The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has made it necessary for people to rethink their workout routines.
That being said, you may have to change a lot of what you’re used to doing when you exercise because you might not have the luxury of space in your own home.
Don’t worry, you can still meet your fitness goals even if you have to do things a bit differently.
You just need a big enough space to accommodate your yoga mat and try out these exercises specifically for small spaces:
Jumping rope
Try the grown-up version of this children’s pastime by making it one of your no-space cardio exercises.
You just need to jump in place after all.
However, if you’re new to jumping rope, it might not be a good idea to do it barefoot since you might end up skinning the soles of your feet.
Wearing a pair of Burlix over-the-calf socks and training shoes during your workout can provide the resistance and comfort you need.
Jumping rope is great for fat loss and toning your upper and lower body—just look at all the boxers who regularly do it.
Make the activity more fun by keeping pace with the beat of your favorite song, learning to master fancy jumps and tricks, or by jumping on one leg.
Stationary cardio workouts
If you’re used to going on long-distance jogs or runs as your cardio exercise, it might feel strange to do stationary exercises.
However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) cardio circuits can be a challenging alternative that will give you the same endorphin high.
Go for HIIT circuits with a lot of plyometric jumps so you can get your legs moving even when you’re staying in place.
If you’re new to strength training, there are low-intensity HIIT circuits as well.
Yoga
Yoga at home may not be as fun as your regular yoga class in a huge studio with your yoga buddies, but it can still help you stay fit and healthy.
As long as you have room to roll out your yoga mat, you have enough space for a challenging session with basic and advanced poses, twists, and more.
Just make sure you keep the flow of your vinyasa fluid as you switch between poses.
Suspension training
This is a great versatile workout that doesn’t require a lot of space.
You just need a sturdy area where you can hook your nylon straps and you can work different parts of your body without moving around too much.
The best part about suspension training is that you use your own body weight as resistance to work out your arms, core, legs, and more.
You can go through a short suspension circuit or create your own based on videos that you find online.
Up the intensity of your workouts by adjusting the length of the straps so you can engage your core and legs as you like.
Then, you can simply remove the nylon straps, roll them up, and store them away until your next workout.
Body weight exercises
No gym equipment?
No problem.
Just like suspension training, you can use your own body weight in your workout by combining basic and advanced movements and letting gravity do the work.
Physical exercises like lunges, squats, planks, mountain climbers, and more can help develop your muscles and help you lose fat as well.
The trick to body weight exercises is to constantly move, especially if you want a more intense workout that will help burn more calories.
Go for reps and add a quick round of cardio between sets to keep yourself moving. Plus, you don’t need a lot of room to get this done.
Kettlebells
If you happen to have kettlebells at home, you can use them to get a quickworkout that is more effective in burning calories than many other types of workout.
This is because kettlebell workouts combine cardiovascular and full-body strength workouts—you keep fat off your body and get toned at the same time.
A half-hour of kettlebell workouts are great for days when you don’t feel like working out for a long time but still want something that will help you build muscle and increase your resistance.
No-space workout routines
These have become popular as of late, combining body weight exercises with speed and repetition.
You simply need a timer, like on your phone or watch, and you can design your own routine with four different types of exercises.
Then, you train in a short period of time and do a circuit with breaks in between.
For example, you can include jumping jacks, mountain climbers, squats, and lunges in your routine, give yourself 10 seconds to do everything, then repeat that set for 5-10 rounds.
You can rest for 2 minutes between rounds to catch your breath as these are intense workouts.
However, you get the advantage of a full-body workout that you can do at home without any equipment.
It’s easy to feel discouraged and to put your fitness on hold when you’re stuck at home.
However, maintaining a routine is your best defense when it comes to surviving self-isolation.
While you will have to make a few adjustments when it comes to your workout space, you don’t need to change the results that you want.
By getting creative and inspired by the workouts on YouTube or other social media platforms, you can stay on-track and meet your fitness goals even if you can’t go to the gym.