How to work out at home during the Covid-19 crisis

Have you heard? There’s a pandemic sweeping the globe, infiltrating countries as far flung as Kenya and Gibraltar. In the United States, more than 40,000 cases are swirling with 2,00 confirmed deaths – and rising. Shops are closing, gyms have shut their doors and people are being asked to stay home.

So, how does one work out in these conditions? 

Well, if you’re thinking of ordering as many pieces of gym equipment as possible, you might be out of luck. Not only are free weights and machines selling out at specialist gym stores, but bigger retailers like Amazon are prioritizing essential deliveries for now. 

All is not lost, however. It’s perfectly possible to get a good sweat on sans the stuff you typically use. 

Push ups

They’re the old favorite and it’s easy to see why. Pushups work your chest, triceps and deltoids. They can be performed practically anywhere, and they get a sweat going in seconds. 

1. To get started, lie your body flat. 
2. Using your arms, push up, raising your body off the ground with straight arms. 
3. Your butt should be clenched and your core straining. 
4. You want your arms to be tight to your body so that you’re really working your chest as you slowly lower yourself down, keeping your body a few centimeters off the ground, and your elbows at a 90-degree angle. 
5. Then, push yourself back to the starting position and repeat for 20 reps. 
6. At an advanced level? Try for 50.
7. Repeat two more times – for 3 sets in total. 

Chair dips

This one’s courtesy of Arnie, who popularized chair dips during a particularly bad winter that left him snowed inside. 

1. Place two chairs a body width apart, their backs facing one another
2. Weight them down
3. Hold the back of both and suspend yourself in the air (your feet should only be brushing the floor)
4. Sink towards the ground, bending your legs beneath your butt
5. Don’t touch the ground
6. Bring your body back to the position in step number 3
7. Keep your back straight at all times
8. Repeat 20-30 times for 3 sets in total 

Squats

Leg workouts don’t need to be done at the gym, and the trusty squat is a great way of engaging the core muscles in your legs. For an extra strenuous workout, try holding a bag of groceries while you perform this maneuver (or pick something in the house that has some weigh to it).

1. Hold your arms out in front of you and cross them. Keep your back straight and employ a slight bend in your knee. 
2. Lower yourself by degrees, keeping your knees in line with your feet
3. Keep going until you’re working your hips and your butt is less than two feet off the ground. 
4. Rise back up and repeat 24 times for 3 sets.

What else?

Beyond what we’ve outlined, look to incorporate your favorite sit-up routine into your home workout. 

What’s more, there are a few exercises that only require minimal equipment – chances are you have some of this stuff already.

1. Jump rope? It’s easy to do indoors or out and is a great cardio-intensive exercise. Try skipping continuously in two-minute intervals – you’ll work up a serious burn in your arms and
2. Chin-ups? If you have a chin-up bar you can get the benefits of this great all-body workout.
3. And finally, resistance bands are a great way to stretch out and get blood pumping.

Finally, have you considered virtual workouts?

A great way to get motivated is to take part in the virtual workout craze. Get a personalized routine, understand the way you’re built and reduce pain you might be feeling across all 6 key areas of your body (head/neck, trunk, legs/knees, ankle/foot, hips/lower back and shoulders). We use 3D infrared technology to get an accurate snapshot of your body and create a custom workout that helps you maximize performance. All this can be done from the comfort of your home – perfect for staying healthy and active during this temporary crisis.