Your schedule is packed, but you’re determined to start taking care of yourself from the inside out. For all you lost souls, fitness guru Dennis Lindsay has great tips on exercising around the house. A bedroom workout may just be what you’re looking for!
Dennis Lindsay is the recreation director and owner of PROformance Athletes Gym. As a strength and conditioning coach Dennis has worked with over 100 current NHL players, 20 individual Olympians, three Olympic teams, and dozens of professional athletes from other sports, along with university varsity teams. Prior to becoming a conditioning coach, Dennis also competed as a nationally ranked athlete in swimming, representing Canada at the International level.
What are some good warm-up exercises?
The best warm-up exercises hit several muscle groups and move lots of joints at the same time. Some good examples are walking lunges, high knee running on the spot, heel kicks on the spot, and light push-ups (if you’re good at them).
Are there any great morning, just-got-out-of-bed exercises?
You know, something to wake you up and get your blood flowing for the day? If you are going to do any exercise first thing in the morning I would recommend a sit-up routine. Pick any three sit-ups you have done in the past and perform them for 30 to 60 seconds each with the same amount of rest between. Two to three sets should be enough to get your body going. Oh yeah, remember to roll out of bed and land on the floor; doing sit-ups on a soft surface can be bad for your back.
What are two good after school/work exercises?
To keep it simple and get the most out of two exercises you want ones that use a lot of muscles and energy at the same time. This way you can get some cardio/fat burning effect as well as muscle development.
Exercise #1 — Low Burpees:
This is an old-school military exercise that trains your arms, shoulders, abs, and legs all at the same time. You begin on the floor in a push-up position, everything off the floor in a straight line except for your hands and toes. Jump both feet in so you tuck your knees under your chest and land in a very tight squat position, then jump your legs back out to the extended push-up position. Keep repeating until you get tired (about 50 reps) or you can’t perform the entire range of motion.
Exercise #2 — Lunge Twist:
This is a great one for legs, hips and abs. Step forward into a lunge position (one leg forward with a 90-degree knee bend, the other leg extended out behind you). Clasp both hands in front of you with arms straight. As you lower deeper into the lunge, twist your body so your arms move across the forward leg as far as possible without losing your balance. Repeat, switching legs at 25 reps so you perform a total of 50 reps. You can hold a 5 to 10 pound object in your hands for added effort.
Do these exercises for five sets alternating, resting only one minute between sets. In about 10 minutes, you will have worked most of your major muscles and your heart and lungs.
Why exercise before tackling a tough project?
Exercise gets your body to absorb more oxygen and more oxygen in the system helps to invigorate the brain (this is why we have the natural yawning reflex). Also, exercise has certain effects on other chemicals affecting brain power such as endorphins and neurotransmitters. Yes, exercise is good for brain power.
Is there an exercise you could do using an object from around the house?
Sure, here’s some using a chair:
Push-ups:
Do with one hand on the chair seat, then with the other hand on the chair seat, then with both hands on the chair seat (decline push-ups). Do with both feet on the chair seat and hands on the floor (incline push-ups).
Dips:
Face away from the chair with both hands on the seat and both feet on the floor with knees bent at 90 degrees. Lower the body by bending the elbows. Harder version: feet up on another chair.
Hardest version: three chairs, one for the feet and one for each hand (drop between the chairs).
Reverse Pull-ups:
Place a broomstick or hockey stick across two chairs. The chairs should be placed shoulder width apart. Lying on the floor on your back between the two chairs, grasp the stick at each chair and pull yourself up to it. Harder version: feet up on a third chair.
Hardest version: no feet (good luck—it’s possible, but hard!).
What about some cool down exercises?
Cool down exercises are typically stretches and are the same as warm-up exercises, working lots of muscles and joints. Avoid anything that incorporates too much fast movement, which tends to bring the already worked body back up to workout temperatures. Perform the same exercises as listed for the warm-up, but hold the top and bottom ranges while adding a longer stretch of the upper body.
Written by Faze contributor Amanda Robinson
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