Body Weight – Workout Anywhere
Using your body weight, you can work out without any equipment and do it in any place you are.
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has changed life as we all knew it forever, so much that simple every day aspects like going to the gym has become something of a task. Additionally, with working from home becoming the new norm, fitness has suddenly taken a backseat. If this is what is worrying you, fret not. You can work out from the confines of your home using your body weight to your advantage, with a little help from the online world.
Do it Right
When working out at home it is important to schedule your workouts and hold yourself accountable lest you keep postponing it. It is equally important to support your fitness program by altering your lifestyle. Therefore, you want to make sure that you are eating balanced meals, choosing healthy snacks and sleeping and waking up on time. This is extremely important because when you rest you facilitate your body's recovery and cell restoration following exercise.
Make sure to include warm-up before you start to train and always end with cool down, flexibility moves and remember to stretch. “Engage in 10-15 minutes of a proper warm-up. This can be any cardio activity such as brisk walking, light jogging, jumping jacks, jump ropes or high knees, that will get your heart rate up and muscles warmed.
Always make sure that you light stretch all the muscle groups. Start with small goals, whether it's the amount of time, sets or repetitions. Slowly progress and challenge yourself and keep a journal to keep track of your progress. Ensure to use proper form or techniques when doing exercises to prevent injury. Stay hydrated throughout your exercise by drinking water. Listen to your body. Sometimes pushing through despite pain could lead to serious damage.
Do not just do one kind of exercise. It is important to challenge your body and mind; by doing this you will also stave off boredom which often comes when you are too familiar with something,” opines Dr. Khushboo Thakker Garodia, a Specialist in Sports Nutrition and an Integrative Health Expert, Homeopath, Trichologist and Founder, Meraki Wellbeing. Set goals keeping in mind that it should be something you cannot do right now, but you know is within your reach – you simply need to work at it. Give yourself mini-rewards along the way; a new piece of workout gear or a new pair of sneakers.
The Specifics
Exercising at home brings along a lot of ease, however, if not done with required discipline and consultation, it may prove disastrous for the bones and muscles. Burpees are also a popular exercise choice where one can strengthen their cores, glutes chest and triceps. Stand straight with your feet close. Now squat down and keep your hands on the floor. Firmly planting your hands on the floor, jump your feet back and land with straight legs. Now lower yourself down to a push-up position until the chest touches the floor. Keeping your hands on the floor, pop your feet back into a squat using hips. Explode into a jump and land on your feet softy and repeat the workout for around one minute.
Amarabati Sen, Product Owner, Decathlon India Blog advises of the kind of exercises that can be done at any location. “Single Leg Glute Bridge is a simple and effective way to charge your body for the whole day. Lie faceup with your bent knees and extend the right leg out and press the left heel to lift the hips off the floor. Lower it down slowly and repeat for one minute.
Jumping Jacks are a great workout for beginners to include in exercise routine. It pumps up heart rate and blood flow. It also tones up your calves and deltoids too. Stand straight with your feet together and jump up while spreading your arms and legs. Return to the initial position and repeat for at least 1 or 1.5 minutes.
Double Leg Lift is an effective abdomen exercise, that works both the upper and lower abs. It is an ideal core strength builder when performed correctly. Lie face up on a mat or the floor. Extend your legs up to the ceiling, till your body forms a 90-degree angle and keep your arms by your sides. By engaging your core, gently lower the legs down to the mat or floor.
Squats are the best exercise for weight loss, and it strengthens the legs, hips, and knees all at once. Stand with your feet apart, slightly more than your shoulder width, raise your arms in front of you. Sink into a squat position, by bending your knees and pushing your butt out. Push yourself up with your heels back to the initial position and repeat.
Alternative Forward Lunges are the best exercise for your lower body and heart. It activates almost all leg muscles and trains the body. Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Take a step forward by bending your knees and lower your body towards the floor. Both knees should be bent at 90 degrees, one forward and the other backward. Back off the front leg with a push or a jump and alternate sides. Repeat for 10 reps on each side.”
Harnessing Body Weight
Bodyweight training can help develop strength, gain endurance and make you lose fat. Squats, lunges, burpees, crunches, handstands, running, and any type of functional movement can be done at home. The idea of functional training is to help your body perform its daily functions better.
“I personally use free weights to build upper body strength; go running to get the required amount of cardio training; and practice animal flow—which doesn’t need any equipment and yet, makes you stronger than ever. Free weights are the best. But you can also attach a pull up bar to work on your abs, and upper body strength.
A pair of resistance bands is also a great option to get some resistance training into your routine. With this, you just need a 6x6 space at home and you are good to go,” says Chaitali Pishay Roy, a Bangalore based entrepreneur.
Exercise Online
With the pandemic catching people off guard, exercising went online with a plethora of classes many of which are being done in real time with a live instructor and others using recorded sessions.
Maya Bhogilal, Mumbai based Public Relations Professional started going to Orange Theory in January 2020 and during the lockdown has been doing the workout using home videos.
“Orange Theory has a tracker that each member has - the tracker is owned by the member and can track calories burnt, heart rate, time and SPLAT points earned. SPLAT points are the points that one earns while working out. Apart from doing the daily work outs and tracking the calories burnt, I also track the calories burnt when I do Yoga, and when I go cycle about 900 calories a day. The tracker app also acts as a challenge, to ensure that the amount worked out the next day tops the previous day,” says Bhogilal.
Claudia Ciesla, celebrity wellness coach decided to start her YouTube videos on her channel ClaudiaCieslaOfficial during the lockdown, as she found it challenging to stay at home without meeting people or carrying on with the daily routine.
“I would go for a run or sweat it out in a gym to take the load out of my mind, but this time it wasn’t possible. I knew a lot of people must be going through the same feeling. Hence, I created a home workout videos, as I wanted to bring some positivity in every household. The activity level is very important for digestion, for staying sane, and for overall well-being. And 30 minutes of workout a day can help you to stay fit and motivated throughout the day.”
Props and More
Yash Agarwal, Founder, Yash Fitness lists out many examples of how you can use what you have at home as an exercise prop during your workout session.
“Use a hand towel as a slider, a laundry detergent pack as a kettle bell, a folding chair as a bench for triceps dips, a backpack as a weighted vest, a couch cushion as a Bosu, a bike pump for triceps strengthening and a rope as a suspension trainer. You can also use soup cans as small weights, a beach towel as a yoga mat, a basketball to make pushups harder, paper plates as Sliders, a coffee table book as a weight and a laundry basket for a Dead lift. Use a broom for mobility work and stairs as a cardio machine,” says Agarwal. Ensure correct postures no matter which kind of exercises you are doing. Look up correct techniques on Google or YouTube if you cannot find an instructor. Do not try something extremely new unless you have joined an online training program and have a trainer who is training you virtually.
Jenifer K Sharma, International Licensed Zumba Fitness Instructor avers, “nowadays, many have dumbbells at home. If you do not have dumbbells, filled water bottles can be used for upper body workout. Skipping rope is good and most have it at home. Stair workouts too can be done at home.” Staying active not just has positive effects on your health but it also improves the quality of life. So, maintain overall good health and a positive atmosphere at home and you know you have won half the battle with the pandemic.
Checklist of exercises to do at home
Online Exercising Options **Download PDF to view article with Images.
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has changed life as we all knew it forever, so much that simple every day aspects like going to the gym has become something of a task. Additionally, with working from home becoming the new norm, fitness has suddenly taken a backseat. If this is what is worrying you, fret not. You can work out from the confines of your home using your body weight to your advantage, with a little help from the online world.
Do it Right
When working out at home it is important to schedule your workouts and hold yourself accountable lest you keep postponing it. It is equally important to support your fitness program by altering your lifestyle. Therefore, you want to make sure that you are eating balanced meals, choosing healthy snacks and sleeping and waking up on time. This is extremely important because when you rest you facilitate your body's recovery and cell restoration following exercise.
Make sure to include warm-up before you start to train and always end with cool down, flexibility moves and remember to stretch. “Engage in 10-15 minutes of a proper warm-up. This can be any cardio activity such as brisk walking, light jogging, jumping jacks, jump ropes or high knees, that will get your heart rate up and muscles warmed.
Always make sure that you light stretch all the muscle groups. Start with small goals, whether it's the amount of time, sets or repetitions. Slowly progress and challenge yourself and keep a journal to keep track of your progress. Ensure to use proper form or techniques when doing exercises to prevent injury. Stay hydrated throughout your exercise by drinking water. Listen to your body. Sometimes pushing through despite pain could lead to serious damage.
Do not just do one kind of exercise. It is important to challenge your body and mind; by doing this you will also stave off boredom which often comes when you are too familiar with something,” opines Dr. Khushboo Thakker Garodia, a Specialist in Sports Nutrition and an Integrative Health Expert, Homeopath, Trichologist and Founder, Meraki Wellbeing. Set goals keeping in mind that it should be something you cannot do right now, but you know is within your reach – you simply need to work at it. Give yourself mini-rewards along the way; a new piece of workout gear or a new pair of sneakers.
The Specifics
Exercising at home brings along a lot of ease, however, if not done with required discipline and consultation, it may prove disastrous for the bones and muscles. Burpees are also a popular exercise choice where one can strengthen their cores, glutes chest and triceps. Stand straight with your feet close. Now squat down and keep your hands on the floor. Firmly planting your hands on the floor, jump your feet back and land with straight legs. Now lower yourself down to a push-up position until the chest touches the floor. Keeping your hands on the floor, pop your feet back into a squat using hips. Explode into a jump and land on your feet softy and repeat the workout for around one minute.
Amarabati Sen, Product Owner, Decathlon India Blog advises of the kind of exercises that can be done at any location. “Single Leg Glute Bridge is a simple and effective way to charge your body for the whole day. Lie faceup with your bent knees and extend the right leg out and press the left heel to lift the hips off the floor. Lower it down slowly and repeat for one minute.
Jumping Jacks are a great workout for beginners to include in exercise routine. It pumps up heart rate and blood flow. It also tones up your calves and deltoids too. Stand straight with your feet together and jump up while spreading your arms and legs. Return to the initial position and repeat for at least 1 or 1.5 minutes.
Double Leg Lift is an effective abdomen exercise, that works both the upper and lower abs. It is an ideal core strength builder when performed correctly. Lie face up on a mat or the floor. Extend your legs up to the ceiling, till your body forms a 90-degree angle and keep your arms by your sides. By engaging your core, gently lower the legs down to the mat or floor.
Squats are the best exercise for weight loss, and it strengthens the legs, hips, and knees all at once. Stand with your feet apart, slightly more than your shoulder width, raise your arms in front of you. Sink into a squat position, by bending your knees and pushing your butt out. Push yourself up with your heels back to the initial position and repeat.
Alternative Forward Lunges are the best exercise for your lower body and heart. It activates almost all leg muscles and trains the body. Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Take a step forward by bending your knees and lower your body towards the floor. Both knees should be bent at 90 degrees, one forward and the other backward. Back off the front leg with a push or a jump and alternate sides. Repeat for 10 reps on each side.”
Harnessing Body Weight
Bodyweight training can help develop strength, gain endurance and make you lose fat. Squats, lunges, burpees, crunches, handstands, running, and any type of functional movement can be done at home. The idea of functional training is to help your body perform its daily functions better.
“I personally use free weights to build upper body strength; go running to get the required amount of cardio training; and practice animal flow—which doesn’t need any equipment and yet, makes you stronger than ever. Free weights are the best. But you can also attach a pull up bar to work on your abs, and upper body strength.
A pair of resistance bands is also a great option to get some resistance training into your routine. With this, you just need a 6x6 space at home and you are good to go,” says Chaitali Pishay Roy, a Bangalore based entrepreneur.
Exercise Online
With the pandemic catching people off guard, exercising went online with a plethora of classes many of which are being done in real time with a live instructor and others using recorded sessions.
Maya Bhogilal, Mumbai based Public Relations Professional started going to Orange Theory in January 2020 and during the lockdown has been doing the workout using home videos.
“Orange Theory has a tracker that each member has - the tracker is owned by the member and can track calories burnt, heart rate, time and SPLAT points earned. SPLAT points are the points that one earns while working out. Apart from doing the daily work outs and tracking the calories burnt, I also track the calories burnt when I do Yoga, and when I go cycle about 900 calories a day. The tracker app also acts as a challenge, to ensure that the amount worked out the next day tops the previous day,” says Bhogilal.
Claudia Ciesla, celebrity wellness coach decided to start her YouTube videos on her channel ClaudiaCieslaOfficial during the lockdown, as she found it challenging to stay at home without meeting people or carrying on with the daily routine.
“I would go for a run or sweat it out in a gym to take the load out of my mind, but this time it wasn’t possible. I knew a lot of people must be going through the same feeling. Hence, I created a home workout videos, as I wanted to bring some positivity in every household. The activity level is very important for digestion, for staying sane, and for overall well-being. And 30 minutes of workout a day can help you to stay fit and motivated throughout the day.”
Props and More
Yash Agarwal, Founder, Yash Fitness lists out many examples of how you can use what you have at home as an exercise prop during your workout session.
“Use a hand towel as a slider, a laundry detergent pack as a kettle bell, a folding chair as a bench for triceps dips, a backpack as a weighted vest, a couch cushion as a Bosu, a bike pump for triceps strengthening and a rope as a suspension trainer. You can also use soup cans as small weights, a beach towel as a yoga mat, a basketball to make pushups harder, paper plates as Sliders, a coffee table book as a weight and a laundry basket for a Dead lift. Use a broom for mobility work and stairs as a cardio machine,” says Agarwal. Ensure correct postures no matter which kind of exercises you are doing. Look up correct techniques on Google or YouTube if you cannot find an instructor. Do not try something extremely new unless you have joined an online training program and have a trainer who is training you virtually.
Jenifer K Sharma, International Licensed Zumba Fitness Instructor avers, “nowadays, many have dumbbells at home. If you do not have dumbbells, filled water bottles can be used for upper body workout. Skipping rope is good and most have it at home. Stair workouts too can be done at home.” Staying active not just has positive effects on your health but it also improves the quality of life. So, maintain overall good health and a positive atmosphere at home and you know you have won half the battle with the pandemic.
Checklist of exercises to do at home
- Burpees
- 10 push up variations
- Plank to Pike Jumps
- Walking lunges
- High knees
- Mountain Climbers
- Tuck jumps
- Jump Squats
- Box jumps
Online Exercising Options **Download PDF to view article with Images.
| Bindu Gopal Rao is a freelance writer and photographer based in Bengaluru. Her interests include bird watching and looking for local and unusual angles in any destination. You can follow her on Instagram @bindugopalrao and her work is documented on www.bindugopalrao.com |
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