Best Home Workouts
Many nonessential businesses, fitness centers and gyms among them, have closed in recent days as a precautionary measure to slow the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19. But for many people, staying in shape can be hard without that physical location.
“I’ve started working out at home. It sucks, it’s hard to feel motivated in a place where you usually rest,” Ruiz said. “Especially when you have to go outside and run in bad weather.”
Though you can’t get your regular sweat in at the gym for the time being, there are still ways to keep in shape during your time of social isolation. In fact, exercise might be an incredibly vital part of it.
“If you participate in regular exercise, it boosts your baseline immune system, making you less susceptible to various bacteria and viruses,” said Robert Mazzio, a researcher from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Mazzio specializes in the metabolic and physiological effects of exercise on the human body. He said that exercise is not only good for your immune system, but it can also make your body more resilient to stress and can reduce anxiety.
“These are high-anxiety times, so people are very stressed out. They’re worried about getting sick, they’re worried about the financial implications. So, the other good news there is that … participation in regular exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression and improve your state of mind.”
Exercise releases those feel-good endorphins that can help during these isolating and confusing times. But if you were going to the gym before and are having a tough time motivating at home, what can you do?
Many people have already started adjusting their routines to fit their new at-home reality.
“I’m isolated at home with my family, and every hour a timer goes off and we get up and we walk around the house,” said Chris Jordan, personal trainer and director of exercise physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute. “At the very least, we walk up and down the stairs so that we all stay sane, that we all stay positive, that we stay energized.”
Here are options for at-home workouts that can be done without equipment. Here are some ways that they recommend we stay in shape and keep sane during these times.
Cardio
If you’re able to do it, going out for a run is a great way to get some cardiovascular activity.
Take a brisk walk. We may be social distancing, but we’re still allowed to be outside as long as we are not too close to other individuals and not in gatherings.
If you’re going to go out for a run or a walk, interval training is recommended as a very time-efficient way of doing it. Interval training simply means alternating between fast running and slow running or fast walking and slow walking. And there’s alternating between the high and low to make the workout more efficient, more effective, more challenging, but in a manageable way.
Walk around your house, or your apartment if you have space. Even getting up for a few minutes and walking around every hour can make a difference between having a good day and a bad day.
Bodyweight exercises
These exercises are ideal for the home environment because they require only minimal space.
- Squats
- Pushups
- Jumping jacks
- Burpees, also known as squat-thrusts
- Walking up and down the stairs
