What a year this last week has been! How are you doing? Have you washed your hands recently?
As we all adjust to what is going on with the coronavirus, working out may not be the first thing on your mind. If it is or it's up there, you may be wondering what you can do from home. First off, know that any movement is beneficial. If you are not up for a workout but can go for a long walk, do it! Low intensity movement has a ton of benefits, one just being a stress reducer. Second, you may not have a whole lot of time, so we want to provide some quick workouts you can do with whatever equipment you have (even if its only your body).
This can be a fun time to get creative with what you use for resistance. Most of us have plenty of things laying around the house that can be used as weights. A few examples include:
- Water jugs
- Duffel bag or backpack full of books, canned food, water bottles, etc.
- Bags of mulch, dog food, cat liter
- Babies and dogs (be gentle)
So while you might not have your normal go-to gym equipment, don't let that keep you from working out.
Alright, enough small talk...to the workout!
The goal of this is to get in and out in under 20 minutes. I also wanted to keep the movements to a minimum but add something fun to them. Again, if you don't have dumbbells or sandbag, see if you can get creative. The squat and reverse lunge combo can be done body weight as well.
A1) Dumbbell RDL + Row
A2) Push-up + Rotation
A3) Sandbag Squat + Reverse Lunge
Perform 10 reps at each movement, resting 15-30 seconds between exercises and 45-60 seconds between rounds. Repeat for a total of 3-4 rounds.
For the squat, one rep counts as one squat and then one lunge. You will do 10 total squats and 5 reverse lunges on each leg. If you want to do each leg per squat, that is fine but it will be a big leg pump! Same goes for the push-up and rotation: 1 rep = one pushup with a rotation to one side.
DB RDL + Row
Keep your back flat and abs engaged (think someone is about to punch you in the stomach) while you bend at the hips to lower the weight. Aim to keep the weight close to your body rather than traveling out in front of you. Row until your upper arm is parallel with your body (no need to go further).
Push-up + Rotation
Try to maintain a straight line with your body throughout the entire movement. (My hips stay a little high. I'm still working on that core engagement postpartum) As your rotate actively press with the arm on the ground. This is an awesome shoulder stability exercise.
Squat + Reverse Lunge
I love using a sandbag or anything you can carry in the front rack. It challenges you to keep your core engaged the entire time. This one is pretty simple. Keep your chest up and drop as deep as you can. On the lunge, avoid stepping too far back and letting your chest fall. This one will get your heart rate up quickly. This can be done with no weight as well.
All-in-all, this took me 12 minutes. With a warm-up and slight cool down I was done in less than 25 minutes. Have fun and let us know what you think by leaving a comment!
We're with you guys through this. There is still a ton to be thankful for. Praying you and your family stay safe!