Why is it good to workout during lockdown?
Are your workouts beginning to seem boring and you need some help to spice things up a bit? Well considering this is lockdown 3.0 it makes sense!
There are many benefits to exercising, but let’s take a closer look at the positive effects home workouts can provide during these crazy times! The most obvious benefit would be the impact exercise has on your fitness. Training for more than 20 minutes and keeping your heart rate up, will burn the empty calories you may have consumed while at home (I know we have all indulged in a bit of binge eating during those Netflix marathons). In addition, exercising can produce a release of healthy chemicals in your body that can make you more productive throughout your day. It is important to keep yourself motivated during these times and exercise will help with that. With those healthy chemicals that are being produced, endorphins are released which can reduce overall stress and create a better mental state.
With that being said let’s get into the workout!
For this home workout we can use household items to increase intensity, but body weight will be just as effective. This a timed high intensity workout. Each exercise is to be performed with as many repetitions as possible during the working time. The rest time is to catch your breath and prepare yourself for the next exercise.
To being we will do each exercise for 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, and another 20 seconds of work. You will go through the whole set of exercises then repeat them for 30 seconds of work at 15 seconds of rest. One last time you will do the exercises but for 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest.
Set 1- 20:10:20 , 30:15 , 45:15
- Squat Jumps
- Pushups
- Straight Leg Sit Ups
Here are some useful how to videos for each of these exercises:
Set 2- 20:10:20 , 30:15 , 45:15
Reverse Lunges
Plank Shoulder Taps
Russian Twists
Here are some useful how to videos for each of these exercises:
Set 3- 20:10:20 , 30:15 , 45:15
Glute Bridges
Jumping Jacks
Alternating Toe Touches
Here are some useful how to videos for each of these exercises:
Household items that you could use to increase the intensity of the exercise include: a liter of water, a backpack full of those textbooks you don’t want to open, or a suitcase of the clothes you wish you wear on a holiday. The exercises that you can add weight to are squat jumps, reverse lunges, Russian twists, and glute bridges.
After this workout, you will probably be very winded so make sure you cool down and recover properly. Things to help recovery are eating plenty of protein throughout the day, drinking about your body weight in fluid ounces of water, and getting seven to nine hours of sleep EVERY NIGHT! It is important to use these tools to recover because it will decrease post-workout muscle soreness, improve overall fitness and joint mobility, and build muscle with the proper amount of protein intake. Post-workout tools are just as important as the workout itself. Many people believe that just training will improve individual fitness, but there is a lot of time outside of the workout that needs to but optimized for faster results!
You can find some fun recipes to do during lockdown here:
Hopefully this home workout will help change things up for you during lockdown 3.0! Remember, working out has more benefits than just improving your health and fitness. Exercising can have positive effects on productivity and stress reduction. Drink your water, get that protein in, and sleep sleep sleep!! Let’s get these gainzzz!!
What type of workouts have you been doing? Let us know in the comments below!
