Keep Moving While You Rest

By Sean Pickup

December is fast approaching and many of us will soon be on leave making our way to our holiday destinations. These end of year holidays are great for everyone to just take a deep breath and take a break from the stressful year. Although we will be resting, it is important to stay even just a little active in order to keep the body healthy and to keep up those fitness levels. 

In this article we are going to go through some different exercises and stretches we can do from the comfort of wherever you are staying without any equipment needed.

Exercises:

• Body Weight Squats: This is a great exercise for your legs as well as your core which can even be done in front of the TV. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your toes pointing slightly out, push you bum back as if you are going to sit down. Squat until your knees are at 90 degrees and then come back up. Make sure to keep your upper body nice and upright and do not round those shoulders. Do 10 repetitions for 3 sets. 

• Lunges: Another exercise to be done anywhere and anytime. Take a big step forward with one leg and going onto the toe of the back leg. Making sure your body remains upright, bend your back knee straight down to the floor and back up. Make sure not to shit forward as this will put pressure on the front knee. Perform 10 on one leg and then swap for a total of 3 sets.

• Push-ups: The good thing about these are that they can be done at various difficulty levels. Begin by using the back of your couch as the easiest level. Place your hands on the back of your couch just wider than shoulder width. Keeping your body in one line and keeping your elbows close to your side, lower your chest towards the couch until your elbows are at 90 degrees and back up. If this is too easy, move to your coffee table or even to the most difficult option, on the floor. Perform 10 reps for a total of 3 sets.

• Dead Bugs: This exercise is great to improve your core strength. Start by laying flat on your back. Bring your legs up off the floor with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your arms straight out in front of you. Keeping the core tight, lower one leg down while the opposite arm moves above your head. Bring both your arm and leg back to the starting position and change sides. Perform 10 reps on each side for a total of 3 sets.

• Plank: The class elbow plank position is a great exercise to help strengthen your core. Start by lying flat on your stomach, place your elbows directly below your shoulders and lift your body into the air while staying on your toes with your legs straight. Hold this for 30 seconds to a minute. To make this more challenging, either hold for longer and longer each time or lift either an arm or a leg for 10 seconds at a time.  Do 3 sets of these.
  

Stretches:

• Glute Stretch: This stretch can be done while sitting on the couch or at the pool even. Sit up straight on the edge of your couch or chair, place your right foot on top of your left knee. Bend your left knee until it is at 90 degrees and you should already start feeling a stretch in your bum. If you do not feel a stretch yet, lean forward with your upper body, this will intensify the stretch. Hold this position for 1 minute and then change legs. Repeat these 3 times per leg.

• Hamstring Stretch: This is also a stretch that can be done from the comfort of your chair. Again, sit upright on the edge of your chair. Keeping one leg bent, extend the other one straight out in front of you with your heel on the floor. If you are not already feeling the stretch in the back of the leg, lean your upper body forward by moving your chest towards your knee. Hold this for 1 minute and then change legs. Repeat each leg 3 times.

• Upper Back Stretch: This may be one of the simplest stretches you can do, it can even be done while lying in bed. Clasp your hands together out in front of you. Push both hands forward while trying to make your back as round as possible. This will pull your shoulder blades apart and stretch the muscles of the upper back very nicely. Hold this for 1 minute and repeat 3 times.

• Chest Stretch: My apologies, this one you are going to have to stand up for. Go find yourself a doorway and place each forearm against either side of it. Place on foot in front of the other and lean forward so that your cheat begins to open and start to stretch. Hold this position for 30 seconds before swapping legs for another 30 seconds. Repeat these 3 times.
  
  

If you need any help with your training, don’t hesitate to contact us.