The COVID-19 pandemic has led many of us to realize the value of fitness. We’re reminded that regular exercise helps improve the immune system and protect our bodies against the virus. Plus, most of us had to stay indoors for months. Suddenly, many people found themselves working out more at home.
But not all people had the same experience. Others spent most of their self-quarantine days in front of their laptops and TVs and on their cozy couches. That’s not a bad thing at all. Relaxing and spending all day on your couch could help improve your mental health. But keep in mind that you also need to boost your physical health. The threat of the COVID-19 virus is still there, even if many Americans have already got their jabs. Besides, taking care of your body can help protect you not only against COVID-19 but also a host of other serious illnesses. But yes, it’s still difficult to just get up and start working out one day.
Don’t Start with Movements You Don’t Enjoy
You don’t have to go all out on day one. If you’re an exercise newbie, never start with back-breaking routines. That will only put you at risk of home workout injuries. And while pain is part of working out, you don’t want to feel like you’re being punished by simply taking care of your body. Because when you do, it’ll be harder for you to create a sustainable workout routine. When you defer to movements you don’t enjoy, your subconscious mind begins resisting before you even know it. On the other hand, if you stick to workout routines that you find enjoyable, you’ll create a positive experience that you want to revisit daily. Once you stop seeing exercise as a chore, you can allow yourself to develop mastery over that routine.
Start with Fun and Easy Home Workouts
It’s a plus if your home is built like how Parade of Homes designs their house plans—a stylish house with adequate space for gym and recreation. Having a house like that allows you to be more flexible with your home workout routines. But you can still have a great home workout experience without any gym equipment or more floor space. With these fun and simple routines, you can start working out at home:
1. Dance workout
Put on your favorite dance tracks and dance for 15 to 30 minutes a day. Are you a fan of a K-Pop group? Check out MadFit or Sunny Funny Fitness on YouTube. These channels incorporate the latest K-Pop choreography into functional workout movements. You can start with these dance workouts before moving to other exercise routines. Or, if you solely enjoy dancing, you can dance your heart out for an entire hour. With dancing, you can go solo. But it’s also fun to get on a dance workout with other people. So, bring out a speaker and have a dancing session with loved ones or neighbors in your backyard.
2. Bodyweight training
Don’t order those dumbbells yet. Instead, focus on using your bodyweight first. You can burn lots of calories, build stronger muscles, and improve your stamina by doing the following sequence:
- Five incline push-ups
- Five chair squats
- Five forward lunges
Repeat that sequence twice or thrice every workout session. That will help you get accustomed to your body weight. Once that sequence starts to become easy, it means your body is ready to take on heavier weights. You can then start incorporating dumbbells and kettlebells into your usual exercise routine.
3. Low-impact HIIT
Typically, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are full of jumps. That’s great for some people. But that may not be the best option for a beginner like you. Too many jumps can also hurt you if you have a bad knee or some problems with your joints. Luckily, there are low-impact HIIT routines. You can stick to lower-impact HIIT moves like side kick-through and crab toe as you build your muscles and stamina. After mastering these easy moves, you can then move on to more complex HIIT routines or even jumps.
Get Your Body Moving
When you’re a workout newbie or you’ve spent the past year being a couch potato, what matters is you get your body moving. From there, you build a sustainable workout habit and boost your confidence. Start small. You can double the reps or work out more often in a week once you feel stronger. Later on, more challenging routines will only be a walk in the park. And you’ll find yourself enjoying an active lifestyle.
