One of the things I noticed the most about being home the first few days of self-isolation was my lack of movement. With gyms and some parks and playgrounds closed, and with more people sheltering in place, innovation began to occur. My local yoga studio started doing free yoga classes online via YouTube. Talking to my friends on social media or Facetime, I heard their gyms have created at home workouts to get them through week by week. Not everyone has that kind of access, but the library can help!
Access Video, which has unlimited video-on-demand, can be watched on your computer, tablet, or phone. Access currently has a Yoga, Pilates, and more section right now. It also has something for every age. If you are homeschooling your kids they offer Pilates Kids – one item of note is Study Break Workout: “Refocus, energize, learn better, and have fun with this innovative program that teaches kids simple breathing and exercise techniques that can be performed while seated in a chair at a desk” (Access Video).
Hoopla was also very impressive. There is a 15 title per month limit, but that means every other day you can get your body moving. Hoopla also has a large GAIAM catalog, which was one of my favorite DVD resources from the library before I had access to a gym. Two of my favorite videos are Cardio Burn Sculpt, which gives you a 50 minute workout, a 30 min workout, or a 10 minute core work out that you can add as a bonus to the others; and Daily Meditation for morning and night which includes a bonus chair exercise that can come in handy if you have a home office set up during this time. Meditation has been really big in our house. It calms our anxieties and helps us focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t.
Kanopy, with a five title per month limit, can be used to supplement the offerings in Access and Hoopla. The one that stuck out for me was that it offers Great Courses. Two of them really spoke to now:
How to Stay Fit as You Age: “As we get older, we discover changes in how our bodies move and behave–changes that contradict how young we feel on the inside. But you can transform your experience of aging into a positive and, above all, healthy one. And it all starts with staying fit. Certified fitness and wellness consultant Dr. Bonura helps you create and practice a balanced, adaptable fitness program” (Kanopy).
How to Make Stress Work for You: “Discover how to finally manage and minimize the stress in your life with these inspiring lectures. Packed with scientifically-backed behavior modifications and cognitive exercises, popular Great Courses instructor Dr. Kimberlee Bethany Bonura’s course helps you build a personal stress management toolkit so you can better manage your stress response” (Kanopy).
This is an unknown time and not having a routine can be incredibly stressful. We are here to help you stay home and take care of yourselves.
~posted by Kara P.
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