During times like now, it seems nearly everyone is working from home. But just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you can’t workout from home too. We caught up with Lumen Coach Ryan to get some tips as to what you can do without ever leaving the house to stay (or get) fit!
You can get just as good of workout with body weight movements as you can with all those fancy gym machines. If it’s nice out, go for a run. If it’s cold or rainy, utilize air squats, push-ups, sit-ups, and burpees.
Mix it up and have fun with it.
Pick four of the above movements, and assign them each to a suit in a deck of cards. Then run through the deck one card at a time. Each suit represents a movement, and your number of repetitions will the number on the card. Aces are 11, and face cards are 10.
It’s not about how many push-ups you can do at a time. Mix it up a bit, try and do push-ups, or squats, or sit-ups slowly, and hold and the top or bottom of each movement. Proper form is critical in all movements, not just lifting weights at the gym. 10 slow pushups with full range of motion will work you harder than 20 quick pushups at less than full range.
You can incorporate almost anything into your workouts. Paint cans in the basement? Hold one in each hand and walk up and down the steps. Find something (or even someone) around the house that will add some weight to your squats. Old tree stump or small retaining wall? Try doing some box jumps on it if its sturdy enough to accommodate. Look for tree branches that might be sturdy enough to do pull-ups with. Be creative!
Stuck inside with a spouse or loved one? Work out together. Take turns doing movements so one person works while the other rests. It’s great motivation to keep going when you are working out with a friend, partner, or loved one.
Do you have recommendations for working out from home? Share with us on social media, @lumen.me.
Stay safe and happy working (out) from home!
Emily is a marketing and communications specialist and a former elite level figure skater.