COVID-19: 5 Workouts You Can Do During Lockdown!
The lockdown measures imposed thanks to Covid-19 has meant a drastic change of lifestyle for everyone. With the closing of gyms, sports centres, swimming pools, studios and courts, you may have adopted a more sedentary day-to-day. Staying locked inside might has meant many people’s workout routines have disappeared down the drain.
Indeed, it can be difficult to stay fit when even walking outside is prohibited! However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Now is the time get innovative and discover some new and exciting ways to workout at home. We’ve put together some workout ideas that are easy for anyone to do in the comfort of their own space.
Remember, always stay safe and listen to your body. Start each workout session with a warm up and drink plenty of water.
1. HIIT
The sweeping exercise craze that has been gaining popularity for a number of years. This exercise trend has stood the test of time with brilliant results for committed users. The best part about HIIT is that it doesn’t necessarily require any special equipment. All you need is yourself and the know-how. Luckily for you there are countless HIIT based videos, tutorials, blogs and apps for free! HIIT stands for high intensity interval training and consists of bursts of intense activity followed by breaks. It is ideal for getting your heart pumping and is known for its fat burning benefits. Additionally, you’ve probably already heard of all the moves required for HIIT. A typical workout can include planks, burpees, jumping jacks, squats, lunges and many more.
One example workout might look like this:
Plank 30 seconds
1-minute rest
Lunges 30 seconds
1-minute rest
Jumping jacks 30 seconds
1-minute rest
Squats 30 seconds
1-minute rest
Crunches 30 seconds
Finish!
“The beauty of a HIIT workout is that you can tailor to work on the areas you want to strengthen. All you need to do is make a plan before hand, whack on some upbeat music and go!” says Joan DeLago, fitness blogger at and .
2. Have a Boogie!
Unfortunately, parties, clubs and discos are unlikely to open any time soon. But, that doesn’t mean you have to give up dancing! Your bedroom or lounge is the perfect place to break it down to a playlist of your choosing. Any dancing is a great way to stay active but to ramp up your workout, you can follow along with videos or livestreams of intense dance workouts that really get your heart racing. There are many services that offer dance cardio and workouts for you to try. Often, they offer a free trial before setting up a monthly subscription. You could test out a few trial periods before committing to any one service or, if you don’t feel like splashing the cash, there are plenty of videos on YouTube to boogie along with.
3. Weights
For this workout, you will need to use some equipment other than your body. Weights come in all shapes and sizes and you can choose a range that suits the reps that you want to work on. You have the option of dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, medicine balls and sand bags. The idea of weight training is to enhance your exercises so they have greater effect and you can see better results. For example, instead of just doing squats, you can squat holding a dumbbell in each hand to increase the work done by your thighs and glutes. When choosing your weights, do not take anything that will be too heavy. You will get injured and the last place you want to end up at the moment is in a hospital.
4. Yoga
Having been around for hundreds of years, there are countless ways to access yoga. If you have any prior yoga knowledge, you’re good to go right now! If you’re new to yoga or want to learn some new poses, there are countless books, blogs, videos, tutorials and more to be found online. Poses can sometimes be hard to hit and the breathing techniques take time to perfect so the best option, other than a class, is to find a yoga YouTube channel and practice along. Yoga videos are largely free but there are plenty of paid courses if you want the extra motivation.
“Yoga can keep you fit and healthy while improving flexibility and balance. It is also the perfect way to calm the mind, especially during uncertain and stressful times” says Aliyah Malik, a health writer at and .
5. Meditation
Finally, workouts are designed to not only keep you fit and active but also release any pent-up stress and frustration you may be feeling. Incorporating meditation into your day or week gives your mind and body a break from any negativity that the lockdown and pandemic may be causing. Find a quiet place and follow a guided meditation to help you cope you best with the current situation and find joy and peace.
Conclusion
Adopting some of these workout options will give you the tools to hit your recommended minutes of exercise a week. the lockdown may stop you heading outside but your health doesn’t have to suffer! Use your time inside to work on your fitness so that when we’re free to enjoy the outside world, you’ll be putting your best foot forward.
Author’s Bio: Beatrice Potter is an aspiring entrepreneur who has found success with many daring business projects. She shares her business skills by writing for and . Also, she is a teacher at .