5 Tips for Making Home Exercise Work

This is a crazy time, right?

We are in a situation where our homes are more multifunctional than ever—school, office, home, and gym.

This has been a topic of conversation for a lot of people, and Instagram has blown up with hashtags featuring some unique perspectives on exercise at home, even yoga poses with a wine glass in hand.  While some have found the silver lining of this pandemic (e.g. more hours to workout, more time in nature and with family, or more mindfulness), others have found the stress of homes crowded with kids or fur babies to be a blessing. I am not going to put together a complete fitness plan for you, because my version of fitness training is not your version, but I can offer some suggestions that might be able to shed some light (or room) on those crowded homes.

Here are my top five tips for exercising during the time of COVID-19.

1. Quality over quantity.

When it comes to exercise, studies have shown that interval training is an effective tool for burning fat and increasing lean mass with much less time. There are also studies that show shorter, more intense cardio intervals can be just as effective (if not more) than longer cardio sessions at low or moderate intensity. Like resistance training, slower exercises can totally change your strength game, even with body weight exercises.

Workout suggestion: Tabata intervals consist of 20 seconds of all-out work with 10 seconds of rest, done eight times for a total of four minutes. I suggest doing four bodyweight exercises in a circuit and repeating them twice: Squats, high knees, bicycle crunches, and push-ups. Each exercise gets an interval.

If you do not want to keep track of the time, there’s an app for it—just look up Tabata Timer on your smart phone’s app store.

2. Designate a space.

Boundaries are good for everyone! During this time of teleworking, virtual schooling, and exercising in the home, there should be designated spaces for each person to maintain organization and sanity.  If there is a space for eating, working, and schooling, there can be space for exercising, even if they must double-up. Once work is done, pack up the computer and turn that space into the workout spot.  If there is a garage, basement, or patio space available, consider letting that be the workout space—nature always helps inspire focus and calm. Just be sure to bundle up in multiple layers during winter months to keep you comfortable if exercising outside. As you get warmer, shed a layer!

Joint-saving tip: If concrete is the workout surface, save your joints and invest in a mat or two.

3. Tag team.

If you have kiddos or fur babies that distract you during a sweat session, consider tag-teaming with your spouse/significant other. Give each other 20-30 minutes in the designated sweat space for some self-love-focused time in the form of exercise.

4. Better bang-for-your-buck equipment.

Should you want to invest in some equipment without too much expense or space needs, consider a suspension trainer and/or resistance bands. Both pieces of equipment are versatile, do not break the bank, or take up too much space.

A suspension trainer uses bodyweight and leverage to engage in resistance training for the upper and lower body, without lugging weights around. It is an excellent tool for all fitness levels and usually comes with a book to get you started on how to use it. One caveat: it requires an anchor point like a door jamb to work.

Resistance tubes/bands/loops come in a variety of thicknesses to provide a person various weights for various exercises, which can offer exercise options for the upper and lower body. They also come with or without handles, and some provide a tool to use them in a door jamb as well. These items, in any iteration, typically come with a manual for use and exercise suggestions to get you started, just like the suspension trainer.

The best thing about both tools is that they are light enough to pack and travel with, making sure that you stay engaged in fitness routines during travel, which is usually a hang-up for people when their routines are disrupted by business or pleasure travel—especially during COVID, where fitness centers in hotels are not accessible.

I give my hubby a set of resistance tubes and mini loop bands while he is on orders to make sure he keeps up a routine during long stints at leadership schools, battle assemblies, or brigade visitations.  We even FaceTime on occasion and do the workout together!

5. Make it a family affair.

There is nothing better for a kiddo than learning healthy habits from their parents, and exercise is proven to be a great way to improve the family dynamic rather than hurt it, according to the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. If you are doing a simple bodyweight resistance routine, a stretch session, walk/run cardio intervals, or a hike, let them join you! Building a routine around them once or twice a week will not hinder your success; rather, it can increase your likelihood of completing the workout if they are a big hinderance to it, all while building healthy behaviors the whole family can benefit from.

I have seen fitness instructors make infants the resistance for parents during squats or shoulder presses. They have even done agility drills with infants in strollers (pushing or pulling) to create dynamic engagement for parents and babies, while training with infants.  If you have a backyard, the possibilities are endless for follow-the-leader or a game of tag!

Give these tips a chance. Exercise is a great immune and mood booster during tough winter months.

References:

Natale, R. A., Messiah, S. E., Asfour, L., Uhlhorn, S. B., Delamater, A., & Arheart, K. L. (2014) Role modeling as an early childhood obesity prevention strategy: Effect of parents and teachers on preschool children’s healthy lifestyle habits. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics 35(6), 378-387. DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000074