Apartment-friendly workout moves for the holidays
Even trainers and fitness instructors need a holiday break. And with your neighborhood gym and yoga/fitness studio scheduled to be closed for Christmas and New Year, you need to muster some motivation to keep up with your fitness routine and balance all the eating you’ll be doing over the holidays. But if your home is too cramped to do your usual space-consuming and equipment-requiring Nike Training Club routine, then worry not because here are alternative workout moves that you can do indoors.
Skipping
This makes for a good cardio workout that will also have you improving your coordination. It is a high-impact exercise that’s great for strengthening bones and burning fat in a short amount of time, and is one of the usual cardio moves that boxers rely on to keep their heart rates up during training. Just make sure to keep your jumps small to keep the impact on your knees and ankles to a minimum, and to start off at a pace that is comfortable for you.
Spot jogging
Who says you can jog only outside? Spot jogging is actually an ideal warm-up for your muscles, especially when you lift your knees higher and move your arms at the same time.
Planking
Target all the major muscle groups by holding the plank. When done in correct form—hands below the shoulders, abs pulled in, the torso forming a straight a line from the top your head down to your heels—it will have you sweating and shaking within seconds. People often mistake putting most of their weight on their arms, thus tiring their shoulders quickly, so the key is to feel as if you’re pushing your heels to the back of the room so as your legs also get engaged. Doing the plank looks easy, but it’s not; try holding one for 30 seconds and you’ll feel wiped out. Constant practice will get you stronger, though.
Yoga
With plenty of YouTube videos available for you to follow, you can keep up with your yoga practice right at home. It doesn’t even have to be as rigorous as your usual Vinyasa sessions; something more meditative or restorative like Yin yoga might actually be a great destresser for the hectic holidays. With all of its stretching poses or asanas, yoga can help you keep in touch with your body and be more aware of its proper alignment, as well as keep your limbs limber and flexible.
Pilates’ The Hundred
Another low-impact whole body workout that you’ll feel right in your core, The Hundred is a classic mat Pilates move. Whether done with modifications, such as the legs bent at a 90-degree angle or with both feet remaining on the floor, or in its full form, it’s effective at getting your arm, core, and leg muscles warm and your blood circulating. Proper form, as always, is important: Remember to lift your head and shoulders off the mat not with your neck muscles but with your core, and keep the small of your back flat on the floor, as if it were glued there. Should you feel like challenging yourself by lifting both your legs, don’t sacrifice proper muscle use for height. You can keep your legs perpendicular, a.k.a. going straight up, to your body or drop them lower to a 45-degree angle, as long as you don’t lift your lower back off the floor. Use both arms and not just your wrists in paddling, remember to breathe in through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
With contributing writing from Charisse Castano.
Header image by Stoica Ionela on Unsplash
