Exercising can be tough when you don't have the appropriate gym equipment. But as most of us are spending more time indoors because of the extended COVID-19 lockdowns, it has become vital that we don't allow our sedentary lifestyle to deteriorate our health. The World Health Organisation recommends doing a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic training throughout the week, as well as muscle-strengthening exercises at least twice a week.
Below are some exercises that can be done at home. Try combining several of these aerobic and strength moves into your own indoor daily exercise routine, starting with three sets of 8-10 repetitions per exercise. If you are running short of time and feeling brave, you could turn your workout into a High-Intensity Interval Training routine (HIIT), which involves working out at high intensity for about 20 minutes, in short bursts of 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
Aerobic Exercises
High knee runs
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lift one knee to your chest then switch to your other knee. Continue the movement, alternating legs at a running pace, ensuring your feet are lined-up directly below your knees.
Burpees
Drop into a squat with your hands underneath your shoulders. Kick your feet behind you, so that your legs are fully extended, and you are in a raised plank position. Jump your feet back towards your hands and then jump into the air with your arms above you.
Jumps
You can do several types of jumps such as star-jumps, where you jump your arms and legs out into a star shape, and tuck jumps, where you jump your knees up towards your chest. Land softly, with slightly bent knees.
Mountain climbers
Start in a plank position, with your arms under your shoulders, your legs extended and core braced. Bring one knee towards your chest, then return it and repeat on the other leg. Keep alternating. This is a great exercise to reduce belly fat and tone those ab muscles.
Strength Exercises
Place your hands directly under your shoulders, with your arms straight and elbows soft. Extend your legs backward, so they're straight, push the ground away, brace your core, and ensure your back is flat and you're in a straight line. Pretend that there's a teacup on your tail bone that you must keep from falling off. Hold for at least 20 seconds and keep breathing.
Tricep dips
Use a stable chair and place your hands directly behind your bottom, shoulder-width apart, facing towards you. Slide forward just far enough that you clear the chair, then lower yourself until your elbows are bent between 45 and 90 degrees. Slowly push yourself back up. Aim for three sets of 8-10 repetitions.
Squats
Position your feet a little more than hip-width apart and in a straight line with your toes slightly turned out. Lift your chest, look straight ahead and keep your back straight. Then engage your core, inhale and pretend that you're going to sit on a chair. Your weight should be on your heels, and your back should be as straight as possible. Lower yourself down until you are at level with your knees then push back up.
Sometimes it can be hard to motivate yourself when there's no-one around to keep you on track. This is where apps can enable you to set goals, track your progress and access lots of new exercises and video tutorials every week. Take a look at cure.fit, Freeletics, Sworkit and Fitify for some inspiration and ideas to get started.
If you believe in living a healthy life, then these exercises will undoubtedly come to your aid when you can't access the gym. Meanwhile, it is advisable to guard your finances against any financial loss occurring from emergency medical expenses with a critical health insurance policy. Get in touch with our insurance agent to know more about it by clicking here:
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