Exercise is an important part of staying healthy. Studies show that it can help strengthen the body’s natural defenses against disease. But exercise does not just keep us healthy. For many people, it is part of their daily routine, making them feel better about themselves. Getting enough exercise at difficult times, such as the current coronavirus pandemic (新冠疫情), is important.

However, due to the bans on close contact between individuals, gyms and exercise studios are not open. In areas with stay-at-home orders, exercising outside may not be as simple as usual. So, people are changing the way they exercise during this pandemic.

Beth Berglin is the director of a gallery in Miami, Florida. Before the pandemic, her exercise routine involved going to camp-style classes four mornings a week. Now, the area where she trains is closed. But she is staying active through online classes. “Part of the reason we exercise is to have that mental break,” she said. “I can’t imagine getting through this without having some form of physical activity.”

Fitness companies are changing to meet the new environment. Some are helping people stay active by offering online classes, some of which are free or have reduced cost. Some are offering longer trial periods for at-home workouts. During a trial period, people can try a product or service for free. Some have completely moved their training programs online. Many of these online exercise classes are made for smaller spaces and do not require any special equipment.

Fitness companies that have been using an online model seem better prepared than others. They are using the pandemic to expand their fitness offerings and appeal to new customers. Some of those new customers include children who are now learning at home during the pandemic. Founders of one online exercise company, named Obe, said that they received requests for children’s classes from parents. So, they launched four 10-minute dance and strength workouts for children 10 years old and younger.

This weekly four-day physical activity schedule will get your kids excited about being active.

Tuesday

When the kids get home from school, don’t let them go straight to the TV and get settled in. Encourage them to get moving and get off the couch(沙发) by giving them a pedometer(计步器). Pedometers are the most fun when parents also use one because that turns stepping, walking and running into a game to see who can get the most steps.

Thursday

The kids have done a great job so far this week, but now they long for a little more TV time. Instead of turning on cartoons, let them watch fitness movies made just for kids. These movies encourage watchers to get up and dance along to kid-friendly music.

Saturday

Get the whole family out of the house together and over to a park. Bring lots of sports equipment, pack a healthy picnic and have a family competitive sports day. Kids and adults get into groups and play against each other in tennis, basketball or soccer. After everyone has played hard for a couple of hours, stop for a picnic and then if your family isn’t too tired, go back and play some more.

Sunday

Every child loves to play video games and there is no better time to allow kids to play them than on Sunday when no homework is due. But don’t let them play a game that forces them to sit down for hours. Dance games with a floor mat(垫子) to help kids follow the dance moves are popular to kids.

You probably consider calorie (卡路里) burning with training. You can get great calorie burning effects with the following exercises.

Running is one of the best calorie burners out there. An average person can burn anywhere from 500 to 1,000 calories in one hour of running. Speed and pace are all factors that can affect calorie burning. But running uses every muscle group in the body, allowing you to burn more calories.

If you want intensity, HIIT is right for you. This physical exercise involves working hard in intervals, then resting. Because your heart rate will stay at a high level, you’ll burn more calories in less time. On average, a person will burn 400 to 600 calories in 30 minutes.

This childhood activity can actually do wonders for your health. Jumping rope is great for strengthening the lower and upper body while training your balance and coordination (协调能力), because your mind has to work while you jump. Jumping rope can burn 600 to 1,000 calories in an hour.

Swimming is a low-intensity form of exercise that also uses muscle groups of your body. In just 30 minutes of swimming, an average person can burn 200 to 300 calories. Swimming also helps to shape body, control blood pressure, and increase strength—all great reasons for you to jump into the water.