Top 7 Workouts For Indoors
Due to the global pandemic that has infiltrated and severely affected most of our daily routines, most gyms and fitness studios around the world have been forced to temporarily close to curb large groups from being in contact. As such, many of us have been at a complete loss as we struggle to find normalcy in life, especially when it comes to our usual workout routines. Though the gyms that you frequent every other day is now completely inaccessible, this is not an excuse for you to stop maintaining your figure. There are just as many or if not more exercises and workouts that you can do in the comfort of your own home; that are able to similarly help you stay in shape and keep up with your fitness. Without further ado, here are some highly recommended workouts, grouped according to the different muscle groups:
Legs and Glutes
Squats
The normal squats may get boring after a while, but switch it up with other different squats like air squats, sumo squats, side step squats, weighted squats or jump squats. These are highly effective in toning your leg and glute muscles, and if you want to go even further, you can pick up any household item like a large bottle of detergent or 1.5L bottles to add additional resistance to your squats!
Lunges
All kinds of lunges are excellent to train your larger muscles in the lower half of your body — and they include front, back, and even side-to-side lunges. With lunges, you might feel the fatigue and strain as soon as you get your heart pumping but persevere and do not give up! For an extra kick, you could try jump lunges to send your heart pumping even more.
Glute Bridge
This is a great exercise that uses your body weight to help prime your glutes and other muscles before you try including more weights or high-intensity exercises. If the normal glute bridge is too simple and poses no challenge for you, switch it up by adding a resistance band to your thighs or shin area to help engage your core on top of your glutes. We recommend not jumping straight into other forms of glute bridges first and start off with the standard one first. After this, progressively turn the intensity up a notch by doing the single-leg bridge, which is extremely effective in engaging your glutes, hamstrings, and even your core. You now no longer have an excuse for missing out on the leg press and standing glute extension machines in your favorite gyms!
Step-Ups
Find a sturdy and heavy-duty low stool or even better, find a staircase near your estate, or at home if you can. This workout is idyllic to train for balance, stabilization, and helps to strengthen your leg muscles as well. Turn up the heat by incorporating extra weights like dumbbells or heavy household appliances to increase the difficulty.
Wall Sits
Wall sits may look simple, but they can be extra challenging when you do it for prolonged periods of time. This simple exercise requires no equipment at all, other than, of course, a wall, that all homes should have. Trainers vouch for the effectiveness of engaging in a 1:1 approach, where the length of the exercise interval is equal to your resting time. Try 30 seconds of work out and 30 seconds of rest, and repeat the cycle about 4 or 5 times to make sure you hit the nirvana of workouts — the burning sensation.
Abs and Arms
Push-Ups
Push-ups not only target your arms and abs, but they essentially engage your whole body, with a heavier emphasis on your core strength. If you are unable to do a full push-up, you can lower your knees to the floor to make it easier for you. Though it is not as effective as a standard push-up, it still does wonders to strengthen your upper body.
Dips
If you do not have a bench to support yourself at home, try using a chair or a sofa as an alternative. Dips serve as an effective way to train your triceps muscles and helps you work out a sweat after a while.
Planks
As one of the top exercises you can do to train your core, planks similarly strengthen the entire body and help in stabilization as well. You can do a normal forearms plank first, and move on to a side plank for the extra kick.
Full Body
Burpees
Burpees are incredibly effective to get your blood pumping, and it is great as it strengthens the muscles in your entire body. Perfect as the last set of your workout, you can try doing it Tabata style. Do it for 20 seconds before going for a short rest of 10 seconds. Repeat the cycle eight times to ensure that you get a full-body treat of hot sweat.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers aid in strengthening and increasing your stamina when you do it right. You can adjust the pace of your workout depending on the outcomes that you want. To get your heart rate up, do it faster and slow it down to focus on your core. A great way to build endurance for your whole body, incorporate some mountain climbers in your next workout!
Superman Hold
Superman holds typically strengthen the lower back, a muscle group where most might be guilty of neglecting when working out. Holding it for 30 seconds will force you to work on your endurance, and push on longer as you progress through each set.
Conclusion
Simply not being able to hit the gym does not justify you skipping on your daily exercise routines, especially with so many workouts that you can do at home! Incorporate each of these exercises in your new tailored routine to strengthen your whole body, without forgetting about the other muscle groups that are equally as important. Keeping fit helps to improve your general mood and helps you to stay productive as we fight this pandemic together. So get your lazy bum out of your couch and start getting your heart rate up!
