Get stronger and fitter with just a couple of props and straightforward moves.
As the world grapples with the consequences of COVID-19, social distancing has grow to be the brand new normal – no less than for now. With gyms, beaches and parks temporarily closed and other people encouraged to remain at home, it's easy to let your exercise routine fall by the wayside. And working from home or lacking a each day routine could make it difficult to keep up any physical activity.
But you may get a very good workout within the comfort of your personal home, even for those who don't have a dedicated workout space or fancy machines. In fact, you don't really want any support, although a couple of small dumbbells can turn out to be useful.
Why Weight Training Helps
A recent study found that folks who strength trained for only one hour per week had a lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from heart disease than those that didn't. The two essential aspects that appeared to mediate this profit were stronger quadriceps muscles (the muscles within the front of the thighs) and a discount in body mass index. The study was published in March 2019. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Strong muscles help your body draw oxygen and nutrients from the bloodstream more efficiently, easing the burden in your heart. And if you increase your muscle mass, you burn more calories during and after exercise.
Give it a try
First, check together with your doctor before starting any latest exercise regimen, which should ideally include some brisk walking or some other activity that gets your heart rate up. To add some easy strength training to your routine, L'Italien recommends starting with two basic exercises that strengthen a wide selection of muscles within the body: a squat and a bent-over row (photos below see).
Start by marching in place and doing arm circles for a couple of minutes to warm up your muscles. For a better version of the squat, just get up from a seated position. Use your hands to push up on the arms of the chair for support, then graduate to standing without using your arms. Try the bent-over row exercise without weights first, simply to see the way it feels. When you're ready, you may try holding dumbbells (anywhere from 2 to 10 kilos), which you'll buy at an enormous box store or sporting goods store. For each exercise, attempt to do three sets of eight to 10 repetitions, resting between each set.
The advantage of these exercises is that you would be able to do them in your front room while watching television or listening to your favorite music (or audiobook or podcast). As you get stronger, regularly increase the variety of times you perform each set, says L'Italien. For examples of other strengthening exercises so as to add to your workout, see the National Institutes of Health's Go4Life website (go4life.nia.nih.gov).
Simple strength training exercises.
Sitting
Stand straight together with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands in your thighs. Roll forward at your hips and bend your knees to lower your hips toward the ground as if sitting in a chair, placing your hands in your thighs. Stand together with your hips above knee level. Return to starting position. This is a representative.
Leaning Row
Stand with a weight in your left hand and a bench or sturdy chair in your right. Place your right hand and knee on the seat of a bench or chair. Let your left arm hang directly under your right shoulder, fully prolonged toward the ground. Keep your shoulders and hips square, and don't arch or twist your back. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then bend your elbows to slowly lift the burden toward your ribs. Return to starting position. Finish all reps, then repeat with the alternative arm. This completes a set.
Exercise photos by Michael Carroll
Photo: Victoria Genetics/Getty Images