Exercise tips to do at home.

If you are like many of us around the world and stuck in lockdown due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Now is the perfect time to start or continue exercising. As well as the countless benefits to exercise, exercising gives you more confidence to go about your daily life.

If you cannot get to a gym, fear not as I have 10 easy exercises you can do around the home that requires little or no equipment.

These exercises can be performed by anyone regardless of your fitness level. The best thing is these exercise can be regressed as needed.

#1- Push ups

Yes, the old push up. Done correctly and often enough can give really help bring your posture up and strength your upper chest and arms. Adding a child to your back adds another level of difficulty. Starting on your knees is perfectly OK, just do not stay there too long. I push-up on your toes is equal to three on your knees.

#2- Squats

The trusty old squat, an oldie but a goody. I use my son on my back for extra weight. A well-rounded exercise for your entire lower body and abs.

#3- Sit ups

Sit-ups can be done is a variety of different ways from crunches to full sit ups, whatever works for you is totally OK. You may have heard that no matter the number of sit-ups you cannot reduce fat in your torso. While this is true, how good will your abs look when you finally reduce the mid line through a good nutrition plan, SUPERB!!

#4 – Step ups

Find a step and start stepping up and down as fast as you can. Before you know it, your heart rate will be elevate. I try for 100 step ups at a time. Try reducing the time, increasing the steps, or adding some extra weight.

#5 – Planking

The ab plank is a great for your midsection, try for 1-minute intervals and increase.

#6- Chin-ups

Chin ups although rather difficult can strengthen you back and shoulders very quickly. If you can not find anything to pull up on, try the local park or lie under a table and in the sitting position pull yourself up, making sure you legs are straight and you only have your ankles on the ground, works a treat.

#7- Walk, Jog or Run

If you can get out of the house to go for a walk, jog or run, do it. Otherwise what I have been doing is running around the backyard table chasing my son. It is fun for both of us and I get a workout, win win!

#8- Jumping Jacks or Fake skipping   

You can do jumping jacks or skip without the rope. Try for 500 and see your heart rate go through the roof. Try for speed or time.

#9 – Shoulder Press

This one requires a weight of some sort; I use my baby son and works a treat. However, a chair also works well here

#10- Lifting anything and everything

Lifting objects can really help with both strength and fitness. Try going around your home and lifting up things, start small and move to more heavy items. When you are out shopping, try to carry all of the shopping bags at once. You would be surprised at how quickly you can tire yourself out by lifting items around the home.

My suggestion is for you try to do all 10 exercise over 100 minutes. Start with as many as you can do then move to the next exercise. Any order is OK.

If you cannot exercise for 100 minutes, try breaking the routine up into either, 2 x 50 minutes, 5 x 20 minutes, or even to 10 minutes 10 x 10 minutes each over the day. Do not forget to use perfect posture and technique with your lifts, bend you knees. If you feel light head, dizzy or trouble breathing stop exercising.

Start as slow or as fast as of you need to, and adjust the variables as you progress. This workout can be done every day but every second day is fine. Best of all have fun.

Be the best you can be- Physically

Marc Matthews-Indovino