The pandemic, or as we now call it, “the new normal” changed our lives by 180 degrees, yet there were still some good that came out of it. It has undoubtedly impacted everyone in one way or another, as it has significantly altered the way we connect with others and go about our daily lives.
Since COVID-19 striked the world, an hour commute to work has become less than a minute - from your bed to your desk, from pondering about what to wear for the entire week, our lives have been made easy by merely bothering about what you are going to wear on top, and we have all been blessed with at least extra two hours of sleep, finally. All of these are awesome perks of working from home (WFH), however there are also some drawbacks, as we are all moving less and not staying as active as we used to.
It's been difficult for us, especially you fitness aficionados, to work out at our favorite gyms because of the ever-changing limitations. But with problems comes solutions. Many of us have adapted to the new conditions and are now working out in the comfort of our own homes. And, for those of you who are wondering how you can exercise at home without any fitness equipment, the answer is yes! To stay active and fit, you don't need all of the professional equipment and tools. Home workouts can be done with a workout buddy - a fitness tracker.
A walk does not have to be done in a park or stadium track. Increase your heart rate by taking a short stroll outside your house or using a treadmill if you have one. To get some cardiovascular workout in, get a skipping rope or do aerobic routines to get your heart rate up for a more heart-pumping workout. If you wish to train your resistance, say goodbye to all the comprehensive training equipment in gyms as you can perform simple exercises including squats, push-ups, and abdominal crunches. Of course, having simple equipment such as dumbbells, weight bars, bands, or tubings would be better for that extra push, but it is also possible to workout without them!
Fast-paced workouts are alternated with low-intensity recovery periods in HIIT training. It is roughly equivalent to an hour of cardio. Hence with HIIT, you can kill two birds in one stone as it helps you to burn a high number of calories while saving you time and effort as you can do it from the comfort of your own home. These workouts concentrate on functional motions in a high-intensity manner, pushing you to boost your fitness by increasing your strength.
Basically walking, but with higher intensity, incline, and speed. They have a significant impact on your fitness as it lets you work harder in no time. Once you are up on the treadmill, all you have to do is start your walk at a warm up pace of between 2.5 and 3.5. After a few minutes, adjust your tempo to suit your preferences, whether you want to go faster or slower. Here are four simple treadmill routines that you can pick up which can instantly lift your spirits.
Only you know your physical capabilities best. One’s slow walk can be deemed as fast for others, and vice versa. Therefore, discover your very own baseline incline of somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 while also considering other factors such as your height and comfortably. Increase and pick up the speed that works best for you if you are seeking to get in a quick and simple workout session after a hectic day. Naturally, your speed may change on a daily basis depending on your energy levels, which is perfectly fine. Always keep in mind not to overwork yourself! You may call it a day after just a 15 minutes walk on the treadmill!
After you have become used to your “slow” pace, it is time to step it up a notch and push yourself by discovering your "sprinting" pace. It may be a speed that initially may be a challenge for non-runners, but trust the process and overcome the difficulties by pumping your arms, walking briskly, and breathing through your nose & out through your mouth. For starters, start your workout at your slow pace for three minutes, then accelerate to a sprint pace for one minute before returning to a slow pace for one minute. Consider this a warmup, and then continue to alternate sprinting every other minute for the remaining 10 minutes (total of 15 minutes workout).
Of course, this does not imply that you literally walk up the hill, but at this juncture, it's all about spicing up your treadmill walking routines with some elevation! Starting off at your slow speed for three minutes, increase your elevation by walking uphill on the treadmill. The benefits? The increase in level will train your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, as well as act as a strength and cardio workout! Increase your elevation to a point where you can maintain a touch climb for at least one minute. To work both the front and back of your legs, press down through your heels. Maintain the elevation without raising it as you will have to exert more effort to walk uphill.
Besides getting your heart to pump quickly, cycling also strengthens your heart, lungs, and muscles as well as improves the blood & oxygen flow throughout your body. This highly benefits your overall health in a number of ways including:
If you are new to fitness, the objective is to start slow and gradually increase the time and intensity of your workout as you grow used to it. Hence, simply start with a 25 to 35 minutes workout adding a minute as you build your fitness. This duration includes a slow pedal as a warm up for 5 minutes, followed by alternates of high and medium intensities of 5 minutes and 1-2 minutes respectively.
This is the workout for you if you want to burn calories and body fat while also switching up your resistance levels at a faster pace. Start with pedaling at a low intensity for 5 to 10 minutes, then transition to medium intensity for 3 to 5 minutes, and lastly high intensity for 1 to 3 minutes. After that, over the next 20 to 30 minutes, alternate between medium (3 to 5 minutes) and high (1 to 2 minutes) intensities. Finally, complete the workout by pedaling at a low intensity for 5 to 10 minutes to cool down.
If you are ready to take your fitness to the next level and want to increase your strength and stamina simultaneously, this is the ideal workout for you! Kick-start your workout by pedaling for 10 minutes at a low intensity. For around five cycles, alternate between low and high intensities for 2 minutes each. If you feel like you can do a bit more for that day, push your limits and go ahead to do a few more cycles! As usual, complete your workout by slow pedaling for 5 to 10 minutes to cool down.
There are numerous ways to maximize your fitness journey from the comfort of your own home. Make no excuses and start your fitness journey from your home today!
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