

Mood: Claustrophobic

If you’re a free spirit who loves the outdoors, it is no easy feat staying within a confined space for weeks. You may feel suffocated, especially if you’re an active person who can’t stay still. As the days go by, your legs are itching and you’re getting restless.

You don’t know when you’ll be able to step foot in a gym again. Though travel is out of the question, you can’t help making a bucket list of destinations to check out and things to do when your outdoor life returns.

Workout prescription: Dance or kickboxing

Do workouts that involve big movements to counter the effects of claustrophobia and keep you hyped. Dance and kickboxing routines effectively make you feel like you own the space, no matter big or small.

Dance

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Big, flashy movements such as in this video, will counter the effects of claustrophobia and keep you hyped. Whether you’re dancing in the living room (with your folks watching) or doing a secret sesh in your bedroom, you’ll definitely feel naughty, sexy and Beyonce’s Run-The-World domination vibes.

Kickboxing

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For a calorie-torching, full-body workout that’s also superb at making you feel bad-ass (because you can mentally direct your kicks and punches at anyone/anything with no judgment), it’s hard to beat kickboxing.

Mood: Anxious

If you’ve always been a group-loving and adventurous person, being away from family and friends when they are your source of comfort is difficult, and the FOMO will probably get to you. Being cooped up at home almost 24/7 might trigger feelings of anxiety, and not to mention, uncertainty from not knowing when’s the next time you can roam outside again.

Workout prescription: Calming yoga or simple cardio-based exercises

Calming yoga

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There are plenty of relaxing yoga sequences around, but we particularly love this one for its uber-clear demonstrations and the instructor’s grounding voice.

Cardio-based exercises

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If you prefer sweating it out, get your blood pumping and release some anxiety-busting endorphins with simple cardio-based exercises that will let you work up a good sweat.

Mood: Depressed

Staying updated with the latest news is great, but let’s be honest: The more compulsively you consume Covid-19 news, the more likely you are to be bogged down with negativity. Seeing the rising number of cases daily while being away from loved ones can be mentally taxing, and make it hard to keep your spirits up.

Workout prescription: Happy yoga flow or a cute dance

Happy yoga flow

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To boost your mood, have a go at an uplifting yoga flow that encourages you to move purposefully and find joy in every movement.

Cute dance

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Is there a more instant cure for the blues than to dance to chirpy pop tracks? We didn’t think so.

Mood: Motivated

Maybe you saw someone smash a workout on IG or had a cup too many of instant coffee. Your mind’s buzzing, your body’s pumped and raring to go. If you’re an energiser bunny who is ready to kick ass, congratulations. Now choose a workout that will let you unleash your pent-up energy constructively.

Workout prescription: HIIT or resistance training

HIIT

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You can always rely on a quick and effective HIIT workout to get every body part moving.

Resistance training

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Challenge your muscular endurance with some resistance training involving weights or resistance bands for a sweet burn. 

This article was first published in Shape.