Exercise Activities to do at Home
Holidays are a time filled with overeating, extra sleep, and hours spent sitting in the car. When the chilly wind is blowing and the sun goes down around 4:00pm, it can be hard to stay motivated to drive to the gym. There are ways to continue your fitness routine, even on nights that you stay home.
Our own body is one of the best pieces of equipment there is. These no-equipment needed exercises will help you get through the winter and will keep you warm on the coldest nights.
- Stretch – When you are waiting for the microwave to finish or your Christmas cookies to bake a little longer, take this time to stretch your arms, legs, and torso. Simple stretches are an effective way to pass the ticking clock.
- Jumping Jacks – Ever find it hard to get out of bed when the alarm clock starts ringing? Get yourself started by doing jumping jacks. Bad knees? Try marching in place instead. Jumping jacks and marching are both an effective way to increase your heart rate, which is a sure way to wake you up for the day. Set a timer for 1 minute and get moving!
- Plank– Take advantage of commercial breaks during your favorite TV show. This 2-3-minute break is the perfect amount of time to do planks. According to Dr. Mercola of Peak Fitness, “The plank is one of the best exercises for core conditioning but it also works your glutes and hamstrings, supports proper posture, and improves balance.” Try to work your way up to holding a plank for 1 minute – Do this by holding a plank for 15-30 seconds and resting for 30 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times during the commercial break. Remember, try to keep your body in as straight as a line as possible.
- Pushups – Another common exercise that can be done in between activities is pushups. Start with doing pushups against a wall, progressing down to your knees, and finally to using your total body weight. Check out these videos to show you how to do a proper pushup:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2bF1tyTotQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWbxEBPw8E8
Start by doing 3 rounds of 5-10, slowly increasing the number of push-ups when you are comfortable. Push-ups require you to utilize muscles throughout your total body, so they are very effective to build strength and increase your heart rate.
Winter can feel like it is never going to end, but by doing these four exercises at home are great ways to fill your time if you aren’t feeling motivated to go to the gym.
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