Quarantips: Tips on how to stay fit at home

Rose May Pimentel in Health

Jul 10, 2020 • 1 min Read

During this pandemic, we must stay fit and healthy. What if no gym? No problem! Here are some tips from WebMD on how to get fit at home with no gym required:

According to Dr. Kevin Steele from WebMD, an effective fitness program has five components, and these are all can be done at home: a warmup, a cardiovascular (aerobic) workout, resistance (strength-building) exercises, flexibility moves, and a cool down.

A warm-up can be an easy walk or on a treadmill, or a slow pace on a stationary bike.

For the cardiovascular portion, walk or pedal faster, do step aerobics with a video, or jump rope, whatever you enjoy that gets your heart rate up.

The resistance portion is simple such as squats, push-ups, and abdominal crunches. Also, you could work with small dumbbells, a weight bar, bands, or tubing.

Increase your flexibility with floor stretches or yoga poses.

And your cool down should be similar to the warm-up, says Steele — “cardiovascular work at a low level to bring the heart rate down to a resting state.”

If you’re a beginner, aim for 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least three times a week, and 20 to 30 minutes of strength work three times a week. Be sure your strength workout covers all major muscle groups from upper to lower body, abdominals, and back. Shoot for three sets, 10-15 repetitions of each strength exercise. No matter what type of exercise you do, be sure to start slowly and increase gradually your workout time and intensity. Don’t forget to listen to your body, says Richard Weil of WebMD. “Focus on the muscles you think should be working,” he says.