Gyms around the province have been ordered closed by the provincial health authority but, for the sake of their mental and physical health, people are still doing their best to stay active. But it can be tough to keep yourself fit when you don't have access to a gym and all the equipment inside. 

Many people are trying their own versions of home workouts, but if you don't know where to start it can be daunting. Encompass Fitness owner Brady Johnson has some tips for people who are trying to stay active in these unusual times. 

"There are actually a lot of different things people can do," Johnson said. "And what we've seen is really great, we've seen so many families getting together to work out and partners working out together, using different things around the house. A lot of bodyweight workouts using your own body as a system."

Bodyweight workouts include things like pushups, sit-ups, planks, and if you have a bar for this, pull-ups. But those can get tedious if you do them exclusively. Johnson said at that point, even if you don't own much in the way of workout equipment, you can get creative with things you do have.

"Laundry jugs work great," she said. "Cases of pop, sacks of potatoes, a lot of things you probably have because you're stocking up on things but maybe don't think about in a fitness sense. We've seen everything like soup cans, we've seen people be creative with toilet paper."

It might not be immediately clear what workouts you can do with, say, toilet paper, but Johnson said the Encompass Facebook page has some ideas on what workouts you can do. And as the weather improves, your options expand to the outdoor workouts. 

"If you have a yard, there are so many different things you can do out there," Johnson said. "From playing catch to playing with your kids or making little circuits or obstacle courses in the yard with your own equipment or things from the garage. There are also lots of workouts you can do outside especially if you have a picnic table or patio furniture you can use for things like squats or dips." 

And of course, there's also the oldest form of exercise in the world: running. Johnson said as long as your not under a mandatory quarantine it's fine to go out and jog, though she added it's a good idea to stay well away from crowded places and avoid touching things. For instance, it's a good idea not to touch buttons if you're waiting at a crosswalk. 

"We've seen so many people be proactive," she said. "I'm just really proud of our members at Encompass but really the city as a whole. There's so many people out walking and so many people trying to be proactive for their health."