It has been over a year that the world is fighting against the deadliest COVID-19 disease. Millions of people were infected and recovered and many are still recovering from the infection. Various countries have imposed strict lockdown regulations to curb the spread of this infection and its variants. While staying indoors is indispensable, it is possible to stay active and fit in simple ways without needing an actual gym. .By simply engaging the regular, household items, one can easily achieve their required amount of physical activity. Whether it's for muscle building or cardio, there are plenty of exercises to add to the fitness routine.These are equally suitable for people of different age groups and activity level. Sliders are slippery and assist in an intense full-body workout. You can use paper plates as substitutes at home. As there is a decreased amount of friction between you and the floor, you work your muscles harder to maintain your balance. You can modify these in the mountain climbers' exercises.Do as many repetitions as you can in 30 seconds and go up to one minute.A door frame for better burpeesBurpees is one of the most efficient exercises for the whole body. A burpee is a combination of four exercises - a jump, a squat, a plank and a push-up. Start with a high jump swing your arms up to touch the door frame and land in a squat. Place your hands between your knees while being in a squatting position and push your body intoa full-body plank and do a push-up. Jump back into a squatting position with your elbows between the knees and repeat the same steps in a fast synchronisation. Start with 2 sets of 10 repetitions and go up to 20 repetitions.Use couch for balance pradice.Dining or a folding chairApart from using it just for sitting, you can use it as a weight bench for triceps, dips and push-ups variations. Do these exercises in 2 sets of 10 repetitions.1 or 1.S litres of bottlesStrengthening exercises like biceps curls, straight shoulder lifts, side lifts and wrist curls can be done easily with bottles of 1 litre or 1.5 litres capacity. These exercises help in toning up your muscles. Begin the exercise with 2 sets of 10 repetitions and gradually increase to 2 sets of 20 repetitions.Paper plates as a sliderOur very own couch can give us challenges in simple balancing exercises. Stand up carefully and practice doing light balance work including tree pose and single-leg squats. This unstable surface will challenge small stabilizing muscles. Start by holding a position for 30 seconds in 2 sets of 10 repetitions. Gradually increase it to holding for 60 seconds in 2 sets of 20 repetitions.Here is a list of few more household items and the exercises that can be done using them:• Water bottle filled with a gallon of water or a large bottle of laundry detergent for triceps set and an additional prop for squats.• A standard bag of potatoes or a bag of pet food for agility drills in the house and an additional prop for planks.• A heavy book as a prop for squats variations and planks.• Small cans as weights for simple biceps, triceps and shoulder exercises.• A beach towel as a yoga mat.• Basketballs to make push-ups harder.• PVC pipes for shoulder mobility and stability exercises.• Toilet paper rolls as a variation and prop for planks.Physical activity is all about consistency and discipline. It is a way to listen to your body's requirement and provide it with the much necessary attention you would do with regards to diet. Staying physically active will not only improve your immune system but also enhance your mental wellbeing. After all, everything can be achieved with a strong body and mind. Dr Richa Kulkarni is the Chief Physiotherapist at Dr.Richa's KINESIS - Sports Rehab and Physiotherapy Clinic.
It has been over a year that the world is fighting against the deadliest COVID-19 disease. Millions of people were infected and recovered and many are still recovering from the infection. Various countries have imposed strict lockdown regulations to curb the spread of this infection and its variants. While staying indoors is indispensable, it is possible to stay active and fit in simple ways without needing an actual gym. .By simply engaging the regular, household items, one can easily achieve their required amount of physical activity. Whether it's for muscle building or cardio, there are plenty of exercises to add to the fitness routine.These are equally suitable for people of different age groups and activity level. Sliders are slippery and assist in an intense full-body workout. You can use paper plates as substitutes at home. As there is a decreased amount of friction between you and the floor, you work your muscles harder to maintain your balance. You can modify these in the mountain climbers' exercises.Do as many repetitions as you can in 30 seconds and go up to one minute.A door frame for better burpeesBurpees is one of the most efficient exercises for the whole body. A burpee is a combination of four exercises - a jump, a squat, a plank and a push-up. Start with a high jump swing your arms up to touch the door frame and land in a squat. Place your hands between your knees while being in a squatting position and push your body intoa full-body plank and do a push-up. Jump back into a squatting position with your elbows between the knees and repeat the same steps in a fast synchronisation. Start with 2 sets of 10 repetitions and go up to 20 repetitions.Use couch for balance pradice.Dining or a folding chairApart from using it just for sitting, you can use it as a weight bench for triceps, dips and push-ups variations. Do these exercises in 2 sets of 10 repetitions.1 or 1.S litres of bottlesStrengthening exercises like biceps curls, straight shoulder lifts, side lifts and wrist curls can be done easily with bottles of 1 litre or 1.5 litres capacity. These exercises help in toning up your muscles. Begin the exercise with 2 sets of 10 repetitions and gradually increase to 2 sets of 20 repetitions.Paper plates as a sliderOur very own couch can give us challenges in simple balancing exercises. Stand up carefully and practice doing light balance work including tree pose and single-leg squats. This unstable surface will challenge small stabilizing muscles. Start by holding a position for 30 seconds in 2 sets of 10 repetitions. Gradually increase it to holding for 60 seconds in 2 sets of 20 repetitions.Here is a list of few more household items and the exercises that can be done using them:• Water bottle filled with a gallon of water or a large bottle of laundry detergent for triceps set and an additional prop for squats.• A standard bag of potatoes or a bag of pet food for agility drills in the house and an additional prop for planks.• A heavy book as a prop for squats variations and planks.• Small cans as weights for simple biceps, triceps and shoulder exercises.• A beach towel as a yoga mat.• Basketballs to make push-ups harder.• PVC pipes for shoulder mobility and stability exercises.• Toilet paper rolls as a variation and prop for planks.Physical activity is all about consistency and discipline. It is a way to listen to your body's requirement and provide it with the much necessary attention you would do with regards to diet. Staying physically active will not only improve your immune system but also enhance your mental wellbeing. After all, everything can be achieved with a strong body and mind. Dr Richa Kulkarni is the Chief Physiotherapist at Dr.Richa's KINESIS - Sports Rehab and Physiotherapy Clinic.
