We’re all stuck at home – and while we can’t control the situation we all find ourselves in with the outbreak of COVID-19, we can control what we do within our homes to take care of our own physical health. With 21 days in lockdown, people across South Africa are starting to embrace the idea of working out from home with a fitness regime that suits them best. What some active folks are struggling to come to terms with is not being allowed to go outside for a run. While it is not recommended to be out and about during this time (the aim of this lockdown is to prevent contact between people in a bid to slow down the spread of the virus and to flatten the curve – which is vital) there are plenty of ways to get the benefits of running (in getting your heart rate up) without needing to leave your house.
If you’ve been tuning in to Tropika Island of Treasure Curaçao on Tuesdays at 19h30 on SABC3, you would be familiar with 22-year-old Darren Solomon who is paired up with Siphesihle Vazi (aka: #TeamMangoPeach). Fitness is a big part of Darren’s life (one look at his physique and you’ll know this) and so we asked him to share three quick and easy routines you can do at home to get your heart rate up during lockdown, which can reduce stress, improve heart health, and even help alleviate symptoms of depression.
Routine option 1
- Start off by stretching for about 5 minutes. Be sure to hold a stretch for a minimum of 15 seconds to a maximum of 20 or 30 seconds. This ensures that the muscle fibres that are being stretched are stretched Stretching for anything less than 20 seconds won’t make a difference, but, you don’t want to hold for too long either and risk injury
- Jog on the spot for 1 minute
- Immediately go into x10 push-ups
- Follow this with x10 crunches
- Next up, do mountain climbers for 30 seconds
- End off with x10 jumping squats
Repeat this circuit x3 times with a 2-3 minute break in between each set.
Routine option 2
- Start off by stretching for about 5 minutes
- Head straight into x10 burpees
- Follow this with x10 sit ups
- Next is x10 leg raises to work out those abs
- Followed by x10 push-ups
- Ending off with star jumps for 1 minute
Repeat this circuit x3 times with a 2-3 minute break in between each set.
Routine option 3
- Start off by stretching for about 5 minutes
- Head straight into x20 wide squats
- Immediately follow this with x10 turtle twist or V-sits
- Next up, go into the plank position and hold for 1 minute
- Follow this with x10 lunges on each leg
- End off with x10 push-ups
Repeat this circuit x3 times with a 2-3 minute break in between each set.
Each of the routines outlined above should take between 15-20 minutes to complete, and you can add reps and exercises to this base routine as your fitness levels increase (remember, you have 21 days to get through, so get creative with your work outs). Doing these routines from home will not only keep you fit and in good spirits where running outdoors is not possible, but it will show great results, soon, if done consistently.
Don’t miss Darren on Tropika Island of Treasure Curaçao on SABC3 every Tuesday at 19h30 with the repeat every Saturday at 20h00.
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