Rediscovering your street, neighborhood and familiar environment
Many of us leave the house by car and return by car, rushing to go to work, to run errands, to go shopping, to go to clubs and activities, and we don't always pay attention to everything that's going on in the neighborhood, to the small or big changes to the environment. Walking or strolling around the house can be an opportunity for a family adventure and for a different use of the mobile phones. You can hold a "photography competition" of sorts between family members or with the neighbors, in which all participants need to identify the pictured location. You can take close-up shots of flowers or of the regular cats, and mostly don't forget – when you go out, you discover wonderful places – even at a distance of up to 1,000 meters from home.
Finding opportunities for activities next to home
The transitional season officially began on September 22nd, which means that the days are getting shorter, the sun sets earlier, and it is much more pleasant to be outdoors during the evening and morning. It's time to go out (in accordance with coronavirus restrictions) for a short activity in your area. You can start with making a round or two around the house, add another round every day and discover new opportunities for physical activity: An uphill path, a bench or stairs for stepping up or a shaded patch of grass for stretching. Why should you? Because every moment of physical activity counts – and assists in reducing the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle in front of screens, when we rarely leave the house.
Further information on the importance of physical activity next to home
Going back to the good old games
Lockdown with the family can be an uneasy affair with regard to relationships in the family, especially between parents and children. It could also be a great opportunity to create shared experiences that it is difficult, nigh impossible, to find time for them in regular times. One of the ways to create these experiences can be shared activity – physical activity too – around the "good old games". Parents could show their children that they too used to be young, and children could see their parents in an… unusual light.
We have gathered for you about 60 suggestions for good old games, including instructions (for those of you who have already forgotten, or repressed, them). You don't need to have any expensive or special equipment. It is enough that you have a ball, a hoop, three sticks or a piece chalk, and the game is on. And if you really miss going to the beach, you can always play "sea – land".".
Exercising in front of the screen
You don't always have the motivation to go outside the house, and sometimes the weather is not pleasant enough to do so. In many cases, lounging around the house or sitting in front of the screens becomes the default. But even when seated in front of the screen you can be active.
For those of you who spend their days seated in front of the computer, in endless video conferences and meetings or working from home, we have prepared Zazoom, two sets of about 5 minutes each that can get your pulse and energy going, without even leaving your seat.
You can practice alone in front of the screen or to arrange a few chairs in the living room and make Zazoom into a shared family activity.
Videos and explanations on Zazoom's website
There are also additional suggestions for exercises that you can do at home, even if you're in isolation.
Grandma and grandpa too, like other older adult viewers, can turn their time in front of the screen into an opportunity for physical exercise for the third age at home.
Chair exercises:
Exercising with the wall:
Stepping up – and down
You don't need to wait until "after the holidays" to adopt some healthier habits, and you also don't have to invest in special clothing or equipment or a gym membership. What do you do then? Go up the stairs as part of your daily routine. That way you accelerate your metabolism in the long room, improve your blood circulation, burn more calories and all that "on the way", because every moment counts, especially in current times when we prefer to avoid crowded elevators.
And what if you live on the 15th floor? Take the elevator to the 12th floor and climb three floors on foot. Every couple of days you can subtract one floor that you take the elevator to and add another floor that you climb the stairs to.
Everything that you should know about the benefits of taking the stairs