Home Workouts: Stay Fit Without a Gym
During a time when gyms are closed and there are more daily stressors than usual, prioritizing exercise is challenging. Despite the increased barriers to exercise, keeping yourself physically healthy is more important than ever. Exercising for as little as 10 minutes a day can relieve stress, boost your immune system, and improve cardiovascular health. Below, I have outlined the amount and types of exercise you should aim to do per week with some creative home workout suggestions.
Exercise Guidelines
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend adults get 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. A great way to break down the time is 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week or 25 minutes of vigorous exercise 3 days a week. Moderate exercise looks like walking briskly, lightly biking, playing tennis doubles, and doing heavy cleaning (vacuuming and mopping). Vigorous exercise is hiking, jogging, bicycling fast, tennis singles, and carrying heavy loads. You can mix up workout intensities and break down the timing of workouts in a way that works for you - pick a routine that fits with your schedule and that you can stick to. The more you exercise the better the health benefits!
Home Workouts
Many people struggle to follow a workout regimen without access to a gym. Luckily, it is possible to get in a great workout in from anywhere with little to no equipment. A simple way to get in your exercise for the day is walking. A daily 30 minute brisk walk will help you reach the exercise recommendations while boosting your mood and immune system. There are a variety of other exercises you can do at home to reach the exercise guidelines:
Bodyweight Exercises: 10-20 reps
Bodyweight squats
Push-ups
Walking lunges
Plank (30 seconds)
Jumping jacks
Push-ups
Side lunges
Crunches
Resistance Training with Household Objects: 8-10 reps
Chair press (push up on chair)
Chair tricep dips
Backpack lunge (wear a backpack when lunging)
Backpack squat
Water bottle shoulder press
If you feel you that you need more guidance and prefer class-based exercise, YouTube is a great resource. Here are some workout videos from YouTube:
Yoga:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1H3xO3x_Js
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD_l3fDTFyg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xF_teT2_V0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMOgnSMcfM0
High Intensity Interval Training:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml6cT4AZdqI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvo2snJGhtM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWCm9piAwAU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0hYLrEaGsY
Core:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b2lNLq3EaA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnYl6Nk9GOA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa-xdUN3x08
Stretching:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_tea8ZNk5A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9fNh7cYo64
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qULTwquOuT4
The most important thing to keep in mind when creating a workout schedule is to pick exercises that you enjoy. The more you enjoy what you are doing the more likely you will be able to stick to a routine. Find movement that you are passionate about - soon exercise will become an integral part of your lifestyle.