For Your Health: Home Exercises to Do While Quarantined

Your body is incredible. Did you know that the hearts beats 3 billion times in an average life span? And that you shed 4kg of skin in a year? These are little known facts to remind you that your body is a wonderland. Thanks, John Mayer. 

In times of Corona, we’re called to be glued to our laptops and give in to our need to scour the internet. Updates, videos, articles we take it all in. But what about moving?

Being stagnant restricts blood flow, it can also increase stress levels and make us depressed. 

Now you can focus on what matters. You. We broke down exercises using your arms, legs, abs and even a few yoga poses.

So after this pandemic dies down, you can emerge from your home looking like a sculpted Greek god!

Abs Over Everything

Before we start spilling the beans on the best abs exercises. Why’s it important to strengthen our core? Well, it’s crucial since we always use our back muscles.

To support our posture, to bend, to stretch and even to curl. It also supports the weight we carry. Better get your gym clothes on because we’re about to share some of the best moves to do from home!

Use a Chair

It’s funny how being quarantined in your home can push you to unleash your creative side. If you have a stable chair at home you can do this exercise from any part of your home. Simply sit up straight and interlace your fingers at the back of your neck

Touch your right elbow to your left knee and repeat the same move on the other side. This easy move can be done in a matter of minutes and you’ll feel truly accomplished. Take a break from writing that piece of code to pay some love to the tum.

Classic Planks

The iconic plank will always be a staple in any ab exercise. This special move helps to strengthen the upper body and shoulders. If you’re feeling like your core needs a pick-me-up then try out a quick plank.

You can start by holding a plank for seconds and then 1 minute. They get increasingly harder the longer you stay up.

The longer you stay up the better just make sure your back is straight. You don’t want to be slouching and you want your gaze to be steady with your jaw calm.

Step it Up with Oblique Crunches

Oblique crunches are next level: they’re for the adventurous people who like to exercise already. This one’s a little harder and requires a certain level of strength in their abs.

We suggest hydrating in between exercises. Simply sit up straight on your mat and bend your knees. Push your body towards your knees then outwards. Repeat until your core hurts about 15 times. Rest and repeat once again for 4 rounds.

Use Your Stability Ball

If you have a stability ball resting somewhere in your closet, time to bring it back to life. Not only are they great for sitting down on when you’re working but they give your lower back a huge amount of support.

You don’t even need to do exercises on them. Simply sit on your ball and you can even bounce up and down to keep your abs working. You won’t need to do crazy exercises just sit up straight and you’ll feel your body becoming more agile.

Remember to Hydrate

The most important part of exercising is reminding yourself to drink H20. Often times when we’re working we’ll forget that we need a rush of water to quench our thirst.

Not only is your body working super hard when it’s exercising but you also excrete a lot of water. Replenish that water by downing a few glasses every time you feel that your body needs the rest. After all, recuperation is part of the process. Don’t forget your water!

Do Toe Taps

Toe taps are one of the easiest ab exercises out there. They’re a great way to strengthen your abs both lower and mid abs. Simply pull our your yoga matt or even place a towel on the floor.

Afterwards, lift your right arm and tap your left toe then alternate with the other side. Do about 20 rounds each side and take a rest. Repeat the process at least 3 more times to feel the burn!

Borrow a Weight Plate

If you have a partner or a friend who’s into gym equipment try to borrow a plate from them if they live nearby. Make sure to collect it from them wearing gloves and sanitize if after!

If not perhaps try to use a heavy water bottle or a coffee table book would be fine. Toss the weight plate or improvised weight plate from one side to the other making sure to hold your core as tight as possible before switching sides.

Russian Twists

Russian twists are one of the best moves to do if you want strong and lean abs. They work on your side muscles and increase your core’s strength by evenly distributing the weight to both sides.

To amp this up you can carry a dumbbell during this exercise. Or even a heavy book for an added oomph to your workout!

Arm Exercises

Since we just tackled the abs section, now it’s time to pay attention to arms. Arms and ab exercises go hand in hand and it’s important to alternate between the two.

We’ll teach you how to make your very own dumbbells at home as well as a few other short and simple arm exercises.

Stretching is important so you bet your bottom dollar we included that as a crucial step!

Make Your Own Weights

If you have extra bottles lying around or even gallons of water you can make your very own dumbbell set. It isn’t difficult to make and you can collect sand from your backyard!

These easy tips will help you create your own dumbbells at home. You can use them even in between your work meetings! For that rush of adrenaline and strength, they lift weights every few minutes to keep your blood circulating.

Tools

Two main tools are necessary: sand and a water bottle. For specifics, read on if you’re feeling crafty. You won’t need a weight but if you do have one at home then that would be an added plus!

You’ll need:

• sand
• a jerry can or an empty gallon of water, a litre of water or any kind of empty bottles
• funnel
• How do you make it? Make sure to sanitize and clean your bottles completely
• measuring scale (optional)

The Process

First, check to see what type of water bottle or container you have ready and on hand. Fill them to the brim with sand. You can collect sand or dirt outside of your home or perhaps in your backyard. Make sure they’re clean and sanitized at a time like this.

Also, make sure that the bottle doesn’t have any holes or cuts in case the sand pours out.

You’ll be looking in tip-top shape in no time! Plus you just learned a new exercise hack. Cool huh?

Push It!

Push your body up with good steady push-ups. If you’re feeling a little weary on the arms then bend your knees for an easier push. This should give you an easier lift off and boost your confidence to do more.

Just three more push-ups you got this! Oh, and don’t forget to breathe.

Push-ups aren’t the easiest exercise move to do but once you nail this then you can surely work on the other moves with ease!

Catch Your Breath

Speaking about breathing in the previous exercise, take a few minutes in between your exercises to enter your quiet space. This space is the perfect spot for recuperation and for your body to recover from the intense pushing and pulling.

Start by 3 deep and heavy breaths while channelling your inner peace. Your body has been working on overdrive and now it’s time to take a break before hitting the mat again. Just like your body needs strengthening, it also needs a proper break.

Pull up Game Strong

Pull-ups are one of the best exercises to keep your body in shape. It sculpts your triceps and upper arms to give you that chiselled look. Women who do pull-ups are an inspiration to all. This arm exercise is on the 7/10 difficulty scale for us.

If you’re starting with pull-ups take it slow. Start by clenching your upper body and slowly raising your body up. No need to rush. Pull-ups take time and much effort and patience.

Dumbell Curls

If you have existing weights at home, this move is easy peasy. No need to go the gym since you’ll have your handy pair of 4kg or 5kg weights.

Pop in your Bluetooth headphones and you can imagine that you’re pumping iron at the gym. You can even make it a fun game with your friends online.

Why not call them and lift weights together! See who can curl their biceps longer and the winner owes the other a pizza when the quarantine time is over!

Tricep Workout

Working on the triceps is one of the easiest workouts there is. Just make sure the weights you’re using is ideal for your body type.

Start out with 3kg first. Lay down on the matt or on the floor using a small stability ball. If you don’t have a ball that’s fine too. Make sure to meet your weights at the top and inhale when you bring them down.

Exhale deeply when you push them up using your shoulder muscles. You should feel your shoulders in this workout.

Try Tutting: Arm Exercise Hack

This one’s an arm hack because it uses dancing as a form of exercise. Think about dance but through your hands: that’s cutting.

This dance move became popular in the early 90s with kids and teenagers popping their fingers and hands forming unique patterns.

They’d make waves or even intricate shapes with their fingers. Tutting was heavily influenced by Egyptian relics and “Tutankhamun” hence the name cutting. Give this a try! You might fall in love with it.

Zumba With Your Arms

We’ve all heard of Zumba at some point. Maybe your aunt does it, your sister, girlfriend or even your mom. Contrary to popular belief, this sport is for everyone. Zumba is all about moving with your hips and arms.

This fun exercise is more like dancing but with a pop of flair. You can even do them through an online class or with friends on Skype!

Move Those Fingers

Since we use our arms on the daily, we also exercise using our hands. Making sure your hands and fingers are in tip-top shape will also give your arms more flexibility.

Sometimes fingers can be strained from typing too much. If you have existing fidget tool at home then this exercise will be easier for you.

Otherwise, substitute the fidget spinner for a bottle cap or even a garlic clove. Press it, feel its edges and scrape the sides to give your fingers some relief.

Pick up a Jump Rope

Not only are jump ropes great for strengthening the knees but they also help you to become more flexible and agile. They’re perfect for doing indoors as long as you move chairs and anything breakable aside.

Make sure you’re in a comfy place where your dog won’t suddenly rush through the door. Jump ropes are quick and easy to do and they’re light cardio to do before moving on to weights and leg exercises.

Simple Tools to Build Your Own Jump Rope

First, you’ll need some nylon or leather rope. If you have a plastic rope that works fine.

If you’re feeling more advanced you can buy aluminium ferrule stops and a washer in your nearby stores if they’re still open to make your jump rope look more professional.

Last but not least, you’ll need two plastic handles to hold on to. This can be found in almost any sports store.

Steps

First, you’ll need to measure your rope (make sure to double its height.

Put your rope through the stops and then add the washer to lock it in place. Stretch the rope through the bottom of your handle and lock it in place using the shower. This will ensure that it doesn’t wiggle around and fall out of place.

Put it back into the handle. Yank the rope and let it click into place. You should be hearing the washer click into place.

The final step would be to test it out and make sure it’s long enough for you to use. Make sure the wire you measured is long enough for you to flail around.

Make Arm Circles

Arm circles are easy as pie! All you need is comfy gym clothes and a flat surface to stand on. Spread your arms wide apart and make tiny circles. Make about 20 small circles and then pause. Switch by making circles counterclockwise.

This easy exercise requires no equipment and you can do it while waiting for your pasta to cook!

Around the World Arm Exercises

Around the world, arm exercises are literally just putting your arms up and down for a controlled amount of time. This exercise opens up your shoulders while it also helps to strengthen your arms.

If you’re looking for some quick motivation, check up on Youtube to see the right form that gym trainers and buffs are doing. Make sure you’re following the right stance to make the most out of your arm workout.

Tricep Extensions

Tricep extensions are a great way to build your lower back muscles while working on your upper arm strength. Simply carry the dumbbell behind you while standing up.

While raising it above your head hold it for 5 seconds and slowly bring it down for 10 seconds. This isn’t about speed – it’s about controlled movements and repetition. Do about 10 sets of these, take a break and repeat.

Move Your Legs

During this quarantine state, moving your legs can be gruelling especially since you’re used to sitting down for most of the day. Make sure to stretch your legs with these simple exercises to strengthen them.

After all, this Coronavirus madness is over, you’ll need your legs to walk to work or bike to your favourite park. Don’t leave them idle and instead focus on these simple strengthening exercises to keep them strong and lean.

Reverse Lunges

No need for equipment for this quick and easy exercise! You can even do it barefoot. Lunges are great for your lower leg and even for a toned butt. So you can be beach-ready with those long legs!

Simply stand tall on your matt or on your flower and kick your right leg back. Bend your front leg at a 90-degree angle. Alternate with the other side holding the reverse lunges for at least 15 seconds each.

Repeat 3 rounds to feel the burn. It burns, but it burns so well!

Seated Inner Leg Bend

This simple seated inner leg bend is great for when you’re sitting at your desk and need a bit of a stretch. This quick workout is great for you since you won’t need to stand on a matt. All you’ll need is a chair and you. can even do this in between breaks while working on your laptop.

This is the last of our leg exercises, but keep on reading for the cool down session. Because exercises are not complete with cool down and stretching. The body tends to get tense after exercises and stretching is important for the body to cool down.

Cooling Down: Stretches

If you still have energy, doing a handstand will help with blood circulation. Since most of the time during our quarantine stage, we tend to be inactive then doing handstands will help with balancing our root chakras.

If you can’t do a handstand, no need to pressure yourself. Simply try lifting your legs up on the wall. Then work your way slowly to doing a handstand without the wall.

Reach For Your Toes!

Stretching your legs and thighs helps to bring your body back into the state of movement. You can even try this stretch on your bed or on the couch. Let your legs spread out evenly on the bed or even on the floor and reach your fingers out to them.

Experimenting with your flexibility is the key to stretching better. Don’t apply too much pressure on your body and instead take all the time in the world to be fully rooted in your posture.

This segment isn’t about doing exercises quickly it’s about slowing down and enjoying the results of your process.

Stretch the Heels

Often times, we forget that stretching the toes and heels is also important. Find a comfortable position either on the ground or on your mat.

Simply sit up on your toes stretching out the soles of your feet. This move will stretch out a part of your feet which we don’t usually stretch on a daily basis. Take off your socks for this position and your feet will thank you later.

Youtube Gurus to Follow

Youtube and Instagram influencers are a great way for you to expand your knowledge on all things Yoga-related, exercise-related and body-specific exercises. Check out our list of Youtubers that you should follow to get that banging body ready for the summer!

Pamela Reif – full-body workouts and abs

Chloe Ting – full-body workouts and abs

Yoga with Adrienne – The Complete Yogi Exercises

Boho Beautiful – Advanced Yoga Classes

Chris Heria – Full Body workouts (Intermediate-advanced)

Blogilates – Exercises for confident women for slim and thicc bodies

Holly – Arms, abs, core and the complete body workouts