Much of us are working from home now with the Covid-19 pandemic, but exercise and health should still play an important part of your daily routine – so here is a sample Quarantine workout!
Before you start a new workout, here are a few things you need to keep in mind:
Exercise Selection
There are many things to think about when choosing specific exercises. Machine vs. free weights, isolation vs. compound lifts, number of reps and sets, etc. We take the guesswork out by incorporating exercises in this quarantine workout video that you can do that home with little to no equipment. Be sure to pick exercises that you feel you can stick to and enjoy – some folks may choose a workout that is more cardio-based, others may like strength and resistance training more. Our workout below is more geared towards improving core and postural strength.
Technique
If you don’t know how to do exercises properly you will again limit your results, or worse, end up injured. Poor technique leads to inefficient movement and limits the power your muscles can create. It also changes the load on your muscles, joints, and ligaments which can lead to pain and injury. There are a few guidelines for keeping good form:
- Tense your core by keeping your ribcage still and unflared.
- Keep your shoulder blades back and down.
- Keep soft knees when doing a lift.
- Keep neck aligned with the rest of your spine.
Volume
Volume is a way of thinking about how much work you’re doing during a workout. Doing a few reps with a heavy weight or a lot of reps with a light weight could end up being the same
volume. Same goes for running a shorter distance quickly uphill vs a longer run at a slower pace on flat terrain. If your volume is too great you won’t recover well between workouts and create the possibility of injury. Too little volume and you won’t see results. So dosing of your exercises is very important to keep you on track to progress.
Progression
If you’ve been doing the same exercises with the same weight and the same number of reps and sets, you’re not progressing. Same goes if you jump on the treadmill for the same amount of time with the same settings each time. To make progress, things have to change and the program that works for your first 6 months won’t work for you 2 years down the road.
Designing an exercise program is a complex challenge with a lot of factors to consider. Most people have a history of injuries and don’t have perfect movement in every joint which further
complicates things. Our quarantine workout below is easy enough such that if you’re starting out, you won’t hurt yourself; but even if you are seasoned lifter, you’ll still be able to reap postural and core benefits if you’re mindful of spinal posture. If you’re not making progress in your routine or just want to make sure your workouts are as effective as they can be, have your physical therapist take a look at your program. Your PT can help design an individualized program to help you reach your goals while keeping you safe and injury free.
For information on how to achieve better Working From Home habits during this quarantine period click here.
