Gyms are closed, and people are avoiding close contact with others in an attempt to halt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. But how do you stay fit and healthy while social distancing or self-isolating?
Home workouts can be more convenient and time effective, you just need to find the motivation to get started and stick to it.
I think a successful home workout program needs many of the same considerations that a gym program requires; they are just adapted to a different environment.
- Good preparation: Proper exercise gear, adequate hydration, and a good warm-up. Don’t just roll out of bed onto your exercise mat, spend 5 minutes getting your body ready. A brisk walk around the compound coupled with simple dynamic stretches or activation exercises is all you need. I also always recommend good supportive shoes, barefoot jumping lunges are totally uncomfortable (that is unless you are a used to training barefoot then by all means continue)
- Technique: If you are designing a circuit of exercises make sure you learn good technique, it sounds silly but resources such as YouTube have great educational videos on how certain exercises should be done. Use a mirror to check your form or if you really aren't sure videoing yourself & watch it back, sometimes you can see what your body is doing more clearly. Mastering the basics will reduce the risk of developing and injury.
- Variety: If you do exactly the same circuit, with the same exercises, working the same muscles and the same joints every day, you’re asking for an overuse injury (not to mention your workout will get very boring very quickly). Change it up, use local sets of stairs, a soft sand walk, or the coastal running tracks for your cardio workout and rotate through different exercises in your home resistance circuit. Your body is a weight, you just have to know how to use it. Lunges, squats, push-ups, planks, mountain climbers, burpees, star jumps are all examples of exercises that need no equipment. Some are resistance-based to build strength while some are cardiovascular designed to get your heart rate up & the blood pumping. These days there are heaps of great home workout ideas on Instagram or the internet. If you’re unsure of where to start or stuck for new ideas do some research beforehand.
- Recovery: 5-10 minutes per day of mobility work, trigger ball self-massage or stretching will help your body to recover and ensure it’s ready to perform the following day. This could double as your cool down after training. I often use my trigger ball while watching TV of an evening, I get distracted and end up doing more than I set out to do which is never a bad thing!
- Be accountable: It’s sometimes harder to keep stay motivated if you aren’t fronting up to a gym so make sure it becomes part of your daily routine. If you need some external motivation, ask a family member to hold you accountable. Start with small, achievable goals especially if you’re stepping into a new exercise regime. 20-30 minutes a few times a week is a great place to start and you can begin to build on that if you are ready for more of a challenge.
Ways you can keep fit from home.
With Equipment
The first section of this guide will offer advice on home fitness that involves equipment – whether you own it already or plan on buying it, having a few pieces of fitness equipment can immensely upgrade your workout.
Weights
While most people don’t have the room at a home for a complete free weights set-up featuring barbells and racks, that doesn’t mean you can’t do a bit of strength training. Dumbbells are a great way to keep strength training affordable and space-conscious since they’re small and can be easily stored away after use.
Once you’ve got your dumbbells, all you need is an open space and some motivation.
Without Equipment
As great as exercise equipment is, the reality is that many people simply don’t have space or can’t afford it. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a ton of ways to get healthy at home.
Step-ups
Unless you live in a bungalow, the chances are high that your house has a set of stairs. And how useful stairs can be! Step-ups are an extremely simple yet effective way of working your lower body– at the end of the day, any movement is better than none at all.
Sit-Ups / Push-Ups
Two commonplace exercises that require nothing more than some floor space. Perfect.
Makeshift Weights
You don’t actually need dumbbells to engage in strength training – anything heavy and easy to hold will do. Though there is obviously a cap on strength training without weights, it’s possible to get a good workout without them. All you’ll need is a large bottle or jug – something you can fill with water. You’d be surprised how heavy a few liters of water can be! This kind of workaround is highly customizable – it’s possible to fill the bottle to increase weight and drain it to decrease the difficulty.
Yoga
These days, there are all sorts of yoga guides for free on the web. Check out YouTube and follow a fantastic, equipment-free workout!
Remember exercise is meant to be enjoyable. Find something you like and start there, you may surprise yourself and begin to actually have fun!!