While Covid-19 has had all kinds of impacts on the ways people live, one of the most pernicious is that it has kept them from going to gyms or engaging in regular exercise programs. That is true for physicians as much as for anyone else.

Physicians have been able to continue going to work as the crisis rages, but some of them haven’t been able to engage in workouts like they used to. Without having exercise facilities to visit, their downtime has become increasingly sedentary.

It has been established that a sedentary lifestyle can be harmful, so a long layoff with no exercise is something physicians should avoid at all costs.

If you’re a physician, then what sorts of exercises can you do while you’re stuck at home? There are several different options that are worth looking into.

DDP Yoga

DDP Yoga is a program that was started by former WCW Champion Diamond Dallas Page. Page is an outspoken individual who has rejuvenated the careers of several former wrestlers through his live yoga classes, app, CDs, and blog.

There are tons of different kinds of yoga, including:

• Bikram Restorative Yoga
• Jivamukti
• Iyengar
• Yin

The brand preferred by Page can’t be neatly encapsulated. Instead, it draws on several disciplines, creating a kind of hybrid. It involves no lifting, running, or jumping, which makes it a viable candidate if you’re a physician who is looking for a new program during the pandemic.

Many of those who have tried it have lost weight and increased their flexibility. This would be the program for you if you’re interested not only in yoga but also in dynamic resistance and old-fashioned calisthenics.

Peloton

You might have seen commercials for Peloton on TV at one time or another. For the various programs that they have available, you’ll need one of their stationary bicycles. However, they also offer free at-home classes before you buy the bike, including a Dance Cardio workout that many physicians seem to enjoy.

With Peloton, once you have downloaded the app and purchased the bicycle, you can figure out the exercise schedule that makes the most sense based on your abilities. You’ll also enjoy benefits like:

• Live classes
• Recorded, on-demand classes you can take at your convenience
• An active community that’s always eager to share in your workout successes and answer questions

One potential drawback is that the bike doesn’t come cheap. It starts at $2,245, or financing at $58 a month. That cost might be prohibitive for some people, but if you have the money to spend, you can get a great gym-quality workout at home with this brand.

Mirror Interactive Fitness

Another option for physicians would be The Mirror, which seems to be rapidly growing in popularity. It markets itself as the “nearly invisible home gym,” and it’s hard to argue with that assessment. The Mirror looks like any full-length mirror you might have up on the wall in your home.

In reality, it’s a fully-interactive workout system that offers live and pre-taped routines. You can customize based on your personal profile, goals, and preferences.

One of the more innovative aspects of The Mirror is how you can sync a Bluetooth heart rate monitor to it. If you’re someone who’s keeping careful track of your health status, then that’s a handy feature. You can sync it to an Apple Watch as well.

The Mirror costs $1,495, which is cheaper than a Peloton bike. You might prefer it because of how little space it takes up.

What if You Can’t Afford New Equipment?

Any of the options we mentioned cost money, with DDP Yoga being the most affordable. If you can’t buy any of them right now, then you’ll need to come up with some options that will get your heart rate up without any hits to your wallet.

There are exercises that you can do with no equipment necessary and no financial outlay. For instance, you can do sit-ups, push-ups, and jumping jacks. There are also yoga routines that you can learn from YouTube.

If none of that is appealing, then you can also go for a walk or a jog around the neighborhood. If there is a public park near to you, then getting out in nature can do wonders for your mood.

Physicians are under more stress than most these days, and if you belong to this profession, then don’t neglect your physical fitness. Getting a workout in can put you in a better mental state before you go in for your next shift.