An Iron Sanctuary
We can probably all agree that the past few years have been interesting, to say the least, in terms of going out and interacting with others. Thanks to social upheaval, a pandemic, and an economy that seems to still be deciding whether it wants to be functioning or not, many of us have gotten quite proficient at carrying out our business at home.
In fact, in light of all that has gone on, a spell of bad winter weather feels almost quaint — a merry reason to spend time indoors. For the fitness enthusiasts among us, the whole gym scene has proven one of the harder nuts to crack; many feel the need to still take their personal training at home, virtually.
We at Performance One certainly understand that sentiment, and with the weather only threatening to get worse and make the roads all the more impassable, we can appreciate the wisdom in moving things like workouts and nutrition coaching to an at-home, remote scenario for the time being. In that spirit, we’d like to discuss ways in which you can turn your home into an iron sanctuary — a workout haven where you’ll have everything you need until the world outside is ready to receive you.
A Note about Equipment
As we dive into the functional training of an at-home situation, there is much that can be said for the equipment you might need — the “iron” of your iron sanctuary. Naturally, it’s expensive to replicate the gym experience exactly, nor will you likely have the space. There are a few things, however, that take up very little room, if you’d like to invest in them.
- A few rubber dumbbells. You can pick up maybe 2-4 of relatively lightweight to help get you through the winter for not much money.
- A non-slip yoga mat. It is functional as a great place to carry out all your personal training.
- Some resistance bands. These can either be anchored under your foot or you can get a hook to loop around a door hinge and use the bands that way.
Bring It On
Now that you have decided to exercise from home during the winter (and have maybe picked up a few pieces of workout equipment to prepare), let’s go over some fun and easy moves you can do to still keep your body engaged and healthy while enjoying your personal training at home.
Yoga
The very essence of chi, yoga has been the ultimate at-home exercise routine for thousands of years. What is beautiful about yoga is that it can be as strenuous or as relaxed as you wish, and every variation has its benefits. The biggest goals to keep in mind when practicing yoga are:
- Keep your lungs breathing and your mind loose. If you fall out, you can always get back into it.
- Don’t be afraid of quivering muscles and a bit of pain. Hold onto your chi and find calmness in the storm.
- Don’t forget to end with some light meditation. Yoga isn’t a routine about rushing to the finish line. Enjoy the “now.”
Calisthenics
When push comes to shove, your physique will always improve with a calorie burn and some body-weight resistance. Calisthenics are a great way to keep your muscles limber while using whatever it is you have around you. The best exercises include:
- Push-ups
- Crunches
- Pull-ups
- Squats
- Mountain climbers
Kickboxing
A different type of cardio workout from typical calisthenics, kickboxing utilizes fast-paced martial arts with cardio moves throughout. You may need a bit more space to really get your groove on in kickboxing, but the result is that you’ll work up a lot of sweat and have a lot of fun. Remember:
- Don’t bang your joints when throwing punches or kicks. Let yourself stay loose, but focused.
- Keep your core engaged throughout the workout for an extra burn.
- Make sure to pivot your ankles and hips when punching, so you can get more of your shoulder behind your fist.
If you have questions about how you can convert your gym-centric functional training into an at-home regimen, feel free to contact your Performance One trainer at any time. They will help you bring the burn so that you come out of the winter months feeling more fit than when you went in.