Our 10 favourite exercises when I can't go outside.

One of the organisations I follow on instagram recently posted an article on exercises you can do at home. It got me thinking about what the best 10 exercises I think anyone can do at home with little or no equipment (maybe a chair or a kitchen bench). 

Let’s face it, over the last couple of years we have all been stuck at home at some stage and it’s been so easy to sit on the couch and watch some Netflix. But, exercise is arguably the simplest, and maybe even the best way to maintain your health. There is no pill (at the moment) that can replace the benefits of exercising 10 to 20 minutes most days. 

My suggestion if you want to follow the next 10 exercises is to choose 5 each day and rotate them. 

1. Running on the spot 

This one is fairly self explanatory. Stand in a tall, athletic posture and start running on the spot. Have a go at the following: 

- High knees for 60s 

- Sprint for 20s 

- Butt kicks (with your heels 30s) 

- Jog in place slowly for 30s 

- Try to maintain a smile on your face 

- Repeat 3-8 times 

2. Push Ups 

Depending on your strength you can start by kneeling and doing a push up, or simply go straight up onto your toes. For the men out there, the Journal of American Medical Association published an article that suggested men who can knock out more than 40 push ups in a row have a 96 per cent lower risk of heart disease than those who struggle to do fewer than 10. 

My suggestion for those just starting out is to begin with about 2-4 sets of 8 repetitions and slowly work up from there. You can eventually play around with some other techniques where you might put your feet up on a bench or bring a knee up as you go down. There are loads of  modifications.

3. Wall Squat 

The wall squat is a personal favourite of mine. It is a test of your mental strength sometimes. That little voice tells you to stop even though you can keep going. 

Stand up straight leaning your back on a wall. Step your feet forwards, away from the wall. Your feet should be roughly shoulder width apart. Keep your back against the wall whilst you bend your knees and slide down the wall. Your knees should travel over your second and third toes. Only go as far as you feel able to before holding this position for about 15 seconds to start with and slowly work your way to 60 seconds. Slowly straighten your knees back up to standing. Repeat 3 to 6 times. 

Once you get good at it, start to add other things like leg lifts, arm raises, lean forward, come up onto your toes and so on. Challenge yourself. 

4. Chair Dips 

Chair dips are super simple. Move your legs in and out to make it easier or harder. It can assist with shoulder range of motion as well as tricep and chest strength. 

Move your hips off the chair edge with your hands supporting your weight. You will need to walk your feet forwards. From this position, lower your body downwards letting your arms take the weight. Keep your eyes level. To return, push up from your elbows until your arms are fully extended. Repeat. 

For most people that are not doing too much exercise at the moment, have a go at 2 sets of 8. As you get stronger work towards 3-4 sets of 25 to 30 repetitions. 

5. Walking Lunges 

I love walking lunges. They are a great way to develop unilateral leg function, strength, increase muscle size and tone, and are a great real-world functional movement. 

Stand up straight. Take a large step forwards into a lunge. Both hips and knees should be at 90 degrees as you lunge down. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle and pointing forwards. Push up, stepping your back leg to the front leg. You may touch this foot to the ground, or bring it straight through to repeat the movement, leading with your other leg. Continue this sequence in a straight line. 

My only caution is that you might be a bit sore the following day if you haven't done this type of exercise before. 

Begin with 2 sets of 6 steps. Work towards being able to do 20 steps without stopping. 

6. Jumping 

I love jumping as an exercise. Power exercises are often missed in programs but are one of the most important activities to consider as we get a bit older to help prevent falls, fractures and maintain functional ability. Stand up straight and step your legs wide apart. 

Bend your knees and hips, keeping your back straight as though you are coming down into a squat. Ensure your knees travel over your toes. Jump into the air, exploding through the balls of your feet, your knees and your buttock muscles. 

Control the landing by taking the load through the balls of your feet, bending at the ankles, the knees and the hips. Aim to land back in a squat position with your back straight and legs wide apart. Hold this position and repeat the movement, jumping up directly from the squat. 

7. Bear Crawling 

Start in a kneeling position with your hands under your shoulders, and knees under your hips. Tuck your toes under, and lift your knees off the floor. Crawl forwards ensuring you keep your knees off the floor. Reverse the direction and crawl backwards. Try to keep your back straight throughout this movement. Try crawling to one side and then the other. 

Have a go at going sideways as well.

8. Shoulder Retractions 

Retracting your shoulder in specific ways are great to keep the upper back and shoulders nice and strong, help maintain posture, and even decrease the pain in the upper back and neck. I like using thumbs up during the activity to get a bit more middle trap and rhomboid activity and limit the upper trap activity. 

Lie on your front with your forehead resting on a small towel. Keeping them straight, move your arms out to your sides. Rotate your forearms out so that your palms face forwards. Keeping your chest and head in contact with the floor throughout, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and then lift your arms off the floor. Hold this position. Relax and repeat. 

Begin with 3s holds and try some high repetition. 

Something like 2 sets of 12. Work towards sets of 20 to 25 repetitions. 

9. Side plank with dips 

Side planks have long been a go to exercise. Since I hurt my back I have found that they are great for strengthening my back without placing too much load on it. It also works on the shoulder stabilisers, hips and muscles of the core (including lower back). 

It is really simple to do Lie on your side and lift yourself into a plank on your elbow, with a straight line from your head to your feet. Drop your hips down until they are just off the floor, and then bring them back up. It is that simple. 

Have a go at doing 2 sets of 8 dips on each side. Slowly work your way up to 25 dips on each side and complete 2-3 sets on each side. 

If doing it on your feet is too difficult then try bending your knees and doing it from your knees. 

10. The founder 

Whenever I do a workout at home like this I always like to finish with a whole body exercise. I was reading a book about back pain once and stumbled across the founder exercise. 

Slight bend in knees, knees back, weight in heels, low back extended and tight. Butt back, belly in, and hold for a count of 30. 

Reach high and hold position for a count of 30. Reach down to your toes, bending knees, hold toes and extend knees slightly. Squat back down and return to the starting position. Keep all of the movements slow and controlled. 

Repeat 5 times. It is a great, whole body move that will make you feel like you have really worked out. 

There is a modified version you can do on your knees also that might be a good starting point if you find this one too difficult. 

One thing to remember is that everyone is different with different illnesses and injuries. These 10 exercises are some of my favourite ones to do, especially when I am at home and don’t have much equipment. If you would like a personalised exercise plan that is suited to your individual differences and goals then get in contact with us.