6 Exercises You Can Do While Gyms Remain Closed
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By
Solent Scales
- 4 Oct 2021
- 0 Comments
With the latest government news that gyms are to close again from the 5th of November it is more important than ever to start working out at home and keeping fit. There are many exercises you can do without any gym equipment at all. See below for some examples:
1. No Treadmill - Go For A Run Outside
Studies show that just 15-30 minutes of running will kick-start your metabolism and burn some serious fat, both during and after the exercise itself. If you’re a beginner and don’t know where to start, there is a downloadable “couch to 5k” guide on the NHS website or plenty of smartphone apps that you can download to help you. These start with alternating running & walking for short bursts of time, 3 times a week and by the end of the program you should be able to run 5km without stopping.
2. No Exercise Bike - Go On A Real Bicycle Ride
Not only is it an environmentally friendly way to get around; cycling can improve cardiovascular health, joints, bones, muscles and has many other benefits. Cycling gives you a full body workout, using your arms and core to maintain balance as well as working your legs & buttocks to get the pedals moving. You might find it less of a chore riding around the countryside taking in the scenery than you would pedalling in the same place on a stationary bike.
3. No personal trainer – find one on YouTube/Social Media
Ok so technically it wouldn’t be as “personalised” to you as a personal trainer would be, but there are thousands of workout videos and qualified personal trainer videos on YouTube that are easy to follow along with at home – think of the money you could save. Many personal trainers have been doing free live videos across social media platforms to help people keep fit during lockdown.
4. Walking
It is a well-known fact that health experts believe every abled body should walk 10,000 steps a day as it will improve overall health and fitness. It can burn around 20% of an individual’s daily calorie intake. You will naturally accumulate steps during the day but going for a 30-60-minute walk will help you hit the daily target. As well as fitness benefits, walking can reduce your risk of heart attack, aid sleep and improve your mood.
5. Squats
Squats are one of the best exercises to do as they work on a range of muscle groups at the same time and are used in most if not all circuit training programs. They burn calories which aids weight loss, improve circulation, help reduce cellulite, strengthen the core, lift the bottom, help digestion & build muscle and strength.
If you are used to doing squats with weights at the gym then you could find things around the house to hold whilst you do them, if you don’t have any hand weights try filling some water bottles to desired weight or tinned tomato soup for example.
6. Planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises you can do. They require only a small amount of time and achieve amazing results in a relatively short period. They can make a huge improvement in your muscles down your whole body, especially your core. Doing planks regularly not only significantly reduces back pain but it also strengthens your muscles and ensures a strong support for your entire back.
Take a look at the Marsden Body Composition scale - it measures Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), Total Body Water (TBW), Fat Free Mass (FFM), Fat Mass (FM), Body Fat %, Weight and BMI.
