Alternative ways to exercise at home

So, you’re back at home once again. You know you should keep active and productive, but you’ve already scrubbed the house from top to bottom three times, and the list of ways to get daily exercise at home with minimal effort is looking shorter and shorter. Frankly, the sofa, a cuppa and back-to-back boxsets look pretty tempting…

A Mum relaxing with family at home | Stay Active with Treasure Trails

Don’t give in! Staying active at home doesn’t have to be hard work, and it’s not all about cleaning and gardening. Over the last few years, numerous apps and videos for home workouts surfaced. They’re a great way to start (or stick to) an exercise routine on days when you're working from home or the weather takes a walk around the block out of the equation.

But what if you want something more exciting? More creative? Activities that include the whole family during the school holidays?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered…


Got a little one? Got weights!

Jen, Personal Trainer at Be Fit Cornwall, found a unique way to get tots involved in her exercise routines!

“Everything changes when a small person comes into your life. It can be difficult to prioritise yourself and your health and fitness. I definitely found this at first, juggling children, work, housework, your time is the first thing to be forgotten.”

Jen became an online health and fitness coach to help make fitness more accessible for mums, creating routines that can be done during naptime or can involve the little ones. Her classes are much the same, with mum’s encouraged to bring their kids along and get them to join in!

Jen from Be Fit Cornwall showing young mums balancing with their babies | Stay Active with Treasure Trails

Want to find out more? You can reach Jen on Instagram or on Facebook!

Take a look around at what’s going on in your area too – you may be surprised to find what’s out there, whether classes to do at home with your kids or in person with minimal commute.


A task for a mini coach

Let’s face it – if your kids are bigger than a toddler, you’re probably going to struggle to get them to join in as Jen has done (unless you have superhuman strength).

To keep your energetic kids involved, task them with creating a short exercise routine for you. They could show you what to do in person, or you could set them up with a video camera to create a workout for you to do while they’re in another room.

Not only will this task keep your kids active and entertained, but it’ll also give you a giggle when you attempt to copy their imaginative ideas.

For a little twist, try getting them to design their routine around a theme, whether it be their favourite sport, film character or adventure book – Joe Wicks’ Spiderman Workout might give them a few ideas!


Challenge someone you love to some silly exercise at home

Challenges are way more fun when you can share the outcome with friends and family. Challenge someone to complete tasks that will keep them active and get them to do the same back!

You can have great fun coming up with silly tasks for each other to complete. Plus, updating each other on your progress is a great way to stay connected with loved-ones you don't get to see as often as you'd like.

Stuck for ideas? Go as sensible or as silly as you want, rope other people into giving you suggestions and search around social media for inspiration. You could even pinch some activities from our 14-Day Well-Being and Mindfulness Challenge.

Some of our favourites include:

  • Commandeering the kid’s trampoline for three bum bounces.
  • Hopscotch. Properly. With the stone and everything.
  • Wheelbarrow race with the kids in the garden.
  • Dancing around the kitchen while drying the dishes.
Father and son dancing in the kitchen while baking | Stay Active with Treasure Trails

Use your waiting times

We can spend a lot of our day standing around just waiting – waiting for the TV ads to finish, waiting in line at the shop or at the school gates, waiting for the kettle to boil or the microwave to ping…

Use these moments as opportunities to add small bursts of exercise into your routine, whether jogging on the spot, crouching, stretching or holding yoga poses. Okay, you may look a little silly in the supermarket, but while at home or work just give it a go! 

This is a favourite at Treasure Trails HQ, with manager Aaron often seeing how long he can stay balanced in yoga poses while his cuppa brew. Posing while pouring hot water is not recommended!

Five minutes may not seem like a long time to make an impact, but every minute counts – particularly if you’re doing high-intensity activities, so not all your exercise at home has to become a full-blown workout.

Tea-Brewing Yoga | Stay Active with Treasure Trails

Flashback to your commuting days

With so many of us working from home over the last few years, we may have forgotten what it was even like to have a daily commute that went further than our bedrooms to our living rooms.

But just think of how much extra time you have if you're not travelling to work every single morning and evening. So, on days when you're not working from the office, set your alarm as normal and see just how much you can get done with that extra time. Get in a dose of exercise and catch the sunrise, or make the most of the evening and get out for a refreshing lap around the block at the end of the day. Or, explore more ways to exercise at home and get the kids involved after the school run before the homework gets pulled out.

You’d be surprised how much you can pack into that short space of time, even if it’s just cooking up a hearty breakfast, prepping for dinner or playing with the kids before you all get stuck into your day’s tasks. Plus, having a regular wake up time can really have a positive impact on your health, so don't hit that snooze button!

Family Sunrise | Stay Active with Treasure Trails

Discover adventure on your doorstep

A Treasure Trail is a great way to slot in some alternative exercise that the whole family can enjoy. Whether rain or shine, getting out on a Trail adventure can spark the imagination, help you to discover the hidden gems and have you all heading home with massive smiles on your faces. So, gather your favourite explorers, grab your Treasure Trail and add adventure to your to-do list.

A father, a mother and two children run through the woods towards a Treasure Trail booklet

Get Social

Have you found an alternative way to exercise at home? How are you staying active, productive and positive? We want to know all about it! Tag us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #StayActive and follow us for more Trailing antics, mind-boggling puzzles and lots of exploration inspiration.