How are you enjoying your Body Magic at the moment? Although we can now spend unlimited time outside to exercise, gyms, activity centres and some public spaces remain closed, so lots of us are looking for ways to keep fit at or close to home. So when target member Kay Crone, from Lucy Hedges’ Iver Heath group, got in touch in search of inspiration for how to turn her home into a Body Magic activity zone, we were ready to help!
Whether it’s a virtual exercise class, getting involved in the kids’ garden games or levelling up their spring clean, our members are full of tips for keeping fit at home. If, like Kay, you’re looking for inspiration for how to get moving indoors, we’re shining a spotlight on some of the at-home Body Magic activities our members have been enjoying – plus the fun challenges that have been keeping them motivated – to help you make staying in the new working out.
Step into fitness
Lunges in the living room, burpees in the bedroom, dumbells in the dining room… There are plenty of ways to get your indoor-phin levels up around the home! Our pick of the indoor workouts is steps on the stairs. While all activity is a win, to count as Body Magic it needs to raise your heart rate and leave you slightly out of breath. A brisk climb up a flight of stairs will get your heart beating faster and give your leg muscles a workout and you can repeat the trip as many times as you like. Busy medical secretary Elaine has taken this to the next level (literally!) by building Body Magic into her working day.
She says: “I started Body Magic during the lockdown by walking up the stairs in the hospital that I work in rather than using the lift – the floor I work on is 123 steps up and that is after the walk of 1.1 miles (I Googled it!) from where I have to park my car. I have a breather on the fourth floor and I hope to make it to the fifth without having to rest in the next couple of weeks.”
Move-more motivator: Elaine is keeping her Body Magic mojo flowing by aiming to climb 59,000 steps with her hospital co-workers, the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest! You don’t have to climb a mountain to give yourself a Body Magic boost, though. Anything that challenges your current level of fitness, like climbing your stairs three times in a row without stopping, will have significant benefits for your health and wellbeing.
Let’s get virtual
Bring the gym experience to your home with an online exercise class. Do a quick search on YouTube and you’ll find lots of different workouts to fit all experience levels, using whatever (if any!) equipment you already have. Amy (@slimmingworldshoreham_withamy) has been making full use of her mini trampoline by enjoying Bounce classes in her living room. She recently raised more than £15,000 for the NHS by completing an incredible five classes in one day!
She said: “There is no way I could have done that two years ago. Losing over 3st with Slimming World means I can now enjoy working out instead of dreading it.”
Move-more motivator: Phew! Hat’s off to Amy but I feel bounced out just reading about it! Many Slimming World members start with a ‘little and often’ approach – and 45 minutes of moderate-intensity activity spread across the week and maintained for four weeks will bag you a bronze Body Magic award.
Share your journey
Just because we’re social distancing at the moment doesn’t mean we can’t stay connected and keeping fit is a lot more fun with other people. Rounding up members of your household for a kick-about in the garden, meeting a friend for a game of tennis (remembering to keep your distance from others) or setting up a WhatsApp group with your friends to swap videos and pictures of your activities is a great way to share your Body Magic journey and keep in touch with your favourite fitness buddies.
And, of course, every Slimming World group will be buzzing with Body Magic inspiration. Our Consultants recently encouraged members to take part in a rainbow-themed week of Body Magic, inviting slimmers to try one activity each day while wearing a different colour of the rainbow.
Tracy Layfield and members of her Amesbury and Durrington group kicked off the week with a kettlebell workout, a long walk, by busting a few moves in the kitchen and much more, all while wearing their red outfits.
Diane’s Bangor and Hightown groups in Wrexham couldn’t resist getting involved in the fun by pulling on light blue T-shirts to jump on their trampolines, play a round of garden golf and challenge the little ones to an epic lightsaber battle.
Move-more motivator: With so many activities to enjoy there’s no need to stick to just one. Changing up your routine is a great way to keep your fitness journey exciting. And if you need even more at-home Body Magic inspiration, our Consultant Julie, who runs groups in Marlborough and Picket Twenty, Andover, has put together this lovely video of all the activities her members have been enjoying during lockdown.
As you can see, there are endless ideas for bringing a boost of Body Magic into your home – and you’ll find even more suggestions in your Slimming World group. Plus, you’ll also get access to our members-only website and app, where you can track your exercise to make it easier to work towards those Body Magic awards, and a free digital copy of the next issue of Slimming World Magazine when it lands. You can find out more about joining Slimming World here.
If we’ve inspired you to try out some at-home Body Magic activities, we’d love to know how you got on, either on the blog or on social using #theSlimmingWorldblog.