Keep moving, get fit and stay strong at home with these simple exercises from Gina Shaffer, a personal trainer at The Fitness Center at UH Avon.
Home circuit. Think about your home as a workout circuit. Using a chair, do sit-stands to improve balance and strengthen your core. Walk laps around your house. Do the stairs. “Every day, try to get more steps in,” Shaffer says.
Get out. Bundle up, grab an umbrella — get outside and don’t let the weather be a deterrent. Outdoor walks are healthy for the body and the spirit, Shaffer says.
Turn on YouTube. YouTube workouts such as Body Pump and Body Attack offer programs for all fitness levels and ages. Shaffer also suggests Beach Body.
Handy weights. Finding weights in the store or online is more challenging now that more people are building up home workout spaces. Instead, turn to everyday items like soup cans and milk jugs, Shaffer suggests.
Have a ball. “You do so much with a stability ball,” Shaffer says, noting that you can treat it as a bench for lifting weights while improving balance and core strength.
Stretch out tight hips. Lots of sitting can trigger back and knee problems, Shaffer says. “Stretch your hip flexor by leaning back and tightening your rear while standing,” she recommends. This simple movement opens up the hips. She also suggests using bands to stretch. Again, YouTube has lots of band stretching videos (just search) so you can watch and learn.
