STAY FIT
DURING LOCKDOWN
With Shirley Oosthuisen
We can make the best of this time by catching up on things we have not been able to do for a while at home, and also by spending quality time with family. It’s not a time to be lazy though or eat out of boredom and frustration, so be creative and put together a variety of exercises that suit your age and fitness level. Choose out of the 3 plans on this page. Combine all these little ideas together and if you have a driveway like mine, with a 90 degree incline, your cardio is sorted, but a couple of step ups and step climbing will help keep your cardio up. I recommend adding workouts to your calendar and to send yourself notifications for the same time daily (like 5 minutes before the time), this way you’re not caught off guard and can’t forget.
Do not loose your level of fitness. Consistency is key. Stay motivated by being accountable to a friend or spouse and have fun with the workout routines I put together as well as some of the practical tips. Train a minimum of three times every week up to daily with one rest day in a 7-day cycle.
1
LEG TRAINING PLAN
In the ’28-DAY LEG TRAINING’ link above you will find a four-week plan for leg training that keeps things simple utilising basic moves. Consider adding some of the following:
1. Do Cardio for 10-15 MIN.
2. Throw in a few sets of LADIES PUSH UPS (pushups where your knees stay on the floor)
3. BACK PULLDOWNS with elastic bands over a wooden beam or something similar.
4. If you have weights throw in some REVERSE CURLS on a ball. (lying with tummy on ball, light weights in hand, lift the weights up and sideways pulling your shoulder blades towards each other.
5. Try STANDING ROWS (Standing in a lunge position, hold a form of weight in your hands and use pump actions with one arm at a time, other arm bent and held, count 25 per arm, pumping down and back up. Change sides with your legs). NO WEIGHTS? USE A CAN OF BEANS.
This plan is completely adaptable. Whether you do your it as going as fast as you can or you opt for simple dynamic movement at your own, reasonable pace, you can tailor this plan to your overall workout routine. You can also manage your weeks however you want, but make sure to take a day off each week to give your body a chance to recover. Then, as the month progresses, expect to add volume. Start slowly, make this a challenge and ramp up the volume every other week. In other words: Make this work for you!
WHEN
WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD
WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD
#MOMENTUM
2
BASIC LOCKDOWN PLAN
( DO 2 to 3 SETS OF THIS PLAN EACH TIME )
EXERCISE
REPS
DESCRIPTION
WARM UP
2 MIN
Jogging on the spot or skipping 2 min
DUMBELL SQUATS / SHOULDER PRESS
20 REPS
Hold Dumbbells of sufficient weight in each hand and squat press the dumbbells above head, keeping back straight. If no dumbells use an elastic band, placed under your feet, hold two ends in hands and push above your head.
PLANK
2 MIN
Position body on forearms, face down, Lift off ground and hold for 1 minute.
LEG LUNGE
15 REPS
Stay in same position and lunge forward and backwards with Right leg. Change to Left leg.
CARDIO
6 MIN
15 – 20 Burpees
DUMBELL TRICEP DIPS
15-20 REPS
Find a bench / Table Place hands behind you on bench, bend at elbows, lower yourself to floor, and return to starting position.
SIDE PLANKS
15-SEC / PER SIDE
Lying on side supported by elbow, lift hips off floor, lower and repeat. Change to other side
DUMBELL ELASTIC CURLS
20 – 25 REPS
Place elastic band under your feet, hold the two ends with your hands and curl tow
CARDIO
2 MIN
Find a step and run up and down for 30 counts per leg
PUSH UPS
15 REPS
Lying on floor hands next to your shoulders, push up, hold for 3 seconds, touch floor with chest hold for 3-sec
ELASTIC BAND WIDE GRIP PULL DOWNS
25 REPS
Find something that the elastic band can be thrown over. (Like a strong) support beam, or a pole. Grip both ends with hands and either stand or sit, pull the band down with your hands to front of chest while contracting your shoulder blades return to starting position.
CURTSY SQUATS
20 REPS PER SIDE
Standing with feet apart, take one step backwards crossing behind the other leg, bend the knee into a curtsy position. Repeat for desired reps and change to other leg.
TRICEP UP & DOWN ON MATT
15 REPS
Place elbows on the mat, in a planking position, lift elbows only, keep your hands flat on floor, raise your elbows and drop back to floor.
REVERSE CRUNCH
15 REPS
Lying on floor, place arms at sides palms down, cross ankles and bend knees, pushing off with arms, curl legs and hips off floor bringing knees towards chin.
DON'T SKIP BEING A GOOD STEWARD OF YOUR BODY!
3
HOUSE WALKING PLAN
It’s no secret walking can be an excellent way to get in shape and shed a few inches from your waistline. Unfortunately, getting a walk in isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Whether it’s a hectic schedule, a house full of kids or foul weather, sometimes heading out for a walk can be tricky — and that’s where house walking comes in. Here’s what you need to know about house walking and how it can help you burn calories when your other options are limited.
WHAT IS HOUSE WALKING?
Instead of simply focusing on getting from point A to point B, house walkers aim to get steps in whenever possible. This might consist of a short 10-minute bout of walking stairs, walking in place or completing a 30-minute walking video in front of the TV. At the end of the day, all those 5–10-minute bouts add up and are more effective at helping you reach your weight-loss goals than if you didn’t exercise at all.
TIPS FOR HOUSE WALKING
While it might not seem doable at first, house walking is easy as long as you have a basic plan. Here are a few tips you can use to get in a good walking workout from the comfort of your home:
#1 SET UP A STEP GOAL
Setting a realistic step goal gives you a specific number to shoot for by the end of the day. This provides an incentive to get up and moving when you’re falling behind. It also gives you a way to measure your steps indoors against those days when you are able to walk outside or on a treadmill. You can also set a goal to increase your total steps each week by a 1,000, which can be a good way to progress and keep challenging yourself to improve your fitness.
#2 GET A FITNESS TRACKER
These devices count steps for you and provide other data, like calories burned, which can be useful in tracking your fitness. Some fitness trackers also provide prompts when you haven’t moved in a while, making it easy to stay on track. Though the price of most fitness trackers is reasonable, most smartphones also include step counters if you’re on the fence about investing in one. Another cheaper option is a basic pedometer. It won’t provide as much data but it will count your steps.
#3 MOVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
The less you’re still, the more steps you’ll get. Go for a lap around the house every 15 minutes, walk while you dictate your grocery list to your iPhone or walk in place during your favourite TV show. Don’t stay seated for too long at any point during the day and you’ll be surprised how many additional calories you can burn.
#4 TRAIN WHILE YOU WALK
Yes, walking in place for 30 minutes at a time or heading up the same flight of stairs can be a bit boring. One way to up the calorie burn and keep things a bit more interesting is to alternate your steps with a few different bodyweight exercises. Lunges, pushups, squats, butt kickers or sidekicks are a few different options to try. For every 3–5 minutes of in-place walking you complete, stop and do a set of 10–15 repetitions of an exercise. This circuit-type workout is great for getting your steps in and toning the rest of your body.
TRY IT NOW
There are a ton of walking videos and workouts you can do at home if you’re having trouble coming up with ideas on your own. Besides walking while you multitask, here’s an example of an at-home walking interval set you can do whenever you’ve got 15–20 minutes to spare.
TIME: 6 – 8 MIN / SETS: 2 – 4 times
Walk in place for 3–5 MIN. This place can be easy the first go-round, but try to pick up the pace as much as possible in the rounds that follow.
Do a set of walking lunges for 1 MIN, alternate legs
Walk with high-knees or do a set of butt-kickers for 1 MIN. This should be performed at as fast of a pace as you can handle.
Complete as many burpeesas you can handle in 1 MIN.
KEEP SAFE
CHALLENGE YOURSELF BUT DONT OVERDO IT
STAY HYDRATED
DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY
SHINE
FIND A SUNNY WINDOW OR SPOT FOR SOME VITAMIN-D
BE STILL
GET GOOD SLEEP & FIND A SPACE TO BE WITH GOD