With the gyms and fitness centres across the UAE currently closed, Jumeirah wants to inspire you to stay healthy and fit by following a few simple steps at home. These exercises from The J Club Director Of Fitness – Jamie Moore, have a range of benefits; from burning fat, enhancing bone, joint and muscle strength to heightening your metabolism, improving posture and boosting your mental mood.
Whether trying these moves out on your own or getting your loved ones involved, #StayHomeWithJumeirah and stay fit and healthy for a strong body and mind.
The Bodyweight Squat
This is one of the most beneficial exercises to do during this lockdown period. The Bodyweight Squat is a full-body exercise that when performed correctly will strengthen your legs, glutes, core muscles and lower back. It will increase blood flow around the body and help mobilise your hips.
How To:
Stand up with your knees slightly wider than shoulder width
Lower your torso/glutes while keeping your back straight
Push back your hips back as you descend down
Avoid knees coming over your toes
Once you reach slightly lower than parallel, pause for 1 second
Then push yourself back up and squeeze your glutes
Keep your core engaged during the full movement
To increase the intensity of the workout, simply add a weight and hold it close to your chest while you squat. If you do not have access to gym equipment you can simply use tinned cans in the cupboards or bottles of water. To further increase the intensity and elevate your heart rate you can do dynamic jump squats.
How To:
Same as above however once you reach the bottom, explode upwards in an jump
Be careful when landing and repeat movement
Bodyweight Lunges
A lunge is a dynamic, full-body exercise that can be performed anywhere. It will strengthen your legs, core muscles, and increase your heart rate.
How To:
Step forward with one foot and place one metre in front
Starting at the hips, lower your rear knee toward the ground
Slowly drop until your legs are both at 90 degree angles, which will happen just before your knee touches the ground
Pause for 1 second at the bottom of the movement
Push through your front heel back up to standing
Keep your core engaged and shoulders back during the full movement
To increase the challenge, similar to the Bodyweight Squat you can add a weight while doing the lunges. Intensity can be further increased by doing dynamic jump lunges.
How To:
Same as above however once you reach the bottom, explode upwards and switch legs in the air
Be careful when landing and repeat movement
Push-ups
Push-ups are a challenging exercise for the upper body and core. For beginners, either start with your knees on the floor or use a raised surface such as a table or countertop. To make the exercise harder, try a full form push up and begin in a plank position, lowering chest to floor. For an added challenge, mix up your hand positions after each set (moving them further apart, or closer together, for example).
If you wish to increase the intensity and elevate your heart rate, try doing dynamic push-ups: take it to the next level and try to clap in between each rep.
Planks
Planks are a great exercise to stimulate the whole body and particularly help to strengthen the core and lower back.
How To:
Begin in the plank prone position with your forearms and toes on the floor
Lift knees six inches off the ground, keep your core tight and braced
Keep body straight from head to heels,
Keep head relaxed looking at the floor
Regulate and control your breathing
During the plank be sure to keep control of your breathing and maintain a solid posture at all times. Mix these up and add in side planks too.
Try for 30 seconds at a time, increasing the time to build up strength.
To further challenge yourself, lift one leg up during each set. This will challenge your stability strength to the max.
Simple Stretches
Often overlooked, stretches are an important part of muscle care and overall health. Perform each of the stretches below for 15-20 seconds and repeat three times. Focus on breathing – inhaling and exhaling with the movements.
- Hamstring stretch:
How To:
Sit down on a mat or floor legs straight
Bend forward from your waist as far as possible while keeping your legs straight.
Try and touch your toes if possible
- Quad stretch:
How To:
Lay on your side
Bend top leg and hold foot
Pull heel towards glutes and push hips forward
- Shoulder extensions:
How To:
Sit on floor/matt
Hands shoulder width apart, elbows locked
Scoot feet/hips out, lowering shoulders down towards ground
Go as far as you can to obtain a good stretch
Be mindful of the elbows with this stretch
Slow and controlled thoughout
- Cobra pose:
How To:
Lie in a prone position on the floor or on a matt
Place palms under your shoulders
Push your arms up, arching your back
Keep hips and lower body on the floor
Feel the stretch and hold
- Child’s pose:
How To:
Lie in a prone position on the floor or on a matt
Sit back on your heels, separate your knees hip width apart
Exhale, bringing your head down, rest head on the floor in front of you
Place your arms stretched out in front of you
Relax and breathe, holding this pose
Posture
During this period, it is very easy to relax and forget about maintaining good posture. Especially if you are sitting down for long periods. Make sure you move around your home (either doing exercise, walking around your home or stretching etc.) every three hours to keep regular blood flow and an active metabolism. To help with your posture try regular shoulder roles and neck roles to avoid your shoulder and neck muscles from tightening up.
** Please consult a healthcare professional before commencing any new fitness routine.
For more tips and advice, follow the hashtags:
#StayHomeWithJumeirah #GetFitWithJumeirah
We would love to see how you get on so please tag us on Instagram:
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