Best exercises to do at home
FOLLOWING the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, many gym fanatics and people looking to shed some pandemic weight have finally been able to head back to the gym. But if you are not comfortable working out in a public space just yet, or you just prefer exercising at home, fitness guru and personal trainer Gisel Harrow has a few recommendations that would be ideal for this set-up.
“Exercising anywhere is great for you; the important thing is knowing what your goals are so that you can tailor your routine to include the best techniques. If you want to keep fit, then you can do a variety of exercises that are perfect for home training,” Harrow said.
Ready to get started? Here are five exercises that you can start with:
Warm-up
“Before any workout session, you want to make sure that you always warm up. This is a good way to get the body ready for the rigours you will put it through during the workout. Some easy, effective warm-up techniques include brisk walking, jogging, skipping or even some jumping jacks,” Harrow advised.
Step drills or sprints
NB: (This type of exercise requires a flight of stairs or an area that you can do short sprints)
How to do: Stand at the base of the stairs, run up the flight of stairs or the designated sprinting area as fast as you can. After two runs, begin to time yourself and compete against your previous time. Compete for two sets of 10 repetitions.
Oblique twist
How to do: Sit on the floor; you can use a yoga mat if you would like. Use a medium towel, hold it between your hands. Now, keeping arms straight, extend them to shoulder height. Lean yourself back, then raise your feet off the ground (about a foot high). Keep your core straight, but your knees slightly bent. Now, pull the right end of the towel toward the floor as you rotate your shoulders and torso. Pause, then return to your start position. Complete the same range of motion on your left side.
Repeat the twist 20 times for three sets.
Squat jacks
How to do: Stand with your feet together and your hands along your hips. Now, still engaging your core, jump up, spread your feet and bend your knees, pressing your hips back.
Pause in the low pose then push through the heels to jump back up and return to the starting position.
Do these three sets of these for 20 repetitions.
Bodyweight squats
NB: (beginners can use a chair)
How to do: Stand with legs shoulder-width apart. Now, lower yourself as if sitting on a chair (keep knees behind toes), then return to start and squeeze the glutes. Do three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions. If you have a dumbbell, you can add this to the routine and grab a pair of resistance bands to add resistance.
Crunches
How to do: First, lie down on your back with your hands behind your head. Now bring your shoulders up as far as you can off the ground, then lower back to start position. Repeat for three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
For diversity and to engage as many muscles as possible, Harrow said that you should always try to incorporate stretches in every session.
“Make sure that after every exercise session you cool down. This is an important but often overlooked part of every exercise session,” Harrow advised.
