Simple Exercises to Stay Active while Working from Home

With recreational facilities closed and many of us working at home due to the lockdowns, it is important for us to stay active. Luckily, many of these exercises don’t require much equipment, just your bodyweight as resistance and best of all, these can be done right in your own bedroom or living room. Try out these seven simple exercises during your breaks!

Jumping Jacks

A full body exercise which helps get your heart racing. It is a jumping exercise where one jumps while spreading their legs apart and hands going overhead and returning to the starting position.

Start with 10 reps as a form of warm up for the following exercises.  

Burpees

A full body exercise which consists of a variety of workouts in one movement. Burpee is another great exercise to get some sweat on. Start by going into a squatting position then putting your hands on the floor, kick back your feet into a planking/push up position, then immediately return to your feet to the squatting position and stand up. This exercise should be done in one movement. To add to the challenge, jump up as you are standing back up.

Start with 10 reps to get a good heart-pumping exercise.

Squats

The mother of all leg workouts – Squat is a lower strength exercise focusing on the overall development of the legs.  Before starting the movement, ensure that your feet are flat on the ground and perpendicular to your shoulders. Keep your chest up as this will help maintain a neutral spine. Start by shifting your hips back like you’re going to sit down on a chair. Try to get your thighs parallel to the floor and if your mobility permits, go further down. As you slowly stand back up, don’t lock your knees at the end. The exercise engages not only muscle groups of one’s legs, but also their core and glutes. Apart from its strength benefits, squats will also improve your posture. 

Start out with 10 reps to get the body warmed up.

Lunges

Another lower body exercise which involves one’s legs, but one at a time. Start by bending one knee forward and foot flat on the ground while the other leg is extended behind and bring the front leg back to the starting position. This puts emphasis on your front quads as you extend your front leg forward.

Start with 5 reps for each leg to feel the burn!

Push-ups

An upper-body workout which focuses on the overall upper-body development as well as your core. Start in the planking position. Lower your body using your arms, then push the body back up to the initial position. Try not to lock your elbows as you go up.

Start with 5 pushups first and work your way up. If a push up is too hard, start with a wall push up as an alternative. The movements remain the same and it is not as intense as the normal one.

Overhead Press

Also known as ‘shoulder press’, this exercise can be performed either standing or sitting. The primary focus of this exercise is the upper body, specifically for the shoulders. Start by grabbing any weighted object like a water bottle or a big book and push upwards and down to your chin.

Go for 5 to 10 reps depending on the weight.

Plank

Also known as ‘shoulder press’, this exercise can be performed either standing or sitting. The primary focus of this exercise is the upper body, specifically for the shoulders. Start by grabbing any weighted object like a water bottle or a big book and push upwards and down to your chin.

Go for 5 to 10 reps depending on the weight. 

These are just a few exercises to start with. As there are many other variations and combinations for these exercises, you can mix and match and tweak the number of repetitions to your liking and intensity. The most important takeaway is to stick to a workout routine and exercise regularly! Get a friend to do the same workout as it makes exercising much more enjoyable.

Once you’re more comfortable and confident with these exercises, you can further challenge yourself and join various workout programs online which are usually free. These exercises are helpful to ensure we all stay active and busy when we’re stuck at home. Stay hydrated and don’t forget to also have fun!