Being stuck at home for a very long time may not seem like the most ideal situation. Thinking about the work that we need to do, the projects we want to accomplish outdoors, the travel plans we want to push through, and other things that have been put on hold indefinitely won’t help make things better. Instead of wallowing on things we can’t control, it would be more helpful for us to focus on things we can do at the moment.
Given this unique opportunity to pay more attention to ourselves, it would be a great idea to start working on our fitness. Gyms are probably closed right now but that shouldn’t be a problem. If your fitness goals have been put on hold at the moment, then this post should help you out as well. However, if you are a beginner looking for a way to start your fitness journey during quarantine, here’s what you need to know.
Choosing the Right Workout for You
There are numerous types of exercises and routines for you to choose from. What’s best for you depends on what you want to achieve, whether it’s to lose weight, build muscle, or improve endurance or strength. Once you’ve figured out what your personal fitness goal is, you can proceed to choosing a particular type of workout or an exercise program that can help you reach these goals.
Types of Exercises:
- Cardio
- Strength training
- Mobility exercises
- High-intensity interval training
You can incorporate a combination of these exercises into your routine to achieve better results. The intensity, duration, and frequency of your workouts should vary depending on your physical fitness level. You don’t have to train like an olympian right away. If you’re new to this, try to ease yourself into it. Doing as little as 20-30 minutes of exercise for 5 days a week can do so much. If you can only start with 10, that’s fine too. Your initial goal should be to just start, and then gradually push yourself to do more than 10 to 15 minutes of physical activity for most days of the week. The key is to stay consistent.
To build your own routine, we’re going to share several varying exercises that help you build endurance, stamina, strength, and flexibility.
Cardio Exercises
Doing cardio exercises mainly improves your cardiovascular health. They can also increase your strength and endurance. Basically, any type of exercise that raises your heart rate can be considered as a cardio exercise. It can be categorized into slow to moderate cardio or intense cardio. Slow to moderate cardio exercises can include brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and jogging. Intense cardio can include fast cycling, brisk walking up a hill, and running.
Suicide Drills
How to do:
- Starting with a wide stance, shift your weight towards your right leg in a semi-side lunge form.
- Reach your left hand towards your right foot or tap the ground near it.
- Lift your body back up while simultaneously doing a single step shuffle towards the left side.
- Shift your weight towards your left leg assuming a semi-side lunge form.
- Reach your right hand towards your left foot or tap the ground near it.
- Repeat 50 times or up to a minute
High Knees
How to do:
- Stand with your legs hip-width apart.
- Lift one of your knees up, make sure it’s high enough so it’s parallel to your hip or higher.
- Jump and switch knees.
- Repeat 50 times or up to a minute.
Plyo Power Knees
How to do:
- Bring one of your legs forward with your weight distributed equally.
- Lean forward while shifting most of your weight towards the leg in front.
- Extend both your arms over your head.
- Lift the leg behind you, extending your knee towards your chest. Simultaneously, bring your hands down to tap your lifted knee.
- Bring it back to the original position and repeat 50 times on both sides.
Strength Training Exercises
This particular type of exercise uses resistance to build muscular strength. Lifting weights can be a good example. However, if you do not want to spend money on equipment, you can do well with bodyweight exercises.
Squats
How to do:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your toes can stay parallel to each other or slightly pointing outwards.
- Engage your core, look ahead, and keep your back straight.
- Lower your body as if you’re about to sit on a chair, your thighs should be parallel to the floor.
- Concentrate most of your weight into your heels and make sure your knees are just above your ankles.
- Push through your heels as you return to the starting position.
- Repeat 3 sets of 10.
Standard Planks
How to do:
- Come up on all fours and push your arms to lift your upper body. Your palms should be facing down the floor at shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your legs so your toes are touching the ground.
- Keep your neck and spine neutral by facing towards the floor.
- Your body should be parallel to the floor. Stabilize your body by squeezing your glutes.
- Hold this pose for at least 20 seconds. Once you’ve built up strength, try to maintain this pose for at least a minute.
Lunges
How to do:
- Start by standing with your legs hip-width apart.
- Step your right foot forward, shifting your weight towards your heel.
- Lower your body so your right leg is parallel to the floor but make sure to keep your shin vertical and your right knee shouldn’t go past your right toe.
- Use your heel to push your body back into the starting position.
- Repeat 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions on both sides.
Push-ups
How to do:
- Get down on all fours with your palms facing the ground. Your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Push your hands to lift your torso upwards and straighten your legs so your toes are touching the ground.
- Lower your chest towards the floor, bending your elbows.
- Push yourself back up and repeat at least 10 times each set.
Mobility Exercises
These types of exercises are not supposed to be rushed. As with all types of exercises, proper form should be observed. These exercises work to improve your mobility and flexibility so you’ll be able to perform more exercises efficiently and safely. Before you start working out, you can do some flexibility exercises. And if you find yourself a bit sore the next day, you can do some light stretches.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Exercises
To do HIIT exercises, you can choose a combination of your favorite strength and cardio exercises. Do a series of cardio and strength exercises for 3-5 minutes straight and give yourself only 15 seconds to a minute of rest in between sets. Doing a cycle of 3 sets should last 10-15 minutes. Do this until it becomes easier.
References:
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/fitness-beginners-guide#1
https://www.gq.com/story/five-moves-full-body-workout
https://physicalkitchness.com/no-equipment-home-cardio-workout/
https://aaptiv.com/magazine/no-equipment-strength-training
https://www.runtastic.com/blog/en/squat-4-common-squat-mistakes-avoid/
https://greatist.com/fitness/perfect-plank#plank-variations
https://greatist.com/move/lunge-how-to-do-a-perfect-forward-lunge
https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/activity/how-to-do-a-pushup