With everyone continuing to stay home, exercise is something that is causing some stress for people. You may be someone that was used to the full gym environment from Tait, taking advantage of the variety of modes of training we offered in our space. Now, you’re at home, with limited space and no room to have equipment. That’s something that a lot of people are struggling with right now, but, we are here to help! We have ideas that you may not have thought about to add weights to your at home program or just getting creative so you don’t have to worry about getting bored of your workouts.
1. Use Your Furniture: Chairs can be used as benches to rest your foot for Bulgarian split squats or the back of the chair can be used as a way to prop yourself up to do rows. Using your couch or table to do incline or decline pushups. There are lots of different ways to get creative with the basic furniture that you have. Even smaller items like step stools can be used to help you with exercises.
2. Use Big Food Items: This is a great way to add weight to your program. Vinegar or water jugs can be used to perform exercises that need a good way to grip the weights. Large rice bags (or sidewalk salt bags, I know not a food item) or flour bags can be used to perform a squat movement where you are hugging the weight. This forces you to use different muscles to keep your posture and challenges you.
3. Use Small Food Items: Yes, even things like canned food or liquid bottles can be used for movements. Bicep curls, shoulder raises or presses, triceps extensions. You name it! Also, if there is some air in the containers, this causes your body to use little stabilizer muscles of your joints more than it would with a solid weight like dumbbells.
4. Use Your Homes Structure: Whether you live in an apartment, a bungalow, or a multi-floor home, there are ways to use what you have available to your advantage. You most likely have stairs somewhere, that is a great way to get some cardio, challenge your squats or lunges, or to get a warm up going. If you have access to long hallways that aren’t busy, use that as a run way for yourself or as a walkway for different exercises.
5. Bodyweight Exercises Are Your Friends: You just need enough space on all sides of you to be stretched out and a mat if you need one. There are ways to get every muscle group through different movements. Especially if you have never done a full workout with bodyweight movements, it will provide a different challenge for you.
6. Combine Exercises: Combining exercises not only forces more muscle control but also forces your brain to think about how to move through the movements to get to the second part of the exercise.
7. Join our Classes on Zoom! Maybe motivation is something you are struggling with right now. Maybe you’re worried about form? Maybe you just need that push and guidance from an experienced exercise professional? Whatever the reason, these classes were organized to help you through this strange time we are going through. We have multiple classes every day with a variety of types of classes. Our schedule can be found at yorkulions.ca or you can follow us on social media @yorkurecreation for updates on classes and a reminder on what is running everyday!