Workout at home: the best exercises to do in the comfort of your home
In the last year more than ever, circumstances have not always allowed us to go out for a run or bike ride, but it is still possible to wear sports clothes and exercise at home! You wanted to sit on the sofa and watch your schedule. Favorite TV? Impossible! The most important thing is to be careful not to get hurt and to perform the exercises correctly. Watch this short video to avoid making mistakes and causing physical damage!
Choose the space to do your exercises
If you live in a small space there is no need to invest in professional equipment for your sports program. Ideally, you should have some space to spread out a mat so that you can stretch your arms and stretch your legs without any problems. In other words, get yourself the space to be able to practice each exercise, leaving the right space for your body.
If you have a large room and can set up a fitness corner for your daily workout, all you need is a yoga mat, maybe some small accessories or a gym ball.
You can also set up your own gym at home, in the basement or in one of the bedrooms. In this case, you can take the exercise bike and put it in front of the TV to pedal in front of an online lesson. Unless you prefer the sobriety of exercises that use only the weight of your body to strengthen you. The most classic exercises - which are a favorite to try at home - are definitely squats or push-ups.
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The best sports activities to train at home
The most common sport that can be played at home is often associated with weight equipment, but not everyone is lucky enough to have an elliptical bike or treadmill at home. So you can train with strength exercises, fitness or stretching, as long as your abs, back, arms and legs benefit from it!
What is the best equipment with the best value for money? Without a doubt, the jump rope. Jump rope exercises are extremely effective for cardio and very energetic, transforming and training the body and heart very quickly.
Yoga is still the king of sport at home which, in addition to the effect on our body, also acts on our nervous system, our concentration and our mind.
Warm-up exercises to do at home
Before you jump rope or do squats and pushups, warm up! To avoid straining the muscles, especially in the morning, and risking injuries, it is advisable to activate the body slowly and progressively.
If you do sports at home in the evening, your body will already be more active and you can decrease these exercises. But be careful to get the right number out if you haven't moved all day.
- Get ready and stretch out. With your feet parallel and firmly anchored to the ground, squeeze your stomach and buttocks, lower your shoulders and raise your arms palm to palm above your head.
- Then stretch towards the floor without forcing, stopping when the pull begins. Stay at this limit and pay attention to the anchoring of your feet to the ground, breathe well, relax your back. Get up slowly and gradually.
- Stretch to the sides, feet extend a little more than the width of the hips, and without moving the pelvis, with an outstretched arm, straighten the hips and waist.
- Then come down on all fours and stretch one leg back as you stretch the opposite arm forward. Tighten your abdominal muscles, straighten your arm and leg, and keep your balance. Do the same on the other side.
- Then, lie on the floor against the wall, raise your legs to form a right angle with your torso on the floor and your legs against the wall. With this movement you should feel the tension in the back of the legs.
- Gently stand up and sit on a chair with your back against the wall and stay there. This will warm your thighs, squeeze your abs and don't help you with your hands on your quads!
- Finally, stand up again to continue with the following jumps.
Cardio-circulatory exercise to do at home
To build endurance until your breathing runs out, try a training circuit with intense intervals and short recovery times. The main advantage is diversity, and you can increase the number of sessions and repetitions to increase the difficulty.
Intensity and cardio, nothing better to act on your metabolism and even work on weight loss if that is your goal.
The sequence to start: jumps, squats, fast jogging in position like a boxer and front jumps. Start with one set, then increase the number of reps as you find it easier. If the time available is short, then vary the exercises: one day a set with two exercises, the next day another set with two others and so on.
1. Jumping jacks
For warming up and preparing the body for impulses. Other benefits include the thighs, abs and shoulders.
Starting position: stand with legs together, tighten the belly and buttock muscles.
Movement: open the legs for a jump and close them. At the same time, extend your arms and clap your hands above your head and come back down.
Remember, push with the stomach, contract the perineum and stay straight.
Recommended: 10 reps, if you find it easy, start with 15!
2. Squat
Optimal for thighs and buttocks. Other benefits are for the abs and lower back, provided the lap belt is positioned correctly.
Starting position: standing upright, with feet parallel to hip width. Contract the stomach and buttocks.
Movement: As if sitting in an imaginary chair behind you, bend your legs (bent knees should not go beyond your feet). They are the buttocks that move backwards: in fact, when you go down, they are pushed backwards. The torso remains straight.
10 to 15 repetitions for 4 seconds. Breathe regularly.
Tip: To avoid bending your back forward or backward, you can use your arms in a prayer position to help yourself.
For a more advanced level it is possible to take a dumbbell and accompany the squats with a rocking motion, going up to the front of the chest and coming down.
3. Jogging with boxing
Pure explosiveness, the benefits are for ankles, legs and arms.
This is a fairly simple exercise: running in place but contracting your stomach and supporting your back. Take small, quick steps and like a boxer in training, give small straight punches to an opponent or an imaginary bag in front of you, contracting your arms.
Work out for 5 minutes. Be careful not to do this for too short a time!
4. The burpees
To strengthen the upper torso muscles, they also benefit the heart, chest and thighs.
This exercise needs to be repeated gently, in order to learn the gestures well and not get hurt in a hurry. Before performing burpees effectively, it is necessary to master the movement; in fact, this exercise will allow you to achieve a flat stomach.
Movements: The starting position is standing, then bend over and, in a jump, get into a flattened position, make a movement that resembles push-ups, bring your feet close to your hands in a small jump and stand up. If you prefer, you can jump to your feet with your arms raised, clapping.
Start with 5 burpees, don't rush. Well-controlled physical activity will have a much better effect on your body than poorly performed exercises.
5. The lunges
To improve overall body posture and, among other benefits, there are also the thighs, back legs and buttocks.
Starting position: Get up with the lap belt and buttocks contracted, you can keep your hands on your hips.
Movement: Take a big step forward with your right leg, like a real knight's lunge. Bend both legs, keeping the torso straight; the right knee stays in line with the foot (otherwise you could hurt yourself). The rear leg can be pulled apart - the goal is to maintain balance and lower the pelvis. Return to the starting position and alternate the exercise on the left leg.
10 reps with each leg. If your legs are warming up, it means you are doing the exercise correctly!
Tip: Even the most experienced can use weights for this exercise.
The key to achieving your sporting goals: Exercise regularly
In English, a well-defined exercise workout is called a "fitness routine", an expression that refers to "regular exercise to make sporting activity effective."
- Make a plan and stick to it. At least twice a week or every other day (the best way to get results and tone your body and heart), don't get distracted.
- Do your sessions in the morning, did you go out the night before and didn't sleep well? There are no stupid excuses. If you feel really weak, lighten the sequence but keep the pace of your workout.
- Put reminders on your phone several times a day.
- Put the image of a sporty body that motivates you on the refrigerator or in the bathroom mirror!
- Have you ever thought about taking on a 30 day challenge? Not a bad way to force yourself to exercise regularly.
Smart accessories for sports at home
As we mentioned in the previous exercises, small dumbbells or kettlebells (heavy balls with handles) can intensify some movements. These include squats while wearing kettlebells, or using ankle weights to jog in place.
If you want to work on certain tension exercises, you can also choose movements with a rubber band. The elastic is an inexpensive accessory that allows you to work the extension.
For abs of steel, there is nothing like an abdominal ball to multiply the effects of the exercise tenfold. It also doesn't take up much space.
But you can also make your own fitness accessories with the means at your fingertips: bottles filled with water or sand, rice packs or medium-sized cans will get you out of trouble when you're broke.
