Staying Fit at Home

As the Stay at Home orders continue across much of the country, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay fit. With no gyms, being locked at home, and Easter candy lying around that will not eat itself, many of us might no longer be in our peak shape (although many may have discovered a new shape that we did not want). The good news is that gyms may be opening soon, already in some parts, and the better news is that you do not need a gym to be in shape.
It’s not blasphemy, it’s science. While it may not be easy to pack on size from your living room, although it is possible, at the very least you can get in a good workout. We are not going to go into yoga (we already went into that for stress release here); instead we are going to go into three different ways that you can get in a good workout from your own home with little to no investment.
Before we start, let’s talk about expectations. Our goal is to stay in shape; that is attainable. If you are expecting to start a bulking routine (or accidentally started one) and want to mirror results from the gym, forget it. You can put on some size from home, but the gym offers way too many options to choose from; you have to maintain realistic expectations. If you are looking to shed some pounds and get a good cardio session in, then not only is that possible but it may be easier at home than the gym.
High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, should be your go to routine to get fit gym or no gym. If you are unaware of what it is there is no shortage of places to read up on it. Not only does this style of training not require a ton of equipment, but it can be done in any room of your house (bathtub HIIT may be a challenge). Many of the commercially available videos are built on the science of HIIT and there are no shortage of videos on the internet and YouTube that can give you an awesome workout in under a half hour. Additionally, with the volume of videos available for free you can vary up your choices so as not to get bored. This is one area where your home workout could be better than the gym.
Next up we have the classic bodyweight exercises. Before you strain your eyes from rolling too hard, hear us out. Again, we are not looking to pack on slabs of muscle, we are looking to stay fit and bodyweight exercises simply work. Let’s take the case of Herschel Walker, former All-Pro NFL running back and Heisman Trophy winner. Walker was known for his impressive physique and he never lifted weights, instead he had an intense regimen of bodyweight exercises (read about it here). With bodyweight exercises you are swapping heavy weight for volume. Any good routine should include pushups, sit-ups, pull ups (if you are equipped to), and Hindu squats.The last area we are going to explore is the possibility of doing resistance training at home. We are not recommending doing Olympic lifts with your couch (although that would make an awesome video); instead we are talking about resistance bands. You may have seen an ad or two for resistance bands, or you may have seen some power lifters using them, what they are thick oversized rubber bands (not the thin ones used in physical therapy). They are sold in short and long lengths and the thickest ones offer hundreds of pounds of resistance. If you can pick yourself up a set, or already have a set, then you can swap these out for free weights in most exercises using no other equipment and just some creativity. Trust us, you can get a serious workout in with the resistance that the bands provide.
These are a few of the ways that you can stay fit while we are stuck inside. These can provide gym like gains if you really commit, but at the very least you will get a good workout in. Not only is that important for your fitness goals, but it is equally important for your overall health and sanity (something that is sorely needed at a time like this).