If you’re looking to raise your heart rate, but are limited on space and equipment, then take up yoga. TNS

With gyms and leisure centres temporarily shuttered to contain the spread of coronavirus, we are left with no choice but to device our own fitness regimes that can be performed at home.

While we are slowly and steadily learning to cope with the new normal, finding a way to be active while staying indoors can be tricky.

It's a well known fact that regular exercise can be a great stress reliever, mood booster and aid in helping you sleep better, which is exactly what we all need in these uncertain times.

For those of us who don’t have the luxury of a swish private at-home gym, it’s time to get creative and turn your bedroom or living room into your dedicated workout space.

If you’re looking to raise your heart rate, but are limited on space and equipment, then take up yoga.

 There’s an abundance of online yoga classes to join if you're a beginner looking for guidance. TNS

It can be daunting to get started without the help of a class to attend and a teacher’s instructions to follow, so we’ve created a helpful guide for beginners.

Firstly, find a space. “You need just enough to lie a yoga mat down, plus a little added extra around the edges in case you stretch out slightly — I’d suggest an extra 50cm if possible,” says Fitness Instructor Charlotte Holmes.

Secondly, grab a mat. Holmes advises it’s really the only piece of equipment you need and recommends YogiBare, an eco-friendly yoga brand.

You can forgo a mat and lay down a towel instead if you don’t have the budget or want to try a few poses out regularly before investing.

So you’ve got your space, a mat and a bottle of water nearby to stay hydrated while you work up a sweat, what next?

Holmes recommends three beginner moves if it’s your first foray into yoga.

The first is the cat/cow, with hands and knees firmly planted on the floor, while you arch your back, keeping your arms straight.

“It’s great for spinal health, mobility and is easy to learn,” says Holmes. “The plank is also a simple move to practice that will build core strength.”

To round the short routine off, Holmes suggests the downward dog. “It brings additional blood flow to the brain, increasing energy and reducing stress.”

However, if you’re looking for some guidance or to feel part of a community, there’s an abundance of online classes to join.

Fitness app Fiit offers easy to follow, at-home workouts led by experienced trainers, and the yoga sessions that are comprised of bodyweight moves and practising breath work and mobility in 25 or 40-minute chunks for £10 (Dhs45) a month.

There’s hundreds to pick from with a dedicated section for beginners so you don’t feel out your depth.

You may have seen Yoga With Adriene, one of the biggest yoga YouTube channels, fronted by instructor Adriene Mishler.

She leads free, very straightforward sessions on her channel to her six million subscribers, creating challenges such as 30 Days Of Yoga or poses for specific needs like chronic pain or for cramps.

You’ll also find simple poses to imitate posted on her Instagram too.

Live streams are another way to participate in a class from the comfort of your living room.

London yoga studio, Dig Me Fitness is hosting live streams of HIIT and yoga sessions throughout the day that you can join before you sit down to work, on your lunch break, and once your workday is over with, accompanied remotely by hundreds of others tuning in too, while still going at your own pace.

As for how long to commit to your workout, don’t be too strict on yourself. “Do it for as long as feels good,” says Holmes.

“Do it for as much time as you have. Yoga is as much to do about being present and therefore doing what feels good for that exact moment. Try and tune into what feels good for you immediately, versus what you think you ‘should’ be doing that day.”