Exercising at home
Exercising at home has never been a thing for me before Covid19 even though most of what I do requires little to no equipment. But now we’re all exercising at home and even as the country starts to open up again, many may still be hesitant to go back to the gym.
So here’s a few things to consider for a balanced strength based routine from home instead of just throwing in every body weight movement you can think of:
- Direction of movement: Most standard body weight exercises (and traditional gym exercises) tend to move in 1 direction – forward (and sometimes backwards). Think lunges, press ups, burpees or running, cycling and swimming. Remember the body also likes to move in other directions – like sideways and in rotation. When you put together your routine, include exercises in all directions of movement to stay strong at every angle. When we have imbalances in strength that’s when we’re most likely to get injuries.
- Working through the ‘backline’: When we’re limited to body weight options or limited equipment, most exercises tend to be focused on the front of the body or pushing type work, neglecting the muscles we have in the back. And if you’re sitting at a desk job, that will also compound the problem. Add in exercises that work the muscles in your back with prone back extensions, superman or reverse table top variations.
- Working with control: Slowing down body weight movements is a great way to encourage more control at the joints and strength in the muscles. Speeding movements up makes them easier – feel the difference between doing 10 press ups fast and 10 at a speed of 5 seconds down 5 seconds up.
If you’ve got questions on developing a body weight routine that’s effective for your needs, do get in touch.
