The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to stay indoors and limit movement. If you stay in the house for a long time without moving around, you risk gaining weight. Not to mention, exercise is crucial to keep a healthy immune system. The following is a list of things that you can do at home to tone your body and maintain a healthy weight.
- Mountain Climber
The mountain climber is a great exercise for toning your midsection. Since it’s a very engaging exercise, it will also help you burn fat. Here’s how you do it. Take the plank position. With your arms shoulder-width apart, move your right knee towards your chest and return to the starting position. Do the same thing with your left leg. Increase the speed as you quickly alternate your legs. Repeat the exercise 10 times while maintaining your breathing pattern.
- Push-ups
To tone your upper body, do push-ups. Here is how you do this exercise correctly. First, take a plank stance. Your arms should be shoulder-width apart. Then, slowly go down until your chest almost touches the floor. If going down is a bit difficult, you can bend your knees. Push-ups help to tone your arms, triceps, chest, and shoulders. There are different variations of push-ups that build different muscle groups. If you move your arms and palms closer together, the exercise puts more emphasis on your triceps. On the other hand, if your arms are wider than your shoulder, the emphasis is on your biceps and shoulders.
- Plié Squats
Plié squats are great for toning your thighs, butt, and quadriceps. They help you maintain that lovely figure. Here is how you can get started: stand up straight with your feet wider than your shoulders. Your feet should also point forward in the direction of the knees. Hold an exercise ball or dumbbell with both hands in front of your abdomen. Tighten the core muscles and go down until your knees are at a right angle. Hold that position for 2 seconds and go back up. Breathe in as you go down and out as you come back up. Also, keep your hands straight and tighten your grip on the dumbbell as you do the exercise. On your first day, try to do at least 10 reps.
- Calf Raises
You can’t tone your quads and forget the calves. An easy exercise for you to tone your calf muscles is the calf raise. Stand straight facing a wall. Your arms should touch the wall and your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Then, looking straight at the wall, raise your heels and support yourself with the toes. Then, go back down. Do at least 15 repetitions. Remember, your hands should keep touching the wall as you do the exercise.
- Rhomboid Squeezes
Your back muscles also help to improve your posture. The simplest exercise to help you tone the back muscles are rhomboid squeezes. Sit down with your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor. Lean back slightly and stretch your arms forward. Bend your elbows and squeeze your shoulders until they almost touch each other. Feel the strain on your back, but stop if the pain is too much. Then, return your arms to the starting position. All this time, make sure that you maintain your posture. Do at least 10 repetitions before taking a break.
- Stay Hydrated and Eat Healthily
When you’re done working out, drink plenty of water to restore your energy levels. Staying hydrated also helps to keep your skin tight and lean. You should also watch your diet. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits to improve your immunity and digestion. Also, eat lots of lean proteins to help in the growth and repair of your muscle tissues.
Finally, ensure that you stretch after you finish the workouts to improve flexibility and lower muscle tension. Make exercise a priority and be consistent in your routine. That way, you won’t have to worry about weight gains.
