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You’re under house arrest. No, the local gendarmes didn’t shackle you to the fridge.
Instead, events conspired against your plans for a ride or run or other activity—rain,
snow, or darkness. The list goes on. What to do?
Here’s one way to get a gym-quality workout in your home even if you don’t own a gym-full
of equipment. It includes both strength and aerobic work plus stretching for a balanced
workout. It’s boredom-proof too. There’s no need to repeat the same indoor workout twice
because using these principles, you can create your own variations any time you’re stuck
at home.
Heavy Breathing
Because most authorities now recommend 30 minutes of aerobic activity most days of the week
for general health and fitness, we’ll start there. If you have a stationary bike or a
treadmill at home, it’s easy. Simply start running or riding at a gentle pace and
gradually increase the resistance every minute until your heart rate reaches 65 to 80% of
maximum. If you don’t have a heart rate monitor, let perceived exertion be your guide—you
should be breathing strongly and regularly but not gasping. Try the talk test—if you can’t
carry on a conversation, you’re working too hard. At 25 minutes, ease off the pace for a
five-minute cool down.
Don’t have a treadmill? Improvise. After all, you just want to get your heart rate elevated
for half an hour. One idea—turn your house into an indoor track. Walk briskly or run a loop
through the living room and kitchen, down the hall to the bedroom, back up the hall and
around the living room again. If you have stairs, you’re in luck. Incorporate them into
the loop, running up and down the steps twice or three times on each lap. Don’t forget the
garage—circumnavigate the cars, lawnmower and garden tools. (An added benefit—motivation
to clean out the garage.) You’ll be surprised at how much aerobic benefit you can generate
in limited space.
If your house is too small for a loop, run in place. Raise your knees high, swing your arms,
and watch your heart rate soar. You can even run in place in front of the TV. Another
option is that old reliable, jumping rope. If your ceiling is high enough, make like a
boxer in front of the TV. You might have to adjourn to the garage to find enough overhead
space or jump rope outside on the deck or patio with one ear peeled for that expected phone
call that has you trapped at home.
Strength
Now that you’re warmed up from your aerobic workout, it’s time for some strength building.
The goal is to do two exercises for your core (abdominals and lower back) and one each for
upper body pushing muscles, legs, and upper body pulling muscles. A simple routine
includes:
- Crunches
- Back extensions while lying prone on the floor
- Pushups
- Bent-over rows using heavy books or paint cans for resistance (if you don’t have
dumbbells)
- Body weight squats
At first, do one set of 10 to 25 repetitions of each exercise. Add sets and reps as you get
stronger.
Flexibility
Most stretching gurus suggest that flexibility movements should be done after the muscles
are warmed by aerobic work, rather than at the start of a workout. Some gentle stretching
is a good way to unwind and relax, too. So take ten minutes to stretch the hamstrings, low
back, shoulder girdle and any other problem areas you might have.
Circuit
Another way to squeeze strength, flexibility, and an aerobic workout in the same hour is to
do the exercises circuit-style. Simply alternate strength and stretching exercises with
two minutes of any aerobic activity. For instance, jump rope for two minutes, do 10 pushups,
run in place for two minutes, do 10 squats, run up and down your stairs for two minutes
and do a minute of stretches. Continue to alternate different exercises with aerobic
activity for the planned length of the workout.
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