by Erin Mahoney, VP of Education at International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)
So your gym or fitness studio is temporarily closed down in hopes of #flatteningthecurve, now what? No need to sweat about staying on track with your fitness goals, you can totally stay on course without the typical equipment and classes. Try adding these staple movements into your next workout to keep up a killer at-home routine.
Essential Movements
Squat Curl to Press
Squat curl-to-presses are a great movement that engages both your upper and lower body at the same time and puts your core to work too. If you don’t have a dumbbell at home, try grabbing cans of soup or laundry detergent. Squat down and as you return to standing position, bend at the elbows to curl the weight up to chest level. Push the weight up overhead until your arms are fully extended.
Step-Ups
This lower-body exercise helps strengthen your ability to perform functional movements such as climbing stairs and walking uphill. This exercise hits all the major muscle groups in your lower body; quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves too. To move this exercise into the home, use your couch, stairs or even ice chest as a step.
Glute Bridges
Building strong glutes is important. As the largest muscle group in the body (gluteals maximus, medius, and minimus), the glutes play a big role in posture, minimizing back pain, improving athletic performance and overall injury prevention. A glute bridge performed correctly isolates and strengthens the glutes, hamstrings and lower back. It can also enhance core stability. Simply lie face up on the floor, legs bent and feet close to your glutes, and lift your hips off the ground until from shoulder to knees, you are in a straight line.
Pushups
Pushups are a great upper body exercise because they work multiple muscles. Pushups use the chest muscles, shoulders, triceps and abdominals. This exercise is effective at building strength and size and can be completed in a variety of ways to keep your workout challenging. If you find yourself bored of the standard variation, try decline pushups!
Workout Plan
Each of these movements engages multiple muscles, making sure you get the most bang for your buck. If you need some motivation or help jumpstarting your workout plan try these lower and upper body routines.
Lower Body
- Glute Bridges, 4 sets, 15 reps
- Squat Curl to Press, 4 sets, 12 reps
- Step-Ups, 4 sets, 10 reps each leg
- Curtsy Lunges, 4 sets, 10 reps each leg
- RDLS, 4 sets, 10 reps each leg
Upper Body
- Hammer Curls, 4 sets, 12 reps each arm
- Tricep Dips, 4 sets, 15 reps
- Lateral Raises, 4 sets, 15 reps
- Push-Ups, 3 sets, 15 reps
The most important things you can do to stay healthy during this time is to wash your hands frequently, keep a positive attitude and get your heart rate up daily. Whether it be jumping into a quick home workout or going for a stroll with your dog, getting the body moving while you’re practicing social distancing is certain to make your day a little brighter.
