Prakruti Physiotherapy

Exercise to perform at home in this Lock-down

This epidemic has taught many positive things; one of them is that by staying at home during these days of lockdown, we can increase the immune power of our bodies. If we have strong immunity then we can easily guard against this epidemic. Lockdown does not mean you are stopping your workouts.

You have to remember that not everything that aims to stay fit is a lockdown. Regular exercises offer untold advantages. It boosts your immune system, improves bone health, and reduces health risks such as heart problems, diabetes, and many more life-threatening diseases. With increasing family responsibilities and demanding jobs, exercise is taking a backseat in the list of priorities.

Most of us are giving brilliant excuses for not doing regular exercises. The most common excuse one makes is being too busy. But you can take some time out of your hectic schedule, with proper planning, for your own future well-being.

There's no doubt regular exercise is the best way to live a healthy and fit life. You don't really need to hit the gym to start with the exercises! You start in your own home! At the beginning, starting the exercise without an instructor can seem a little confusing. Start with a brief session of easy-to-do workouts. Here are 10 easy-to-do exercises for beginners that every man can do at home.

Basically, these exercises need too little or no equipment. You can use your body weight itself as equipment. We bring you the following activities that can be easily performed at home to keep healthy:

Standing Thoracic Expansion

This exercise may sound complicated but is extremely simple. This exercise is excellent for opening up your shoulders and chest. It is a must for counteracting the slumped position while sitting at our desks at work or while driving. If you perform this exercise with a deep, inhale that it results in the expansion of your ribs, thereby extending your midback and upper back. The exercise is to put your palms together and reach up and back as you lift your chest while you look upward to follow your hands as they curve back behind you. Stretch as far as you can and repeat ten times or at least three to five sets. 

Bicycles

It would certainly be a fun exercise to do with many health benefits. All you need to do is to lie on your back, but do remember to support your head with your hands. Now curl up to rotate and lift your knee to meet the opposite side elbow. Now you need to repeat in the opposite direction.

 You can always make this exercise fun and easy by sitting up more and maintaining the same position as you twist to make the elbows and knees meet. You can do this exercise in three ways, standing, sitting, and lie down on the floor. Keep experimenting and repeat 15 to 20 times of three to five sets. 

Jumping Jacks

This is also known as windmill romper, and as the name suggests is the simple exercise. Jumping jack is a physical exercise performed by jumping as per the name, but the trick is to spread the legs wide and the hands overhead. Sometimes clap and then return to the normal standing position. Repeat this exercise as much as you can do it. The benefit of doing jumping jacks is to work for multiple muscle groups and get the heart rate up. This is one of the fantastic whole-body exercises. 

Plank and Side Plank

It’s the best exercise for rock hard abs. A simple exercise for beginners for stronger abs and to strengthen your shoulder, arms, and back. It can be done in many variations. Experts always recommend plank exercise for all upper bodywork for everyone. This is extremely helpful for the use of various combinations of muscles. It is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to push for a longer time. 

This exercise helps in building strong muscles and creates a balance in the body. There are various types of planks, and the standard plank is the forearm plank that is to hold in a push-up-like position so that the body’s weight is borne on forearms, elbows, and toes. The other forms of planks are side plank and the reverse plank. 

Side planks strengthen oblique and help your build stronger abs.

How to do: Start on your side with feet together while keeping forearm below your shoulder. Now slowly raise your hip until your body forms a straight line from head to feet. Hold on to the position and repeat on the other side too!

Climbing Steps and Back

One of the most straightforward exercises is to climb a single step with one foot and then another foot up there. Now step back down the step with one leg and then the second leg. You need to do this at a faster pace and for numerous times. You can also jump up the step and jump backward or any other fun way to do it. It would be beneficial for the whole body muscles to develop and provide strong legs. 

Burpees

The super-active exercise is the burpees as it provides the excellent bang for your buck for muscle strength and Cardiovascular Endurance. Begin the exercise by standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms down at your sides. Now with your hands out in front of you, begin to squat down as soon as your hands reach the ground, pop your legs straight back into a push-up position. Perform the push-up and quickly return to the starting push up position and jump on your feet.

Cross Crunches

It’s a more effective and easy exercise for abs and the oblique muscles. It strengthens the core and strengthens your abdominal muscles.

How to do cross crunches? Just Lie flat on your back. Bend your knees with feet flat on the floor. Place both the hands loosely behind your head. Now, bring your right shoulder and elbow across your body and at the same time bring up your left knee towards your left shoulder. Try to touch your knee with an elbow. Go back to the original position and repeat the same with the left elbow.

Squats

It helps you get in better shape when included in a daily workout plan. Strengthens lower body muscles for men. It can be done in many variations.

How to do: Start with the hips back with back straight, chest, and shoulders up. Bend your knees and squat down keeping them in line with your feet. Start with 25 squats a day and then increase.

Push-ups

Push-ups are essentially effective exercises for strengthening muscles in the chest and arm.

How to do: Set your hands apart shoulder-width to get down on the ground. Make sure that your body forms a straight line. Start lowering your body while keeping your elbows close to your body. Push back to the starting position of the high plank.

High Knees

It targets you in working on inner thighs and outer hip areas. It's a good exercise for burning the belly fat too!

How to do it: Stand straight apart with hip-width feet. Raise as high as possible your right knee, while raising your left arm. Turn the move in. Continue to quickly pull knees up.