iEXERCISE
Staying Fit at Home
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by Laura Webber, Owner of Learn.Restore.Thrive Wellness LLC NASM Certified Personal Trainer, AFPA Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant
pandemic can make you re-consider your health for many reasons. Maybe you are active and missing your gym time. Maybe you are ready to get fit so you can handle life better. Maybe this was the wake-up call you needed, and you are ready to get started on a healthier journey. Whatever your reason is, getting a fitness program going at home takes some planning. Those online video classes look great but if you don’t have the right space, equipment or physical fitness level, you may well end up hurting yourself. It’s important to focus on your fitness in the correct order of operation. Here’s a few tips and steps for an effective transition into a workout routine at home while avoiding injury.
Build a Base
If you ease yourself into an active routine, you are more likely to adapt safely and be able to continue to work on your health. Rush in too fast and you risk injury and face recovery time before you even get started. My advice is to start with balance and isometric exercises. Although it seems mundane to simply hold a position, isometrics are the most effective way to contract the muscles and make them stronger. Weightlifters throughout history have used this technique to build strong muscles so they could keep performing heavy lifts during competitions. If it was good enough for them, then it’s good enough for us! Hold a plank position, the bottom of a lunge position, a squat with varying degrees of knee-bend against a wall, and the hands-up, flatback wall-sit three or more times per week. Hold each position for up to 30 seconds to start and increase your time each week until you can hold those positions for a minute or more.
Make It a Social Activity by Involving Family or Friends
Isometrics are a great way to make a challenge group. You and your friends can make goals to do these exercises a few times a week. Keep each other accountable with reminder texts, phone calls, groupchats, or video chats. You could even get six feet apart outdoors for some added vitamin D and fresh air benefits. Add a walk or jog with your group for some cardiorespiratory fitness as well. Remember that social health is an important part of fitness!
Get Your Heart Rate Up
You have heard of stress, right? There are 2 kinds of stress: distress and eustress, or the bad and the good kind. Distress happens when you are suddenly faced with a situation that is challenging and you must act quickly to find a solution or an escape. Eustress is a level below that stress. Your heart rate goes up, your breathing becomes rapid and shallow, but not completely out of your control. This is what your exercise routine should feel like. It’s your job to judge the intensity of a home workout. If you feel like you are unable to breathe, then you are likely working too hard. If the activity is difficult but you can still manage to inhale and exhale under your own control, then you are doing it right. Do not be afraid to push yourself. Just remember to recover your breathing to a comfortable pace before continuing after a hard round.
Get Dynamic
When you can hold the isometric positions for a minute or more, it’s time to make them dynamic. Moving from one position to another
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AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2020
Purchase Area Family Magazine
Read online! issuu.com/purchasefamilymag
