Ever since being quarantined at home, people have struggled to go to a gym or go on walks outside because of the COVID-19 regulations, lingering heat, and bad air quality. It has become difficult for people to find ways to stay active since they cannot go out much.
However, there are some ways people can stay active and exercise at home without having to go to the gym or go outside.
Fitness expert Keith Silvas explained what exercises can be performed at home without having to use a lot of the equipment that is used at the gym.
“Pushups, pull-ups, and squats are staples that can be done with minimal equipment and work the entire body,” Silvas said. “A pull-up bar that fits in a doorway is all you will need to do these three basic movements.”
There are some people who like using equipment when they exercise, but some do not have the type of equipment such as a treadmill or elliptical at home to use. Instead, there are some household items that can be used as equipment.
“I would first recommend people find new ways to manipulate their own body weight in these times,” Bakersfield College strength & conditioning PHED/Kinesiology instructor Zack Peters explained. “Chair dips, bed frame ankle raises, desk incline push-ups.”
Furniture or household items can be used as workout equipment whenever someone needs to use something as part of their workout in order to work a certain part of their body.
However, when using small equipment or furniture to exercise, a person needs to watch carefully at what they are doing because they can easily hurt or injure themselves or perform the exercise in the wrong way.
Peters shared some safety tips that can be applied to themselves when working out at home.
“Have a partner when possible – for more than just safety – get your family involved,” he said. “Double check bands and weights when attached to something, we’ve all seen the YouTube videos!”
Even though many people cannot get to a gym, working out at home can have many benefits for those who are quarantined at home. Silvas explained some of the advantages of at-home exercising.
“There are many benefits to working out, but two of the major ones during COVID are the fact that exercising regularly has a positive effect on our immune systems,” Silvas said. “In addition to this, exercising releases endorphins that help elevate our moods and give us a greater sense of well-being.”
Exercising at home can help people stay active and healthy and can help change their mood by taking their mind off of the pandemic.
There are also different sources or apps that anyone can use at home when they want to work out and cannot go to the gym.
“I use Coaches Eye to break down movements that students send me, and I have also been populating my YouTube channel with videos, but Excel is still my primary means of writing and sharing training programs,” Peters said.
Although this pandemic has made everyone stay home and not go out to many places, people can take advantage of being at home by setting aside time for them to stay healthy and active with fitness. Use news sources and try new workouts they have never done before.