Many people have recently become remote employees as a result of work-from-home instructions from businesses all around the world. And, with many parks, beaches, and gyms closed owing to the threat of COVID-19 spreading, people seek safe ways to stay active and healthy through solo workouts to avoid putting themselves in danger.
Check out these unique indoor fitness options for when you’re working from home and don’t have access to a treadmill or other exercise equipment.
Always with your doctor before beginning a new fitness routine, especially if you’re unsure whether an injury or other health condition might prevent you from safely doing the exercises below.
Indoor Workouts That Can Be Done While Working From Home
A treadmill or elliptical machine is typically used for indoor cardiovascular activities such as walking, jogging, or running. When the gym is closed and you need to get a cardio workout at home without equipment, there’s no reason you can’t reach your goals by walking or jogging across the floor of your house or apartment building, integrating flights of stairs if available.
This form of workout is admittedly more convenient in a large home than in a small apartment or studio. However, as long as you can move your body in a walking or running manner from room to room, you’ll be able to raise your heart rate and get some exercise without leaving your house.
1. Timed Walks
Whether you live in a one-room studio or a three-story family house, all you need to do is start walking or jogging in your living area to get some exercise. Then, much like you would on an outdoor course or on a treadmill, keep it going for a certain amount of time. Pacing back and forth across your studio apartment or jogging laps around your sofa may seem amusing at first. But, if your exercise options are restricted, a stroll and/or jog indoors still gives your body the benefits of exercise (without the added benefit of sunshine).
Simply set your watch or timer for the length of time you intend to exercise—20-30 minutes is a good starting point. The object of the game is to keep moving by walking, jogging, or alternating a walk with a jog until the time limit has been met. If you don’t feel like jogging or running, a mild, extended walking workout is completely good and highly healthful.
2. Stair Heart-Rate Workout
When jogging indoors, especially in close quarters, it can be difficult to go fast. Add some trips up and down stairwells if you have them in your house or on the property to increase the cardiovascular challenge. You have a built-in chance for a more rigorous workout whether you have a flight of stairs down to a basement, linking the floors of your house, or even an outside stairwell to access your apartment or building.
Simply putting in regular walks or jogs up and down the stairs can raise your heart rate—and if you have a heart-rate monitor, you’ll be able to prove it. Before you begin your indoor workout, put on your monitor and use this chart from the American Heart Association to determine your target and maximum heart rates based on your age.
3. Yoga Stretch Breaks
Consider incorporating yoga and stretching into your work-from-home regimen in addition to your cardio workout. Not only will this assist unwind tension muscles, but you can also use the following stretches as part of daily workout stations if you’ve spent too much time at your desk and are sore or stiff from sitting too long.
4. Neck rolls
Simply drop your chin to your chest and slowly circle your neck in one way, then the other.
5. Cat-cow stretch
This is a desk version of a yoga pose that is generally performed on hands and knees. Alternate arching your back and looking up while seated in your computer chair, then rounding your spine as your head sinks forward.
6. Seated forward bend
This is a modified yoga pose that is generally performed while seated on the floor. You can interlace your fingers, push your chair away from your desk, and bend at the waist while bringing your hands up toward the ceiling in the desk version.
7. Seated eagle
Bring your arms forward while crossing your left arm over your right to release stiff arm, wrist, and hand muscles. Attempt to bring your palms together by rising your elbows and lowering your shoulders. Then do the opposite, crossing your right arm over your left.
Maintaining an Exercise Routine While Working from Home
While an indoor walk or jog might not be your first pick for a heart-pumping workout, any activity is preferable to none. You may meet your fitness objectives even when your workout options are limited by being flexible about how you get your laps or kilometers in.
