Stay healthy, stay strong, stay active: The Olympic Day home workout on 23 June
Join the likes of Laurie Hernandez, Martin Fourcade and Lutalo Muhammad as Olympic stars unite to sweat and celebrate with a special workout.
Get ready to sweat, today on Olympic Day!
Participants from all over the world will unite to commemorate the day the International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894.
To celebrate, the Olympic Channel is bringing you a brand new home workout video especially for the occasion. Take part alongside Olympic stars like USA gymnast Laurie Hernandez, brilliant biathlete Martin Fourcade, taekwondo supremo Lutalo Muhammad, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, and everyone's favourite Tongan Pita Taufatofua to name just a few!
To make sure you're in tip-top condition for the Olympic Day workout, why not give some of the sessions below a try?
Don't forget to #StayHealthy, #StayStrong, and #StayActive!
Benefits of exercise
Maybe you're after some motivational sports quotes, or wondering about the benefits of working out. Here's a few reasons:
We should help support each other, rather than try to be better than each other.
Katarina Witt, two-time Olympic champion in figure skating
Improve mental health
Importantly, exercising can help improve mental health and mood.
In times of uncertainty and negativity, working out at home and exercise in general can help clear your mind of negative thoughts.
During exercise, chemicals are released by the body. These chemicals – which include serotonin, norepinephrine, endorphins, and dopamine – can help improve mood and make the person more relaxed, helping with stress and reducing the risk of depression.
The UK's National Health Service says that people who take part in regular physical activity have up to a 30 per cent lower risk of depression.
Exercise can also help manage and reduce the effect of symptoms of anxiety.
Personally, I don't believe in limits.
Eliud Kipchoge, Rio 2016 Olympic champion in athletics
Reduces risk of illness and increases energy
Exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of certain illnesses such as heart diseases, diabetes, and cancer.
Working out regularly can also help lower blood pressure.
While it may seem counter-intuitive, it can also help increase energy levels as regular activity can boost endurance by improving lung health, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Studies have shown that regular exercise helps reduce fatigue levels, even in people suffering from medical conditions.
If you want to be the best, you have to do things other people aren’t willing to do.
Michael Phelps, 23-time Olympic champion in swimming
Improves thinking skills
If you're looking to keep your brain function, memory, and thinking skills in shape, look no further.
The chemicals released by the body during exercise improves brain health by protecting brain structure.
The NHS says people who work out regularly have up to a 30 per cent decrease in the risk of dementia.
In other words, exercise helps protect mental function.
He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.
Muhammad Ali, Rome 1960 Olympic champion in boxing
Helps with sleep
Can't get to bed? Maybe you need to work out more.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine says exercise can "help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer."
Exercise can also deepen sleep. However, the Mayo Clinic warns that working out too close to bed time can actually prevent sleep due to an excess of energy.
Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work.
Andre Agassi, Atlanta 1996 Olympic champion in tennis