Safe, Effective Ways To Stay Active This Season (With Little To No Equipment Needed)
Movement and staying physically active is a huge component of overall health and wellness. Whether you’re a fan of the gym or haven’t hit your stride yet in the movement department, there is no denying that this season of life looks very different for many of us than other seasons.
Many gym facilities are open once again for business and are providing clean and safe environments for their members to return to. However, there are many individuals who are just not comfortable getting back to the in-person group workouts. For those of you who are looking to get into a movement routine but are still hesitant about being in close proximity to others, I am breaking down several fundamental movements and offering simple tips on how to build a routine that can be done from home with little to no equipment necessary.
If you currently find yourself without the support of your fitness community, I encourage you to begin to shift your mindset from group instruction to personal accountability. What can you do? I’m here to encourage you to start where you are with what you have. As you explore and learn what works best for you, focus on creating a routine that’s easy to start and easy to commit to for your current lifestyle and personal goals.
Why do people turn to movement and exercise?
The ultimate goal of moving your body and exercising is different for everyone. The real key to success is figuring out your Why. Maybe it’s just to have fun and join a community. Maybe it’s to relieve stress and have some time to yourself. Maybe it’s to lose weight or build muscle. Whatever your reason, remember it’s just that: yours.
Movement and exercise do not have to be fancy or complicated. In fact, I recommend you learn the basics of movement and then build a routine from the ground up that suits your current time budget and health status. Try some of these simple, safe, effective ways to support you in staying active this season.
Bodyweight Training
When it comes to weight training, it is important to start with your very own bodyweight. Bodyweight exercises are smart to incorporate because they are versatile and can be done anywhere. These movements will challenge you to activate your core, strengthen your joints and help you develop solid movement mechanics before you incorporate using additional weight and more challenging moves down the line. Let’s dive into the squat, the press, and the pull.
The Squat
Air Squat: This two-legged squat is done by lowering your hips below your knees. To begin, stand with your feet hip width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward. Your arms can be stretched out in front of you or crossed in front of your chest. Push your hips back slightly behind you and slowly lower down as far as you can while keeping your heels in contact with the ground. Focus on keeping your torso upright and your core tight. The goal is to be below parallel, but you might not be there just yet. Pause at the bottom of your squat for 2 seconds then straighten your legs and squeeze your butt as you begin to stand up. Always move slowly at first to ensure you are stable and using the fullest range of motion available to you. Once you are confident with this simple bodyweight movement you can increase the reps and the speed at which you move.
Lunges: Lunge variations can include forward lunges, reverse lunges, and walking lunges just to name a few. To perform the forward lunge version, place your feet hip width apart and take a moderate step forward with one leg, slowly lower your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure the heel of your front foot is in contact with the ground and your knee does not go in front of your toes. Hold this bottom position for 2 seconds before you press through your heel and squeeze your butt to return to your original standing position. Repeat on the opposite leg. Balance and stability are key in this movement so move slowly. As you practice lunges, look for an equal range of movement, along with equal strength and stability in both legs. Once you master this version of the lunge, you can add additional weight, reps and speed to enhance your workout.
The Cossack Squat: This squat variation is unique because it consists of side to side single leg movements as opposed to front to back movement like most other leg exercises. Start by widening your foot stance so that your legs form and triangle on the ground. Your toes should be pointed straight ahead. Inhale, and move your weight to your right leg, bending your right knee and sitting back as far as you can. Your left leg should remain extended, your right heel should remain on the ground and your torso should be upright. Pause and then exhale as you push back up to the starting position. Inhale and repeat on the opposite leg. This movement builds strength and stability while keeping your hips, ankles and knees mobile. Perfect for those who sit all day!
The Press
A Traditional Two-Arm Plank: To perform this movement, place your hands on the ground directly under your shoulders. Extend both legs behind you and ground your toes into the floor. Simply press your hands into the ground with straight arms, engage your core and squeeze the glutes and thighs as you hold a static position for a set amount of time. Neutralize your head and neck by looking at a spot on the floor about 1 foot in front of you. Try holding this static position for 20-30 seconds at a time while you breathe comfortably. You can then gradually start to challenge yourself to stay there for 2 minutes or longer.
A Single-Arm Side Plank: This variation of the plank engages your obliques better than a standard plank. Lie on your side with one leg stacked on top of the other. Press your hand into the ground as you push your body up onto your fully extended arm while keeping your feet stacked. This plank variation quickly highlights any imbalances in your upper body strength and stability which allows you to adjust and improve moving forward.
A Push-Up: Return to the standard plank position described above. Engage your core as you slowly lower your body until your elbows are at a 45-degree angle. While keeping your midline tight and your body in one straight line, push your body off of the ground until your elbows are locked out. You can also try using an elevated surface like a countertop or chair to adjust the angle of your pushup as a progression until you are strong enough to complete from the ground.
The Pull (equipment needed)
Straight-Arm Dead Hang: This movement is as simple as hanging from a bar in a static hollow hold. Your entire body will be challenged as you pull your shoulders down away from your ears, tighten your core as you tilt your pelvis under and engage your legs as your point your toes slightly in front of you. This simple, yet very challenging hold will test your core, grip and shoulder strength. If you don’t have a pull-up bar to hang from, try visiting a park with a jungle gym.
Ring Row: Rings or bands are required for this movement. You will simply pull your body weight against the equipment you’re using and then return to fully extended arms while keeping your core tight and your body in a straight line throughout the movement.
Dumbbell Row: Dumbbells and a bench or thigh high platform are needed for this movement. Start by placing your left knee and left hand on the bench and bending over so your upper body is parallel to the ground. Pick up the dumbbell in your right hand with your arm extended and your palm facing your body. Begin to bend your elbow as you pull the dumbbell towards your chest. Focus on keeping your back flat throughout the movement and engage your back and shoulder muscles as opposed to your arm. Squeeze your back and shoulder at the top of the hold before you slowly lower the dumbbell until your arm is completely extended again.
Core Strength
Your core muscles play a huge role in your everyday activities, from getting out of bed, walking down the stairs, and bending over to pick up your groceries. These core muscles are the base of support for your entire body and also affects your balance, posture and stability. While you should be engaging your core muscles in most of your exercises already, here are 3 well known examples to choose from.
Hollow Hold: Lie down flat on your back. The arms and legs should be held straight out from the body with hands and toes pointed and reaching away from each other. Contract your abs by pulling the belly button towards the floor. Slowly raise the shoulders and legs from the ground but only as far as you can while keeping the lower back in contact with the floor. Keeping your lower back in contact with the ground is the determining factor on how high your arms and legs should be.
Sit-Up: A traditional sit up is exactly what you’re picturing. Lay flat on the ground, bend your knees and place your feet on the ground roughly shoulder width apart. Simply sit up at the waist and touch the ground in front of you. The use of a mat can be very beneficial for high rep workouts.
Russian Twist: Sit at a 45-degree angle with your feet on the ground or slightly raised. Twist at your core from side to side, with or without additional weight. A deep twist will be most effective so aim for touching the ground on each side of your body with your hands or the additional weight you may be holding.
Remember, moving well is the first goal. All movement should be pain free. Once you feel comfortable in the movement, try moving more often. As you build your strength and feel more confident in your movements, intensity can be tested. If you’re feeling overly sore after a workout, be sure to get adequate rest and be careful not to push yourself to injury or exhaustion.
Cardio
The other major component to movement that goes hand-in-hand with strength training is cardio. Cardio doesn’t have to be miles and miles of running to provide noticeable health benefits. If you don’t move much currently, start your cardio journey by aiming for 30 minutes of brisk walking daily. This is different from a casual stroll! Walking is one of the safest forms of cardio to commit to and very little recovery time is required.
Once you master the commitment to walking daily, try jogging, running, and other movements that elevate your heart rate. Jumping rope, biking, hiking, and swimming are all other great alternative ways to enjoy light to moderate intensity cardio as long as you are able to do so free from pain.
In addition to these fun activities, burpees and Tabata workouts can easily be incorporated into your cardio routine. Tabata workouts involve 8 rounds of circuit style movements, with 20 seconds of work and then 10 seconds of rest. Tabata is a great way to marry together your strength training movements with a cardio style workout. The focus should be on your speed as you go through your movements as fast as possible. These short bursts of effort are to be at maximum effort, therefore the movements you select should be ones you are extremely comfortable with.
My personal favorite combo...
Tabata air squats
Rest 1 minute
Tabata sit ups
Rest 1 minute
Tabata plank hold
This workout is simple and effective AND can be done in less than 15 minutes!
Valuable Pieces of Equipment to Invest in
As you begin trying out new movements and building your own workout plan, investing in some simple and easy to use pieces of equipment for your home may make sense for you. While many of these items are not necessary for success and can easily be substituted for other household items, I recommend these pieces of equipment for anyone wanting to acquire their own at home workout space.
A pull-up bar
A kettlebell
Rings or resistance bands
A few sets of dumbbells
I love having these items on hand because they are extremely versatile, take up very little space, are easily transported and can be used for a quick change of scenery at a park, on vacation, or anywhere else.
Putting it All Together
You have the tools and knowledge to get started. So now what? Remember those key movements as you begin on your journey and master the basics before going that next step. So many people underestimate the basics, but I believe they’re the most important foundational blocks. The goal is to make what you’re doing a part of your lifestyle.
Ready to organize your movements into a workout? Remember the importance of progressions. Progressions allow you to start with those basics and safely build upon them as you prove to yourself that your body can handle the next level of difficulty. If it’s been awhile since you’ve regularly been moving or you’re recovering from previous injuries, stick to a basic and simple workout and progress from there. You can choose to structure your workouts with sets and reps, or you can focus on a specific amount of time you have that day, for example 15 minutes, and commit to moving through a circuit of movements without stopping until the time is up. There are many benefits to each style of workout.
Getting Started
Taking the first step towards getting started should be exciting and something you look forward to. Remember, movement is all about aging well, feeling healthy, figuring out what works best for you, being there for your family, enjoying life and your community, and so much more. Whatever your personal goals are, allow movement to build you towards those in a positive way. It is not about how strong or fast you are but about consistently choosing to invest in yourself and your overall health and wellness.
Have other questions about creating your own movement programs or feel like a coach may be a better fit for your needs? Working with a coach, either in person or remotely, is a great way to gain an accountability partner and enjoy the community interactions of working together. For more information on coaching options and remote coaching, connect with Holly from Fresh Habits today!
Also featured on Susquehanna Style Magazine.