Home Workout during Coronavirus Lockdown

A few daily minutes of exercise can have numerous health benefits, from improving your brain function and memory to boosting your heart health and keeping you in perfect physical shape.

But in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, is it really safe to go to the gym? Many people have decided against it, especially with so many uncertain reports regarding gyms and the transmission of coronavirus, with the greatest concern about the virus surviving on surfaces such as equipment and seats.

Nevertheless, not going to the gym is no excuse to start slacking off from working out. Not unless you want all your hard-earned results to go down the drain.

According to Professor Louise Burke, Chief of Nutrition Strategy at the Australian Institute of Sport, “generally in terms of training, within two weeks there will be a loss of peak performance”, which, in our current situation, could translate into a 14-day home quarantine due to coronavirus.

Fortunately, there are ways to stay in shape and exercise in the comfort of your own home, without exposing yourself to any virus. A basic home workout could be optimized with the help of:

• yoga mats,
• resistance bands,
• kettlebells,
• dumbbells,
• skipping rope and,

a non-essential but welcomed bonus: a training partner.

“Having somebody else in your training always adds a little extra competition and keeps things fun,” said Burke. Sofas and chairs can also be used for triceps dips, while canned goods in your Coronavirus Pandemic Safety Kit could easily replace dumbbells.

Without further ado, let’s get down to business!

CORONAVIRUS HOME WORKOUT

UPPER BODY (up to 30 minutes, depending on your rest time)

Pushups – 3 sets of 15 reps

Triceps dips – 3 sets of 12 reps (you can use a chair)

Bicep curls – 3 sets of 12 reps

Plank taps – 3 sets, 12 reps each arm

Forearm plank reach out – 3 sets of 10-12 reps each arm.

Burpee with push up to star jump – 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off.

CORE (up to 15 minutes depending on your rest time)

Holding plank – 3 sets of 30-second holds

Abdominal crunch – 3 sets of 12 reps

Knee tuck kicks – 3 sets of 12 each leg

Elbow-to-Knee crunches – 3 sets of 12 reps

LOWER BODY (up to 30 minutes, depending on your rest time)

Squats (should not be absent from any home workout) – 3 sets of 15 reps

Forward lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps

Reverse lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps

Single leg lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps (you can use chair or sofa)

Single leg deadlifts – 3 sets of 12 reps

Glute bridges – 3 sets of 15

Jumping squats – 3 sets of 15

Frog squats – 3 sets of 15 reps

Here’s a sample of what you can do to stay in shape during the coronavirus lockdown. Good luck everyone!