7 Things You Can Do At Home – Circuit Breaker Edition
Running out of things to do at home? If the days are starting to blend together and your daily routine is becoming a perpetual eat-sleep cycle, it’s time to change things up! Whether you’re a music-lover, fitness enthusiast or a partaker of the fine arts, there’s something for everyone to do from the comfort of home.
Many attractions worldwide (and beyond) have hopped online so that everyone has a chance to experience them. Don’t miss these free virtual tours, exercises and concerts to keep you entertained!
1. Stay Fit With Home Exercises
Staying home doesn’t mean you can’t stay fit! Although the inertia to get up and exercise can be challenging to overcome, it is important for both your physical health and mental wellness. Staying seated or sedentary for prolonged periods can have negative impacts on your immunity, heart health and sleep quality. There are many exercises that can be done with no gym equipment, from within your own home. Pause that Netflix show for 30 minutes and swap it for a quick exercise session!
Not sure where to start? Try out these exercises below:
- 30 Days of Yoga – Yoga with Adriene
- Pilates Total Body Workout – Blogilates
- Quick Full-body Workout (feat. Mop for Multitasking) – @FitnessBravo
- Static Exercises – World Health Organisation
- HIIT Exercises – Group HIIT
- The 9-minute Strength Workout – The New York Times
Make sure to go at a pace comfortable to you! Take breaks where needed and slowly increase exercise intensity to a level you can sustain.
2. Season Your Cooking Skills
Although having instant noodles for 2 months is possible, it’s certainly not advisable. Having a balanced diet is vital for good health! Carbohydrates, fats and proteins provide the energy you need each day, while essential minerals and vitamins keep your body strong. Nutrients are needed for growth and repair, and can help to prevent diet-related illnesses, including cancer. Key nutrients such as vitamins A, B, C, E, zinc, iron, and selenium are also required for a robust immune system. Eating healthily decreases your risk of getting Type 2 diabetes, heart and weight problems!
If you’re need of some inspiration:
- Healthier Recipes of Popular Local Hawker Delights – Ms Bibi Chia, Principal Dietician at Raffles Hospital
- 30-Minute Dinner Recipes – Food Network
- Healthy Recipes for Home-Cooked Goodness – HealthHub
If a change of setting is what you’re looking for, why not try out an indoor picnic event?
3. Unleash Your Inner Child
And bond with your actual children at the same time! Set aside some designated time each day to relax and have fun. For children, this could be ‘active’ playtime, where they can play with toys and use their imagination to interact with different objects at home. When ‘passive’ playtime is desired, for example playing a mobile or video game, make sure the time is supervised and kept to a minimum. Adults can join in the fun with some family board games to get everyone together and unwind.
Instead of the usual television programs, why not explore Disneyland, visit a zoo or learn about dinosaurs with these virtual tours instead?
- Disneyland – Take a stroll through Walt Disney World
- The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History – Get up close with animals and dinosaurs alike!
- San Diego Zoo – Watch elephants, pandas, koalas and even polar bears via Live Cams
- Ride the Mako Roller Coaster in Seaworld – Parents might be required for real-world simulation purposes.
4. Embark on a Space Odyssey
If you’re going on a virtual tour, why not aim for the stars? Most of us will never leave the stratosphere in our lifetimes, but we can certainly take a peek through the eyes of those who have. Appreciate the wonders of space exploration even more when you realize its impact and ties to our healthcare technologies today! For example, did you know that a collaboration between NASA engineers and medical doctors led to the development of a mechanical heart pump (LVAD) for patients with heart failure? Their designs were based on the rocket engines of a Space Shuttle!
Get a glimpse into the final frontier:
- Virtual Tours – NASA
- International Space Station (ISS) – Europe Space Agency
5. Relax With Some Music
In this time of physical separation, music continues to bring us together. It is said that music soothes the soul, but it also has positive effects on your physical health! Listening to relaxing music can help to lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Not only that, some studies have found that music also reduces feelings of pain. Playing music without lyrics in the background stimulates your mind and leads to better learning. Music can also aid in regulating emotions and improving your mood, so put that record on today!
Tune in to these channels:
- Compilation of Free Online Concerts – Billboard
- The Shows Must Go On(line) – For Broadway and Andrew Lloyd Webber Fans
- Classical Music Lovers – Singapore Symphony Orchestra
If you’re feeling in the mood, try a stay home karaoke session!
6. Appreciate Exquisite Art Pieces
Update your Adobe Flash Players, because museums around the world have come online to display their beautiful art pieces via virtual exhibitions. From the halls of the Vatican Museum in Italy to the Guggenheim Museum in New York , escape into the imaginative world of art. You might even be inspired to create some masterpieces of your own! Creating art has been linked to lower stress levels and allows the artist to express their emotions, acting as a form of therapy. Art also encourages creative thinking, an important element of problem-solving. Think out of the box when making your art piece, because unlike math, there’s no one correct answer in art!
Draw inspiration from renowned artists:
7. Catch Up On Your Beauty Sleep
Everyone knows that sleep is good for you! It keeps your heart healthy, reduces inflammation in the body caused by stress, makes you more alert and even helps to regulate your weight. Being able to wake up later because your home office is just next to your bed should not encourage you to go to sleep later. Keep a healthy sleep cycle to be better able to revert back to your normal work schedules once the circuit breaker period is over as well!
Bonus: #StayHome and Win Up To $4,500 Worth of Prizes
From 9 April to 26 May, join in our #StayHome Smartphone Photography Contest for your chance to win prizes! Check out this blog post updated daily with our very own photographs if you’re in need of some inspiration!
Let’s all #StayHomeForSG together! Click here for details about the contest: #StayHome Smartphone Photography Contest
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