No Gym? No Problem!

While we wait out the COVID19 shelter orders, many of you are missing your gyms and wondering how to get a decent work-out from home. Many fitness trainers, gyms and studios are offering on-line classes or have posted videos for you to follow. These are great, but don’t stop there!

The current restrictions might just have created the opportunity you needed to explore something new. There are so many options…none of which require a gym or expensive exercise equipment. In fact, I prefer exercises based on Functional Movements to those that restrict you to a weight machine or use single muscles in isolation.

Functional Movements

What are Functional Movements? Simply put, they are movements based on how your body was designed to move. They are real life movements like bending and squatting. Functional Movements are whole-body movements that involve balance and coordination between muscle groups. Learning to move well is probably the most important thing you can do to prevent injuries. And Functional Exercise is much more fun than powering through 100 abdominal crunches. (I challenge you to think of a real life activity in which you lie on your back and lift your torso toward your flexed knees!).

Whenever you are walking or hiking or gardening, you or performing functional movements. You are using your core, glute, leg and arm muscles in a coordinated fashion to complete a movement or task. Does gardening count as exercise? You bet! Bending, squatting, digging and lifting all require coordinated muscular effort. Just make sure you are performing these movements properly, or you will end up with an injured back.

My Backyard Work-out

These are some of my favorite home exercises. They incorporate functional movements, require minimal equipment, and can be modified to increase or decrease challenge based on your fitness level.

1. Push-ups. I do them on them with my hands on our patio sitting wall, about 20 inches high.  Too difficult? Do push-ups against a wall. Too easy? Go down to the ground.

2. Step-ups. Our walk-way step is too low and the sitting wall is too high, so I stack 2 paving stones on the step for the perfect height. Step up with the left foot and down with the right. Repeat up with the right and down with the left. Repeat. Hold 5 lb. dumbbells in each hand to increase the challenge. If your house has stairs, do a few laps.

3. Squats. Hinge from your hips and keep your back straight. Make sure you sit back and keep your weight over your heels. Add weight to increase the challenge. Perform Sit-To-Stand exercises if squats are too hard. Simply rest your bottom momentarily on a chair between each rep.

4. Lunges. I like to mix it up between forward lunges and walking lunges. I add dumbbells and perform an over-head press if I want a more challenging work-out. Do a shallow lunge for an easier exercise or if you have any knee pain.

5. Standing T-Balance. Any 1-leg standing balance exercise is important for improving balance and reducing risk of falls, especially as we get older. Hold onto a pole or chair-back for assistance if this is too difficult.

I stay healthy and fit by doing some activity every day. (I feel fortunate that my work as a chiropractor keeps me active!). I like to start my day with a couple of Sun Salutations. This warms up my muscles and keeps me limber. I take a brisk walk at lunch time- 3 laps around the Community Center pond is 1 mile.

Some days, I also go on for a walk in the evening with my husband. I do a little yoga in the evening to relax my body for better sleep. I do some strenuous activity 2 to 3 days/ week. I pick and choose from a few of my favorite back-yard exercises. I love hiking, cycling, playing tennis and gardening. I’m happiest when I am outdoors.

Your Exercise Program

Whatever you do for exercise, be smart. Get the instruction you need to do the exercise properly. If it hurts, stop! Normal, delayed onset muscle soreness comes on 12 to 24 hours after exercise. If soreness lasts for more that 2 days, you probably did too much. If you don’t get sore at all, you may not be challenging your body enough.

And make it fun! We are all more likely to stick with a program if we are doing something we enjoy. What do you enjoy?