If going to the gym is part of your daily routine, suddenly being confined to your home for an extended period of time can be a shock to the system. It can be, but, as the following tips for exercising at home prove, it does not have to be.
Of course, the experience will not be the same as what you enjoy at your preferred gym. However, when it comes to staying fit and healthy, the suggestions below will do much more for you than stress-eating while flopped on the sofa will.
1. Use Your Bodyweight
No home gym equipment? No problem. The easiest and most cost-effective way to work out is to use your body. You can use your body for strength training and cardio exercises that allow you to burn up calories and to increase your endurance.
Examples of exercises that you can use for strength training include pulls, pushes, push-ups, lunges, squats, and dips. It is important to time the length of your exercises according to your fitness level. For example, if you are beginner, do each exercise for between 10 and 30 seconds, according to your capacity. If you are reasonably fit, you can do each exercise for between one minute and 90 seconds.
Do a few stretches and a basic warm-up exercise such as marching on the spot for a minute. You can put on favourite music, a favourite TV show, or check the results at horse racing betting sites. Do one circuit if you are a beginner, and two to five circuits if you are experienced.
You can use the following routine for strength training: Do 20 squats, 12 lunges on each leg, 10 push-ups, 10 dips, and 10 walking lunges with your arms held over your head.
2. DIY Equipment
If you miss training with equipment such as dumbbells or other weights, you can find DIY solutions at home. Consider putting several tins of baked beans (or whatever else is in your kitchen cupboards) in a shopping bag, or filling plastic bottles with water.
If you have the strength in your fingers, as well as a door frame that lends itself to it, you can use the frame as you would a pull-up bar.
3. Join An Online Class
Trainers at your gym may be among the many individuals who are streaming exercise classes online. Whether through Facebook Live or Google Hangouts, the classes not only let you work with trainers, but they also can give you a sense of being in class with other people who, in all likelihood, are also stuck at home.
Try find online classes being streaming as close to your location as possible, as they will probably be held at a time that matches your regular routine.
4. Use Other Resources
Other resources for exercising at home include YouTube videos and mobile apps. YouTube is an excellent source for various types of exercise videos, whether you are looking for cardio, strength training, or Pilates.
Mobile apps can suggest routines appropriate to your needs, and they can take you through several different routines.