Easy At-Home Work Out Tips (and Playlist Inspiration)

“Keeping up with any schedule can help us to feel grounded in these times, but fitness and movement in particular have been shown to reduce both stress and anxiety and even boost our immunity. It’s important to physically move our bodies in order to improve our quality of life and keep our mood elevated.” – Aileen Bidwill

Wise words in a weird time from a Chicago fitness expert. Aileen Bidwill is the owner of Pole Icons, a Chicago studio that focuses on the celebration of movement of all kind, including pole dancing {VISIT}! Think a fusion of dance, performance, entertainment, and community, all in one spot! Since her focus is on movement overall, she’s continued to promote that lifestyle even while we all shelter in place at home. Fitness doesn’t have to mean a gym, and it also doesn’t have to mean following along with a Live class on social media. Movement comes in all forms, and Bidwill is showing us how to do just that in our own lives.

Here are Bidwill’s top insights and recommendations for staying active while you’re stuck at home, complete with songs to jam to while you move!

Put on a couple of your favorite songs to dance around to and warm up. Make sure you’ve worked up a good sweat! Properly warming up before any form of exercise helps to prevent injuries as well as reduce overall soreness after a workout. Some great movements are plié squats, leg swings and arm/shoulder circles.

Some of my favorite songs for a good work out are:

• Company – Tinashe
• Imported – Jessie Reyez (with 6lack)
• Ball for Me – Post Malone (feat. Nicki Minaj)
• Motivation – Normani
• Ready – Alessia Cara
• Know your Worth – Khalid/Disclosure
• Outta my head – Khalid/John Mayer
• PRBLMS – 6lack
• All the Good Girls Go to Hell – Billie Eilish
• Moves – Big Sean

Grab a seat and be a chair dancing queen! The goddesses of a chair dance routine, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson, and Ciara, all have iconic dance routines in chairs. Put on a sensual song that gets your in all the feels and try some basic moves. Keep your moves subtle, they don’t have to be complicated to be sexy. Think of the chair as a partner! Try out different shapes and lines using the chair.

Try an ab workout in your highest heels, they act like ankle weights! Work on leg lifts, bicycles crunches, plows and more. Keep the focus on smooth and slow abdominal exercise to make them more challenging.

Once you’re warm, put on your favorite Netflix show, hunker down and work on some stretches. You can maintain and improve flexibility at home without any equipment. If you don’t have props such as yoga blocks get creative! Books double as blocks, door frames can help you self-assist to deeper splits, couches can be used for back bends.

Focus on the sensuality of your movements, especially during any kind of body weight training. Imagine and visualize your muscles working, then try to notice where you feel it. For instance, a lot of people struggle when they work on their abdominal muscles and hold tension in their neck or upper back. If you become more aware of when and where you’re feeling your movement, the easier it will be to correct your form. The better we are able to use our senses, the more effective our movement and exercises.

Get in the habit of taking short movement breaks throughout the day. You don’t have to do it all at once! Commit to 20 minute periods throughout the day where you can focus on your movement. It’s also helpful to break up the types of movement you’re doing: stretches, dance cardio, body weight conditioning, etc. Keep the variety! If you’re self-quarantined with someone, like a significant other, simple things like taking a walk together can be a great way to get moving throughout the day. You can also engage in some partner exercises or create a quick circuit (one partner does push-ups while the other holds a plank for example), in order to workout together and motivate each other.

Part of what we miss when we’re working out at home is of course the social aspect. So while you might not be able to physically be in a group setting, you can form a group of friends/family/coworkers to stay accountable to each other. Create a Facebook group, a group text, or anything that helps hold yourself responsible. Chime in when you’ve had a great workout or accomplished a new goal!

Get outside and move (of course while maintaining social distancing). If you don’t feel you can go outside and be isolated, the simple act of opening your windows and letting yourself relax, take some deep breaths and see where your body takes you can be liberating.

Don’t forget to cool down after whichever exercise you choose to engage in. Spend at least 5-10 minutes after more intense exertion to return to slower, more gentle movements. This is a great way to bring your heart rate back down but also encourages some deeper relaxation. Yoga stretches such as cat/cow, figure 4, supine twist and child’s pose are restorative poses that can be done almost anywhere.

Most importantly – Be kind to yourself!! While it is certainly important to stay active, it is just as crucial to listen to your body. If you need a day off to relax and recover, give yourself that permission.

What movement are you making today? Tell us in the comments so we can all work together to stay healthy (and sane) during this time!