It’s almost time for HOPE23, our virtual fundraising event that we’re running throughout the months of April and May to celebrate 23 years of PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide. The aim of HOPE23 is to take part in some form of exercise per day; record it via a smart watch, Fitbit or smartphone, and then fundraise on behalf of PAPYRUS.
With many more of us having to spend time indoors and work from home, we’ve come up with some creative ways to squeeze in your daily exercises. And don’t forget it’s all in honour of 23 years of PAPYRUS; so whether it’s 23 minutes per day, 23 hours per month, 23 laps of the garden, or 23 days of Pilates – we want to hear how you’ve been getting on with your new routine using the hashtag #HOPE23.
On the spot exercise
There are plenty of ways that you can exercise in the home – and many things don’t need a lot of space to complete. So, get your workout gear on, set your timer for 23 minutes, and jog on the spot, do star jumps, lunges, squats, spotty dogs, burpees, press ups, planks… You could choose any or all of the above, and the great thing is that you don’t need to add any equipment. Take some time to plan your own tailored exercise plan and build up your exercises over the month.
Family dancing!
With school children now learning from home for the time being, why not take this opportunity to burn off some extra steam as a group? Compile a playlist of your family favourites – perhaps you can find 23 different tunes that you all like – then crank up the volume and do some family dancing. You could even award prizes for the best dancing!
Yoga and Pilates
Yoga and Pilates are both great to improve core strength and posture whilst working on toning and shaping. There are literally thousands of free classes that you can find on sites such as YouTube. Both of these exercises are also great to improve your mental wellbeing, and act as the perfect way to take some time out for yourself during the day. Challenge yourself to performing 23 days in a row!
Fitness DVD
Fitness DVDs are a great way to exercise at home if you don’t have access to a smartphone or the internet. They’re cheap to find online, and you can buy one that focuses on specific areas of the body, so you can change up your exercise routine daily.
Skipping
If you’ve got access to a garden or small outside space, then skipping is a great cardio workout that doesn’t require you to leave your home (if you’ve got high ceilings in your house this is an activity that can also be completed inside, just make sure to move any valuables!) Lots of space? Skip in laps around your room or garden – maybe you could do 23 laps per day? If you’re short of space, skipping on the spot is an equally as effective exercise, try to complete 23 super speedy skips in a row.
Hula hooping
Work your retro vibes and pick up hula hooping – an exercise which is both very cheap, and effective in toning and strengthening your core muscles. You can get hold of a hula hoop online for next to nothing, and if there are a few of you staying at home together, you could get one each and make it into a game or competition. Who can get to 23 spins without dropping the hoop? It’s harder than it might sound…
Over video call with friends
In times like these when we’ve been asked to stay indoors, those of us who are used to meeting up with friends at our local gym may find it harder than normal to stick to a fitness routine… So why not exercise over video chat with friends? Pick a time of day when everybody is free for 23 minutes, then exercise together. You could each take it in turns daily to lead the room for the rest of the group.
We can’t wait to hear how you’re taking part in HOPE23. If you’d like to be involved in our virtual event, and spend your time at home raising money for PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, then please sign up here.
Don’t forget to share your progress as you go, by tagging us on social media and using the hashtag #HOPE23 – good luck from the whole team at PAPYRUS!
