Keeping Fit with Home Workouts
Lockdown 2.0 has recently hit metropolitan Melbourne, and sadly our re-admission to the gym has been cut short. To assist with the transition back into your home gym, this month we will write about some of our favourite home workouts that you can easily do in your backyard, indoors or nearest park!
Before starting, we suggest that you always warm up. In a previous blog which covers our top 5 tips for muscle recovery, we touch on stretching. Before a workout, stretching can warm the muscles to improve flexibility and efficiency which in turn reduces your chances of injury such as muscle pull. Once warmed up try these 5 exercises.
Squats – 20 Reps
Believe it or not there’s a likely chance you do this exercise more often than not! Every time you pick up a box, your toddler, or dog from the ground you are likely doing a squat to reach down to them. Here’s how you can do it safely and effectively:
- Standing up keep your legs approximately shoulder distance apart
- Keep your toes positioned slightly outwards
- Keep your eyes forward and looking into a spot in front of you
- Keeping your arms out can assist with balance
- Keep your back straight and push out your rear
- Put your weight into the heels and balls of your feet as you drop down
- Focus on keeping your knees in line with your feet
- Sit down below your knee level
- Use your glutes to squeeze your rear back up
Push Ups – 10 Reps
Push ups are a perfect strength training exercise and a great all-body workout. Ensuring that you keep the correct form is crucial for ensuring you don’t put any unnecessary strain on your back. If you can’t do all 10 reps straight away, keep practising!
Here’s how you can do them:
- On the ground keep your hands slightly wider than your shoulder width
- Push up handles can help alleviate any wrist pain
- Keep your feet in a way that you feel balanced
- Clenching your rear and your abs can assist with form
- Look ahead of you instead of face down
- Keep your back straight as you bring yourself down and back up again
Lunges – 10 Each Leg
A lunge is another great way to build up lower body strength. Specifically targeting your hips, glutes, quads and hamstrings, your legs are in for an all-round workout with this exercise. To ensure your knees remain safe during the lunge, here are the steps to take:
- While engaging your core, stand tall with your feet hip-width apart
- Take a big step forward with your right leg and push your weight so that your heel hits the floor first
- Lower your body until your leg is at a 90 degree angle with the floor. If you can, just lightly tap your left knee on the floor to ensure you have dipped enough into the exercise
- Press back into right heel to drive back up to your starting position
- Repeat on the other side
Jumping Jacks – 30 Reps
So far, our exercises have concentrated on strength, so next we’ll mix it up with some cardio to get your heart pumping. Jumping Jacks are a great way to achieve this!
- Firstly, stand upright with your legs together and have your arms at your sides
- Bend your knees slightly and jump into the air
- As you jump do two things – spread your legs to be about shoulder-width apart and stretch your arms out and over your head
- Jump back to starting position with your legs together and arms by your side
- Repeat
Planking – 15 – 30 seconds
End your work out with an exercise that tenses your abs and tests your ability to stay still in a horizontal position that’s not your bed! If you can’t make 30 seconds, try starting with 15 seconds until you are able to stay planking for longer times. Here’s how:
- Plant your hands on the ground slightly wider than shoulder-width – or alternatively put your forearms on the ground for an easier variation
- Press your toes into the floor and squeeze your glutes to stabilise yourself. Tensing your legs and core will help too
- Hold this for as long as you can
So there you have it – your very own home work out. Exercising daily has an enormous impact on keeping you physically and mentally healthy, especially during these trying times. If you need any assistance with your workouts or feel sore a few days after, you can always give us a call at Northern Myotherapy for remedial massage. Our Brunswick clinic is are open during the second COVID-19 lockdown and our therapists are trained to keep the safety of our staff and clients at all times.
