5 Exercises You Can Do at Home During the Lockdown

Everyone should do some physical activity for 30 to 40 minutes daily to keep themselves healthy, even if they do not want to lose weight. But in lockdown and quarantine, people are unable to go to gyms, because they are closed and can become a source of infection transmission. However, this should not be an excuse to avoid a workout.

Exercise is not just a way to stay fit, it has over-reaching benefits for an overall healthy body. Exercise is beneficial as it,

• Improves heart function
• Lowers the risk of cancer
• Controls blood pressure
• Keeps blood glucose levels in control
• Improves mood, memory, and brain activity

Even though it should be a general practice, doing exercises during lockdown is absolutely necessary as it will strengthen your lungs and will help you in developing immunity so that you can fight coronavirus if you get infected by it. 

There are many exercises and workout routines that you can do at home, and they will increase your stamina, endurance level, and lungs’ health. In this article, we are going to discuss some basic movements that require no equipment and can thus become useful exercises during the lockdown.

Lunges

First one on our list of suitable exercises during lockdown is a lunge. You can do, lunges by standing with your feet at a distance from each other and arms straight. Then take a step forward with one leg and bend the other one. Make sure the leg you are bending is parallel to the ground. You can then do it with another leg that makes it one rep. Try to complete at least 10 reps for 3 sets. 

Lunges let you practice balance techniques. Moreover, they empower your thigh muscles and glutes muscles, that eventually help you in the movement. 

Squats

For doing squats, you need to stand straight. Keep your feet slightly broader than shoulder-width apart, and place your arms by the side. Keep your chin and chest up, and push your back and hips by bending down, like that you sit on a chair. Make sure your knees do not bow inward or outward, and thighs are at a parallel position to the ground. Pause at the bent position for one second and then stand up. Complete this exercise for 3 sets of 20 reps. 

Squats are extremely beneficial for lower body and thighs. They enable you to burn a lot of calories as well as empower your muscles. 

Push-ups

For doing push-ups, your face should be facing the ground, like that of a plank position. Then tighten your core and pull the shoulders down and back. Moreover, bend your elbows that your body touches the ground. Then extend your elbows and return to the beginning point. Make sure your elbows are close to your body during the exercise.

However, if you can not do this standard push-up, as it is quite hard to do, you can do knee push-ups in which you can bend on your knees. Even that will help you a lot in strength building and losing weight.  

During pushups, you use many muscles of your body, so they strengthen a lot of your body muscles and tone the whole body. Also, it helps a lot in losing weight and burning calories. 

Skipping

For skipping, you need a rope. Select that, according to your height, generally, you have to take a rope that is longer about two to three feet from your body height. Furthermore, make sure to bend your knees and hop up and let the rope pass down your feet. Hold the rope in a correct position and move both the hands simultaneously. Otherwise, it will not rotate around your body in the right way. Stay on your toes and keep your upper body straight. Also, do not move your shoulders. 

Skipping is an enjoyable exercise that builds stamina and burns a lot of calories. It lets your body burn 1000 calories in an hour. Take care if you are overweight and doing that because jumping with excess weight can hurt your knees. 

Side planks

For starting with side planks, you have to lie on one side of your body, either right or left. Place your left foot and leg on the top of the right leg and foot. Place your left elbow under your shoulder and keep the head directly in line with your spine. Use abdominal muscles by drawing your navel towards the spine.

While exhaling, lift your hips and knees from the mat and hold the position for at least sixty seconds. After several breaths during holding, return to the original position. Then change the sides and repeat. Try to perform at least 3 sets of 10-15 reps on one side and then with another. 

During side planks, oblique abdominal muscles are used that enable your muscles to become strong, which are usually not used in other workouts. They help you in building coordination and strength as well.

A final word

Finally, it is so important to do exercises during lockdown because we are just staying at home, with no walk, no excess movement. This state of rest can make us fat and can also make us prone to hypertension and diabetes. Therefore every one of us must maintain a good healthy lifestyle.

You can do all these above-mentioned exercises in the house without the need for any equipment but remember that these exercises can be harsh for people who have orthopedic conditions. If you are one of those people, you should first consult with an orthopedic surgeon. You can book an appointment with a top orthopedic surgeon in Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad via oladoc.com or by calling at 042-38900939.