Things have changed very quickly over the last couple of weeks. Gyms around Toronto went from being packed to looking like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. As of the last week, most gym chains have shut down and condos have closed their gyms to residents. If you’re spending all your time watching pandemic news, panicking, and rushing to buy all the toilet paper at your nearest Shoppers Drug Mart, have faith that you’re not alone. A healthy mind always has to come with a healthy body. All this to say, one silver lining that we’re to find in all of this is that you can use this time to focus on your health. So, how are we supposed to stay fit during this time and what options are available to us? Doing exercises at home can be quite effective and mobile lightweight equipment is a pretty affordable option. There’s a great variety of exercises you can do from home with a limited amount of space.
Keep Your Sanity With Self-Health
We all need a passion project, especially during a time of isolation. A passion project gives us the motivation to get up in the morning and be excited for our day to come. So, why not take this time to get in the best shape of your life? Creating an exercise regimen at home can benefit your life in so many ways. Our motivation often depends on our willpower to go to the gym after a hard day at work but what if you can just get in a good workout at home? It’s also a time saver as an added benefit. Most studies show that you don’t need to work out for hours on end, that short high-intensity workouts using strength and anaerobic exercise are possibly more beneficial. Also, take this time to step out of your comfort zone. Try new things. Find some new healthy recipes that you can make on a consistent basis to help you achieve your health goals.
Where To Start With Your Home Workouts
If you’re going the route where you want to have a go at it yourself, you may want to buy some resistance bands, both tube and loops bands, although they aren’t necessary to still get a good workout in. You can still find a great variety of bands on Amazon while fitness stores are currently shut down. Next, you’ll want to learn some fundamental strength training exercises. This will involve exercises like squats, pushups, rows, and a mixture of core and anaerobic exercises that can be done from anywhere. We’re going to list a few bodyweight exercises that are a good starting point and will help you maintain some of your strength and cardio. Learn more about the benefits of working with a home personal trainer Toronto.
Bodyweight Exercises 101
Squats. There are many variations of squats you can do to place emphasis on different muscles. The basic squat works your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. Baylee explains how to squat with variations in this tutorial.
Steps:
- Make sure to push hips back and sit into mid-foot and heels.
- Don’t allow knees to push too far forward.
- Continue bracing abs throughout the movement to keep back flat.
- Watch for movement in the feet, ankles, and knees, trying to track knees directly over your toes.
Pushups. Again, there are a few variations of pushups depending on which muscle groups you want to place an emphasis on. Narrow grip pushups, for instance, can activate your triceps more than chest. The further your grip, the more you’ll stretch your chest and involve the shoulders. Check out this video instruction on how to do a pushup properly.
Supermans. Although Supermans aren’t considered to be a fundamental exercise, perhaps they should be in this age when we are working on our computers, using our cell phones constantly, and watching more tv than ever. It’s important to work on your shoulder mobility and strengthen your back to support a healthy posture. View this instructional video on how to do supermans.
Forearm Plank. Our Busy Bee personal trainer does a great job in this video tutorial of how to plank.
Mountain Climbers. There’s a good chance you’re going to be spending much more time at home than usual which also means less physical activity. Gyms are closed which also means less space for cardio activity. Mountain climbers are a great exercise for combining core strength, anaerobic cardio, and coordination in one. Get up from your desk every couple of hours and do a couple sets of mountain climbers. They’re easy to perform and can be done from anywhere.
Get in your stretches! Follow our Busy Bee Fitness Experts Youtube channel for some great stretches and exercises you can incorporate into your fitness regimen.
Take this time to work on your health and that of your family. Enjoy going for some beautiful spring walks. Spend some quality time with your family. Stay active. Step out of your comfort zone and try new things that excite you. Even in a pandemic, there’s always a silver lining.