Whether you’re a fitness freak or a beginner who’s just joined a gym, everyone is equally concerned about their health because of this pandemic. And with so many states in India shutting down gyms once again due to the rise in COVID cases throughout the country, we are once again forced to workout from home. Today, I’m going to give you some quick tips on how to maintain your fitness even with home workouts.
I’m sure now you might be wondering how you’re supposed to go about this whole at-home workout thing. Thankfully, it’s easier than you probably think. Here are some practical tips on how to stay fit and healthy at home during these times.
Focus on bodyweight movements
You can get a lot of work done out of the simple bodyweight exercises that you used to do in P.T class as a kid. For example, push-ups, squats, lunges, and jumping jacks are all great, simple exercises that you can do at home with no fancy equipment. More challenging bodyweight-only exercises that double as cardio include mountain climbers and burpees. I personally suggest moving through three bodyweight exercises at a time, doing 30 seconds of repetitions followed by 30 seconds of rest. You can do that for a couple of rounds until you reach 10 minutes. You can also find a lot of interesting drills to do with bodyweight exercises on YouTube which can be quite engaging and fun to do.
Do short/smart workouts
It is recommended that adults should aim to: do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms) on at least 2 days a week. Do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week. Moderate-intensity means your heart rate is elevated and you may be breathing harder, but you can comfortably talk. For example, power-walking, dancing, or going on an easy bike ride all count.
Now, here’s the thing, your body can’t tell the difference if you did that straight through, or if you broke that up in parts. Hence, splitting your daily workouts into shorter segments that you do throughout the day might be more manageable with your schedule, and it could be more effective than trying to do a full workout. With short bursts of exercise, you typically have more energy, so you can work out more intensely.
For example, you could spend a few minutes foam rolling in the morning, walk up and down your street at a brisk pace at lunch and end the day with a circuit workout that includes muscle-strengthening bodyweight exercises.
Food habits
Many people are eating differently during the pandemic, turning to more comforting foods and stress eating. It’s totally okay to have a cheat meal once in a while, as long as your other choices and meals are providing good nutrition over time. But also try to limit over-eating and consuming more calories than you need, because obviously for many of us we’re probably not exerting the same amount of energy through exercise as we normally do. Scheduling meals, focusing on foods that you can tolerate, and developing anxiety-reducing habits can help during particularly stressful periods.
Walk, run or bike outside
You can always use a little fresh air. Hit the pavement in your neighborhood and challenge yourself to walk, run or bike a certain number of minutes or miles. If you’re an experienced fitness freak and you’re really looking to challenge up your heart rate, opt for hills or try a running-based HIIT workout.
Do not overtrain
As a lot of us are just sitting at home with nothing else to do, make sure you do not overtire yourself with too much workout. Workout in moderation is the key. Be kind to yourself and listen to your body if you’re too tired or overwhelmed to work out then take a day off from working out. Most of us are under a lot more stress than usual due to Covid-19, and if you have all of your mental resources diverted to thinking about things of that nature, you’re not going to have any energy to go through a workout. Stress hormones can also make you feel more tired, so it’s important to be mindful of that before you attempt to push yourself in a workout.
Order inexpensive fitness equipment online
Exercise machines can be pricey, but there are other cost-effective options you can consider instead. Things like jump ropes, pull-up bars that attach to door frames, suspension trainers, and resistance bands are inexpensive items that can really pack a punch when it comes to your workouts. Choosing a heavier resistance band and tying the suspension trainer to a tree outside can help with a lot of workouts. You could also ask around if other family members or neighbors have old dumbbells or barbells that they no longer use. Be creative when it comes to working out at home. Run up and down your building stairs, use a chair for triceps dips or grab a gallon of water as a weight. Even jumping over a shoebox a few times can be a quick burst of cardio.
Find workouts through online videos and apps
The internet is full of free workout videos. You can easily find anything of your interest like yoga, zumba, and circuit training that you can do on your own. Keep trying different workout as that keeps you away from getting bored of repetitive exercises. Test out a few workouts to find a series, program, or instructor that you like.
Contributed by: Javed Sayed
Javed Sayed is a fitness coach, fitness model, influencer, and a lifetime natural athlete. He has been associated with a lot of sports brands as an athlete and a brand ambassador. He has also trained and transformed over 100s people. Apart from lifting weight, he is into Calisthenics, Martial arts, and Power Lifting as well. Fitness to him is more of a lifestyle. He loves every aspect of it, and it’s a never-ending journey, and the best part is that it just keeps getting better and better with time.
Follow him on Instagram/shamszfit
Photo Credits: Sayan Sur Roy
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