Posted at 11:00 - 27th July - Summer Lee
How to Stay Fit while Social Distancing
Home Workouts on the Rise
Life is obviously very different when you are probably practicing social distancing to help prevent the spread of corona virus. The situation we find ourselves in right now can be stressful and whether you want to reduce that stress or just want something productive to do, working out can definitely help.
One of the most effective workouts, if you can't leave the house, is a mix of body-weight exercises and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Body-weight HIIT workouts are relatively short and don't take up much space. Best of all, they don't require any equipment.
Personalized Workouts
High-impact workouts are defined as those that move both feet off the ground at the same time. Examples include cross training - such as jumping off plyo boxes or doing burpees - running, jumping jacks, or knee-highs. Popular high intensity training programs include Corss - Fit, Insanity and P90X.
Low-impact workouts are the ones that require you to leave at least one foot off the ground. Examples include cycling, cardio on the elliptical machine, hiking, yoga, Pilates and dancing. Because there is less impact, these exercises tend to be gentler on the joints and muscles. If you're trying to stay off a particular joint or muscle that has troublesome for you in the past, it's best to keep things low impact. Often, low impact workouts focus more on strength, stretching, balance, and alignment than burning calories and building power. Low impact exercises, such as Pilates and yoga can do wonders for improving your blanace and alignment.
Body Weight Training - No Equipment Exercise
Your body can stand almost anything.
It's your mind that you have to convince.
Body weight training - using only your body weight for resistance - can be effective type of strength training and a good addition to your fitness program. The resistance training effect you get from using your body weight can be as effective as training with free weights or weight machines.
To use your body weight in strength training exercises, try exercises such as squats, lunges, abdominal crunches, pushups, pullups or step-ups. Keep movements smooth and controlled. Strengthen the opposing muscles, such as chest and back muscles and strive for muscle balance.
If you're lucky enough to afford some high-tech gear, now's the time to take full advantage. You might try a video game that places you in a virtual gym. Or you have a treadmill or exercise bike, that can gamify your indoor training session.
Choose the right equipment
There are also some inexpensive equipment you can purchase that can help you work out if you want. Resistance bands, a pair of dumbbells or a kettlebell can give you a good resistance training session and cost less than $20. A step platform can five you a more intense aerobic workout without the high impact of jumping.
It is important to prevent the spread of the pandemic and practice social distancing, but social distancing shouldn't stop us from staying healthy and active. One of the biggest advantages of having a home gym is that you can exercise whenever you want and not just when the gym is open. While the initial investment in a home gym is relatively large, it will cost you far less than a gym membership in the long run. It is also more convenient than gym memberships. Another perk of having a home gym is that you don't have to share your equipment with other people. You can spend as much time on the equipment with other people.
Author Thoughts
The internet is full of online free and paid subscription workouts. From yoga, to Zumba, to circuit training, there's something for everyone. Explore different workouts to find a series, program, or instructor that you like and dedicate time each day to get moving.
- Summer Lee -