By Sammy Margo Physio, Personal Trainer | UPDATED: 09:28, 06 April 2020
These are unprecedented, unchartered and unfamiliar times in which we were currently living in.
Staying home and for many of us, home schooling and working from home means we are having to sit at the dining table or on the sofa in uncomfortable positions for hours on end.
So here are a few tips and exercises with little to no equipment which you can try in your own homes.
Doing these exercises, you will help improve the circulation around your legs, kickstart that venous return via your foot pump, maintain those strength and toning gains from the gym, being generally active or running around after the kids.
By also working on your core muscles, it will help your body generally and avoid getting stiff from not moving about. Plus its helps bust some of the stress!
Morning and Evening:
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Calf Raisers. Calf raisers are my exercise starters at home.
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Go up and down on your tip toes either on one leg or both legs.
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Try two sets of 15 repetitions with a 15 second rest period.
2. Bridging: Bridging can assist with hip stability and lower back niggles.
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Lying on your back, bend your knees.
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Then aim to lift your hips and bottom off the ground with your heels dug into the ground.
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For those of you who are a little more advanced in strength, lift up one leg half-way into the air.
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The challenge is to do two sets of 10-15 repetitions, progressing as you become stronger and more advanced.
3. Plank it. A side plank is great at working on the core muscles.
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Start by lying on your side with legs straight and feet stacked on-top of one another.
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Lift up your upper body by leaning onto your forearm with the arm facing perpendicular to the rest of your body. Then try to lift your bottom off the floor by placing the pressure through your feet and forearms and hold a straight position for 10-15 seconds.
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If this is particularly challenging and strenuous, you can start by bending both knees but keeping your hips straight. Then trying to lift your hips off the ground.
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Aim to hold between 15-30 seconds and repeated on each side. Alternately repeat 3Xs times each side.
4. Superman. The Superman exercise is my go to for backs, glutes and core:
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Going onto your hands and knees, ensure that your hands are under your shoulders and knees under hips. Keep a straight back and try to maintain this straight back all the way through the exercise. Whilst doing this reach one arm and the opposite leg upwards maintaining a straight back.
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Aim to do 2 sets of 10 repetitions on each side.
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To get the best out of this exercise, try to focus on the good quality of the movement and control rather than how fast or how high you can get your arms and legs.
5. Push-ups: One more useful exercise for the upper body, would be to aim to do push-ups. This can be done by going back onto your hands and knees.
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From this position straighten your knees and tuck your bottom in. Then control through your arms and slowly lower your body down to the floor, then push back up extending your arms.
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If this is quite challenging, then try to do the same exercise but kneeling onto your knees while still tucking your bottom in.
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Aim to do 20 each day depending on your ability, and potentially progress by 2-5 repetitions each day.
6. Chair sit-ups: If you and the family are all spending a lot of time sitting, then chair sit-ups will help to get you moving.
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When standing up from sitting down – aim to repeat 2 sets of 15 sit to stands from the chair.
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Aim to do this every-time you stand up from the chair, and this will help alleviate stiff legs.
All these exercises can be progressed by a few repetitions per day.