Stuck at Home: Try this Indoor Workout
Many of us have concerns about contracting the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, and therefore are avoiding places and practicing “social distancing.” Working out is often a great way to manage stress and a good way to optimize your immune systems.
Many gyms, fitness centers and classes are doing their best by wiping down equipement and taking extra preventative measures. However if you are staying home (which the WHO and CDC recommend), you may still want to continue to work out.
But keeping your body fit and healthy is even more important when there’s a global pandamic spreading like wildfire. Many may have seen the video of a personal trainer in Spain motivating his quarantined neighbors to work out by doing jumping jacks. If you have not seen it, please click below for the video.
Why Exercise:
Exercise has so many benefits:
Staying active can help to ease symptoms of mental illness
When you exercise or do any sort of physical activity, this helps get rid of any bad bacteria from the lungs
Exercise causes a boost in your white blood cells and antibodies and these are the cells we need to fight off disease
30 minutes of physical activity three days a week is sufficient but of course you can do more.
Try this 20 minute home work out.
Upper Body Workout
Pushups
Bring yourself into a high plank position, with your feet to a bit wider than hip-width apart. This will give you more stability. Think about wrapping your shoulders back, but keeping your ribcage knit together. Everything is super engaged in your core.
As you lower yourself down, elbows should point out at a 4:30 and 7:30. Don’t let your elbows flare out, but don’t keep them too narrow, either. Then push into your entire hand and press yourself back up.
Bird-Dog
Begin on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
Pull your abs in to your spine. Keeping your back and pelvis still and stable, reach your right arm forward and left leg back. Don’t allow the pelvis to rock side to side as you move your leg behind you. Focus on not letting the rib cage sag toward the floor. Reach through your left heel to engage the muscles in the back of the leg and your butt.
Return to the starting position, placing your hand and knee on the floor. Repeat on the other side to complete one rep.
Do five to 10 reps.
Dips
Sit on the edge of a flat exercise bench and place your hands, fingers facing forward, next to your thighs. Place your feet on the floor in front of you, knees bent. Keeping your arms straight, scoot forward so your butt is hovering in front of the edge of the bench (A). Inhale, bend your arms, and lower your butt (B), stopping when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Exhale and push yourself back up, straightening your arms.
Core
Planks
Begin by getting into a push-up position. Now rest your body weight on your forearms and not your palms. At this point, your body should form a straight line from head to ankle. Clench your abdominals and hold the position for the prescribed time.
Crunches
Lie on your back on a mat. Bend your knees and keep your feet firmly placed on the floor. Keeping your hands folded across your chest and your lower back fixed to the mat, raise your shoulders and the top half of your torso until you begin to feel a stretch in the upper portion of the abdominals. Lower slowly
Leg Raise
Begin by lying down on your back and place your hands at your sides for support. Use a yoga mat or other mat if you will be completing on a hard surface.
Extend your legs in front of you and lift them as you exhale until they’re perpendicular to the ground. Make sure your abs stay flexed throughout the movement.
As you inhale, begin lowering your legs slowly back to the starting position and stop just about 1 inch off of the floor.
Lower Body
Squats
Stand with your head facing forward and your chest held up and out.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.
Sit back and down like you’re sitting into an imaginary chair.
Lower down so your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible, with your knees over your ankles.
Lunges
Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and relaxed and chin up (pick a point to stare at in front of you so you don’t keep looking down). Always engage your core.
Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle.
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