It’s rainy cats and dogs right now in Nairobi and all over the country.
So it might be tough to get to the gym what with all the traffic and the hullabaloo that comes with all this rain.
Fortunately, there are some amazing exercise routines you can implement at home to get you going with your exercise routine as follows:
Spot jogging
Jogging can be done indoors as well. Says fitness expert Samir Purohit, “Spot jogging is ideal as a pre-work exercise or to warm up. Lift your knees and move them back to the ground. Move the arms and legs like a running action.”
Calories burnt —Approximately 215 calories for 30 minutes.
Skipping
If you want to opt for a good cardio workout, skipping works the best. It helps improve cardio-respiratory fitness, flexibility and co-ordination.
Says fitness expert Althea Shah, “This is a high-impact exercise and is great for building bones and it’s a good exercise to shed weight off your hips, thighs and sides.”
Hold both the handles of the rope, one in each hand and rotate it in a circular movement backwards to the front of your body and take it all the way under your feet.
When the rope hits the floor, jump. Keep your jumps small to keep impact on your knees and ankles to a minimum — make sure to raise your feet about an inch off the ground.
Calories burnt — Approximately 560 calories per hour.
Strength training
You can easily do some strength training at home. Invest in a good set of dumbbells. You can also fill up water bottles and practice with them.
Calories burnt — Approximately 200 calories per hour.
The Plank
Get into a push-up position. Bend your arms and move down towards the floor.
Hold position with your arms extended. Start off holding position for 30 seconds. Says Purohit, “This exercise is very challenging but is great to tone your core areas — abs, back and stabiliser muscles.”
Calories burnt — Approximately 350 calories per hour.
Yoga
Yoga is aimed at uniting the body, mind and spirit. Not only does it help you become more aware of your body posture, alignment and patterns of movement, it also makes the body flexible and helps you relax.
The best part about practicing yoga is, it is one form of exercise that can be done regularly at home — you need not worry about going anywhere. Says Shah,
“Apart from meditation and prayanams, surya namaskar (sun salutation) is probably one of the best yoga forms that concentrate on all the core problematic areas in your body.”
Calories burnt — Approximately 280 calories per hour.
Pilates
Similar to yoga, Pilates can be done at home quite easily. It emphasises on the development of the body through core strength, flexibility and graceful movements. You can try doing the mat pilates at home.
This form of exercise does not require equipments unlike floor Pilates.
Says Purohit, “The hundred is an excellent mat-based Pilates movement.
This exercise wakes up the body and promotes blood circulation and breathing.”
Lie on your back and bring both the knees close to the chest; curl the head and shoulders off the mat, and reach the legs to a controlled working level — bent at 90 degrees or straight.
Calories burnt — Approximately 260 calories per hour.