A pandemic that started without much thought in faraway Wuhan, China, has caught the rest of the world by surprise. The CONVID-19 pandemic is one outbreak that is unprecedented. It has got the whole world in an anxious and panic mode. We’ve been forced to spend more time at home. Lots of businesses have been shut down and that means there are no bars, clubs, recreational parks, and as a fitness enthusiast I hate to say this – no gyms. For fitness enthusiasts, that means a regular workout session at the local gym has been put on hold for now. As people who take our physical health very seriously, we can always find a way around it. The pandemic can’t stop us from keeping fit and maintaining the best physical and mental health possible. There are still plenty of ways to stay active at home while sticking with advice on quarantine and social distancing.
Keeping fit is very critical in this period we have found ourselves. You can keep for and healthy while giving heed to the various stay-at-home measures put out by the government to restrict movement. There are numerous exercises and work out sessions one can engage himself in at home. It’s easier to fall into the trap of a sedentary lifestyle – binging on Netflix, playing video games, excessive eating and drinking, and generally caring less about your fitness level.
In this crisis period, a good workout routine can be therapeutic and can add a sense of stability of your day. By staying at home 24/7, we’re veering away from our normal everyday routine. Exercising is one way to restore a form of normalcy. You can adopt the following exercise routine at home.
Sitting Exercises
There are tonnes of sitting exercises that can be done at home. Since you would be staying at home several hours on end in a day, catching up on work engagements and online schooling, these exercises will help improve your mobility and decrease your risk of developing chronic health problems such as heart diseases, diabetes and cancers. Start by choosing a stable chair with no wheels. Wear comfortable clothing that will not restrict your movement.
● Strengthening Your Chest: This can improve your posture and balance.
○ Sit upright, pulling your back away from the chair. Stretch out your arms to the side, while pushing your chest forward.
○ Hold this position for at least 10-20 seconds. Repeat up to 10 times.
● Strengthening The Hip: This exercise strengthens the hips and thighs, ensuring improved flexibility.
○ Start by sitting upright, keeping your back away from the chairs.
○ Raise your right leg as high as you can, while it is bent and flexed at a right angle. Gradually lower your foot down.
○ Repeat this process with your left leg. Do this for as many as 10 times with each leg.
Chair Tricep Dips
Sit on the edge of your chair while supporting your frame with your hands. Stretch out your legs in front of you, lowering your elbow to 90 degrees. Then proceed to push back up.
Table Top Press Ups
This can be done anywhere around the house using a table, chair, bed or even a wall. When using a table, place your hands on the table, stretching your legs behind you. Make sure they’re stretched out very straight. Gradually lower your entire weight down, while keeping your elbows to your body. Then press back up.
Jump Rope
Having a jump rope in the house could be a nice way to stay fit. While a jump rope could bring back memories of our younger days, it is also a fun way to strengthen those calf muscles of ours. Feeling bored at home during the current lockdown, I decided to reenact my favourite childhood exercise. Within minutes I was out of breath. Since then, I have steadily improved my jumping rounds and the profound effect of this exercise routine on my body is beginning to show. So, do you need a good cardio workout to keep you fit? Then try Jump Rope.
Jack Squats
This entails standing with your feet at close distance, your hands clenched up behind your head, while pushing your hips into a half-squat position. Return your feet once more to their original position.
Yoga PushUps
Set up yourself in a push-up position. Raise your hips high up in the air, forming an inverted V with your body. Haul down your hips to their original push up position, while lowering your chest to the floor. Do this without touching the floor and then push back to your starting position.
It is challenging enough staying motivated to engage in work out sessions when the times are good and favourable. Working out during a lockdown period and a case whereby restrictions are being put on your movements? That’s a different ball game entirely. There are different creative ways to make out the most of this period. To make the best out of your exercise program, you can observe the following tips:
● Acknowledge The Need For A Daily Exercise Routine
You will be needing a lot of incentives to work out at home. It’s important you think about all the benefits that regular exercise does for your health. Exercising will not only benefit you physically, but your mental health is also well-taken care of. Exercising is one way to kill off the strain and stress on our mental health. A lot of people are panicking, paranoid and anxious. This can be a silent killer. The fear of getting sick and dying will, in the long run, prove more devastating than the virus itself. Managing this anxiety and stress is the best thing we can do right now, and workouts are a great tool for this.
Staying at home can also cause mood swings and depression. Exercise can boost our moods by increasing serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter, otherwise known as the happy hormone. Choosing a form of exercise we really love, sticking with the demands and grit of such physical and mental activity, and finally seeing it through can provide us with a sense of accomplishment. You’re practising social distancing, exercising and observing the best personal hygiene. This is a great combo.
● Make A Plan And Follow It Through
This period, you will be making lots of decisions about what activity to prioritize and what commitment to give your full attention. While house cleaning, work from home, taking care of the kids, homeschooling and engaging folks on social media is important, your exercise sessions should be given full priority also. Creating a workout schedule and following it through is one way to stay motivated. Create time to exercise and get physically engaged with your body.
● Use Online Platforms
There’s an upsurge in the number of people accessing online fitness programs due to the coronavirus pandemic. You can key into this program also. Find the right live classes that work for you and join others to keep fit. Social media users are putting up various challenges and promoting fitness hashtags This is a way of focusing on what’s within your control and doing the best of what you can, where you are and with what you can. Do not quit your workout program while at home. It takes quite a while rebuilding your workout habits once you’ve fallen by the wayside. So, just keep at it, even if it’s a little bit.
Finally, every day it’s becoming clearer that the measures put in place by the government could last not just weeks but months. Maintaining normalcy in these unpredictable times is very important, and exercising constantly is one way of doing so. You will be needing it.