Fitness from Home: Bring the Gym to You with MCPL

March 16, 2020

Over the past several months, I’ve made a serious effort to incorporate regular exercise into my daily life. There were a number of factors that fueled this decision. Like many people, I found myself struggling with the post-holidays slump and general seasonal depression. I felt tired, had many aches and pains, and generally just wasn’t as happy as my normal self. My fiancé encouraged me to find a form of exercise that I enjoyed. As a physical therapist, he is a big believer in the health benefits (both physical and emotional) of being active.

So, I set out on my new journey of self-discovery, and after starting slow (some light jogging, a few core exercises), I started to feel the difference. I felt stronger than I ever had before (I’ve never been much of an exercise person to be honest!), and many of my aches and pains from sitting all day long began to disappear. Feeling stronger has also helped my confidence and happiness. Even after a long day, doing some form of exercise gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

Then came the pandemic!

Just when I thought I was getting into a nice little fitness routine, gyms closed and exercising with friends became too difficult to accomplish while maintaining the social distance recommended by public health officials. But, never fear—the Library is here to save the day! In addition to doing some solo jogging around my neighborhood, I’ve started to use MCPL’s online resources to stream workout videos for free.

Here are a couple of my favorite resources:

Access Video on Demand
- This resource has videos on many different forms of exercise. There are videos on strength training, stretching, yoga and Pilates tutorials, and more. We have a few weights at home, so I’ve been watching the strength videos. The yoga videos are also excellent if you don’t have equipment!
OverDrive Video
- From martial arts and Jillian Michaels classes to Tai Chi and meditation, this resource also has a wide range of health-related videos. There are even yoga videos for kids on here if you want to get the whole family involved! I have been exploring the videos about mindfulness and meditation to make sure my mind is just as healthy as my body.

If you're looking for some good tunes to spice up your home workout, be sure to use Freegal Music, a free streaming service available with your Library card. Here are a few workout-related playlists in Freegal right now: