Being Stuck at home and moving around less than ever, our mental and physical health are being destroyed day by day. For the maintenance and benefit of our physical and mental health, now, more than ever, we need to engage in a physical fitness routine. If Corona doesn’t damage us or kill us, the already rampant Sedentary Lifestyle that too many of us men already lead will kill us. We must exercise now.
Regular physical activity benefits both the body and mind. It can reduce high blood pressure, help manage weight and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and various cancers – all conditions that can increase susceptibility to COVID-19.
It also improves bone and muscle strength and increases balance, flexibility and fitness. For older people, activities that improve balance help to prevent falls and injuries.
Regular physical activity can help give our days a routine and be a way to stay in contact with family and friends. It’s also good for our mental health – reducing the risk of depression, cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia – and improve overall feelings.
The World Health Organization
Link To The World Health Organization Page
Corona Virus Covid-19 Changed Everything
When the pandemic arrived, just about everyone had no idea of which direction it would take and the massive effect that it would have on our daily lives. Who knew that along with wearing masks and social distancing, we would be expected to stay stuck in our homes.
With the spread of the Corona virus and all of the other craziness going on in the world, our daily tasks and routines have taken a back seat while our minds try to sort through the vast amounts of information that we are bombarded with from the different news outlets and from social media. With so much to take in mentally, too many of us have let our exercise routines be almost completely forgotten.
Exercise Brings Back Normalcy
As time has gone on with truly little change, it is more important than ever to bring back some form of normality to our lives and we can easily start with our physical health and fitness needs. When we are overwhelmed with stress, it is hard to get that push to continue to do what we know that we need to do..
And, for those of us that have did not have any sort of a fitness plan before the Corona came, now is a great time to start a home workout exercise routine.
Keeping Your Body And Mind Well During The Corona Virus Covid-19 Pandemic.
Follow these four motivational ways to feel more together and grounded. Statista.com reported that 27% of respondents were exercising less often because of the crisis.
BAM! Be A Man. Do the Right Thing: Instead of focusing on the reasons that keep us from moving, let’s focus on some of the mental benefits of exercise.
1) Reduce Stress
By making our bodies move, we allow our minds to reset. This can be as simple as doing chores, dancing to music, or walking around your neighborhood. Often when we feel bogged down by our thoughts, we get in a rut. Our bodies take in all that stress with no outlet.
2) Improve Mood
When our moods are low, it can lead to severe depression bringing along with it another host of problems. If things are stagnant, we often become bored and lazy, making it harder to stay motivated. However, if the body is tired from exercising, it gives the mind a chance to relax. If it is hard to take that first step, try doing an exercise that you like. When we engage in activities we enjoy, we feel a sense of accomplishment.
3) Prevent Sedentary Disease
Sedentary disease is defined as a lifestyle with a lot of sitting and lying down, with little to no exercise. Since the pandemic began, it has been reported that now, more than ever, Americans have adapted heavily to this lifestyle. We had it bad before Corona. Corona is just making it worse.
Sedentary activities look like the following:
- Sitting for long periods working on computers
- Watching television for more than one hour
- Socializing by phone in an inactive state
- Playing video games for a good portion of the day
Oh, no – None of us are wasting our days doing the above activities, are we?
4) Avoid Weight Gain
When our bodies become accustomed to non-mobile activities, our brains crave nutrition. This is where weight gain takes a turn. The Washington Post newspaper reported that “many sugar cravings stem from a blood sugar imbalance. When the body ingests sugar, the blood sugar spikes and the body releases insulin to lower it to a safer level. The body craves food that will raise it and increase energy.” Much of the same is said about salt cravings. However, these two combined over a relatively short period of time creates unwanted weight gain.
Instead of reaching for a short term high, try these snacks as an alternative to achieve a natural high and create enough energy to do some form of active exercise:
- Bananas
- Apple slices with peanut butter
- Avocado with whole grain toast
- Dates
- Unsalted Almonds
5) Relieve Boredom Mentioned In Item 2.
Working out will give your sorry butt something to do other than doing nothing at all, playing video games or binge watching another series on Netflix. Knowing that you will have something to do in your free time by doing a home workout will give you something to plan for and look forward to each day. Your day will have some meaning tied to it. You will feel a sense of purpose. You will be Doing the Right Thing.
And when everyone else is getting heavier by doing nothing, think of how good you will look when it is time to finally get back to normal. The people that you know will be amazed at the transformation that you will have been able to achieve.
Exercises and Activities That Will Get You Started With Your Home Workout Plan:
- Do the dishes or laundry (do a little dancing too!)
- Walk around your neighborhood
- Walk to the grocery store
- Do a short hike in the park
- Park further away from the front door of stores (this little bit of exercise helps)
- Call a friend and meet for a jog
It does not take much to get started. So get started now!
Working From Home? Exercise Is Even More Important For You
Most people know that exercise is good for them. For all the reasons, mental, physical, and overall health. Many people are working from home right now. Has your gym routine fallen away? It’s tempting to blow off exercise when you are done with work. If you are already at home working it is common to get caught up in other activities in the home, or just relaxing after the workday is over.
Again, the other issue is that in 2020 living in a world with a pandemic, many gyms are closed and facilities are limited. Some people got into home workouts or running and biking outside. Some never even started. If you are trying to find your way back to a fitness routine or even just starting it’s important to know that: exercise is even more important if you are working from home.
Working at home probably means that you are less active. Even doing work at a desk involved driving or traveling to work and walking around at the place of work. It’s not uncommon for people to sit all day with no exercise.
Sitting around more and working out less is not the way to go. Check out these benefits of exercise:
The Benefits Of Exercise
- Weight Management
- Improved Body Health (Decreases in blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol.)
- Mental Health Gains.
- Energy Boost.
- Better Sleep.
- Improved Physique
Why Is Exercise More Important If You Are Working From Home?
Regular exercise is important for everyone under normal circumstances. It’s even more important if you are working from home. Here’s why:
Exercise Is Good For Your Health.
Do we have to say this? It can give your immune system a boost. You are a healthier individual overall if you are fit. Being physically strong and heart fit can even help you get well faster if you get sick.
Exercise Can Help You Offset Weight Gain.
Exercise help you burn the calories you would have burned commuting to work and being more active during the day. You will increase your calorie deficit with exercise which is the key to weight loss or maintaining weight without eating less.
Mental Health Gains:
Exercise is amazing for your mental health. You will be happier, and more mentally fit from getting regular exercise.
What type of exercise?
Any kind. Try these:
- Go for a walk of at least 10 minutes 3 times per week
- Go for a jog, start slow and build up
- Yoga (Yes men, we can and should do Yoga!)
- Soccer in a park
- Hiking
- Take an online exercise class
- Sign up for a virtual event like a virtual 5k for extra motivation
Challenge Yourself: Set An Exercise Goal.
Such as doing a home workout plan several days per week or beating your mile time. Setting a goal like this allows you to make a plan and a schedule to follow. This will keep you accountable and set you up for success.
Experiment with all types of physical activity that fit into your life. Try out many and add a few options into your weekly routine. This way you will have a few choices that are enjoyable to you and not a chore that you are doing because you feel like you should.
Just like many things adding fitness into your remote work at home routine is a practice that takes some work to become a habit. Adding these practices into your life will bring all the benefits. Also, adding exercise to your day can be a lot of fun once you find your favorite activities that you enjoy.
Still Not Convinced?
Here Are 5 Benefits Of Home Workouts
Working out is something that is required in order to maintain your overall health. Going to the gym at this time may not be safe or even feasible as many gyms have been closed to prevent spread of Covid-19.
Even under normal circumstances, many people prefer the privacy of their own home because of the flexibility and privacy it brings and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, there are 5 benefits of home workouts.
Confidence:
Home workouts are best for those who shy away from the gym. For some, home workouts mean they do not have to face judgment from others who will stare at your every movement. Working out at home allows you to feel comfortable, at ease, and focused. This can boost your confidence and make you feel more motivated to workout.
You can feel more empowered and better about yourself, you will not feel the need to bring yourself down by comparing yourself to others. This new confidence will allow you to be comfortable in your own skin, feeling attuned with yourself and not just in a physical way but also in a better mental and emotional state.
And with confidence you will feel more motivated to keep going and help others especially those who start to workout from home. You will inspire yourself and others around you, people will take notice of your confidence and will look up to you.
Budget:
For some price may be an issue and who likes to pay for monthly memberships when you can just do it for free in the comfort of your own home. You can come up with your own regiment or use any one of the many structured home workout programs available on the market.
You will save a lot of money and the money saved can be used for healthy food substitutes like granola bars, smoothies, power drinks and so much more! You can even invest in your own basic equipment like purchasing a medicine ball, some dumb bells, a mat, or even a larger mirror so you can see yourself workout.
Germ free environment:
In a traditional gym setting there will be the sweat from others and since sweat splats and drips all over the place this means the area will have a lot of bacteria and germs that can quickly spread.
Since we are currently living in a pandemic it is best to avoid areas where germs can spread easily. This is why home workouts are becoming so popular now compared to traditional gyms, and especially since many states have shut down gyms altogether.
Time:
The best part of working out at home is you will always have the option to pick the time you begin to start. In a traditional gym during certain hours the gym is too packed and this can cause people to lose motivation since the timing is inconvenient and since the gym has certain hours it is open this really puts a restraint on timing for you.
Since you have the option of when to work out at home, this also means you cannot have any excuses for not working out since you have the privacy and time to do so.
Privacy:
Home workouts can be just as fun as going to the gym or even better! At home you can go at your own pace and not feel the pressure from others around you to move faster.
You can simply feel more focused on yourself and not distracted from what is going on around you. You can wear whatever you want and still feel good about yourself while not feeling judged by others for the clothes you wear. Wear nothing and workout in the nude with your partner?
You can even play your music as loud as you like and feel like you’re in a music video in this judgment free zone.
Ready To Start? You Better Be! BAM! Be A Man. Do The Right Thing.
Here Are Some Home Workout Exercises You Can Do:
5 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do At Home
Home workouts are the most convenient way to stay in shape, body weight exercising is the best way to stay in shape, it helps engage with your muscles, and strengthen the trunk of your body.
During the pandemic, when gyms are closed and it is not safe to be around a lot of people, working out at home is a great option. Bodyweight exercises are a great way to exercise and the other best part is you don’t need any equipment to get started on these top 5 bodyweight exercises.
1) Squats:
Squats are a great way to kick off your home workout with. Squats have plenty of benefits one of them being that they tone your butt so you can have a much more desired bottom. It helps burn fat and speed up weight loss in the process.
Squats exercise also helps boost athletic ability and strengths and the best thing is squats can be done anywhere! Squats help tone up your body giving your body a toned look while straightening your posture and enhancing your circulation really sets the tone for why squats are a great bodyweight exercise.
Squats are another great way to work your lower body. Squats are easy and you do not need weights to do these. Simply squat anywhere in the house. You can also pair your squats with music. Squat to the beat of the music (this usually gets your heart rate up if you listen to high paced music). This will keep you going, and you will quickly feel the burn.
The great thing about doing squats without weights is that there is less of a chance of you hurting yourself when exercising. Be mindful however, proper form is always a good way to decrease the risk of hurting yourself even more. Before you start squatting to a fast-paced song, be sure that your form is correct and start off slow. Again, the goal of these exercises is to get your heart rate up.
Squats help reduce the risk of injuries because the function of squats helps strengthen your tendons, ligaments, and bones this helps reduce injuries as stated by the American Council on Exercise.
2) Reverse Lunges:
Reverse lunges, unlike other types of lunges are actually much safer for you when you’re landing each lunge. Reverse lunges are a compound exercise that works multiple joints and muscles groups simultaneously.
They target the lower half of your body activating support for your hamstrings, quads, glutes, and calves. Reverse lunges put less stress on your joints and give you a bit more stability in your front leg compared to other types of lunges.
They help burn calories faster since the entire body will be at work and they stimulate your core area, helping you to improve your posture and even prevent injuries. Reverse lunges are ideal for those who have knee concerns, difficulty balancing, or less hip mobility.
3) Donkey Kicks:
Donkey Kicks are a moderate styled exercise that can really make a difference in your glutes and calf area. They’re designed to target your glute area and core and shoulder muscles. It will give you strength and stamina in many positions, it will sculpt your butt and tone your hamstrings. They provide stability and toning of the body which makes this workout so desirable.
4) High Knees:
High knees is the easiest workout of the list because all you have to do is to stand with your feet hip-width apart and lift your knee to your chest.
But as simple as this sounds high knees have plenty of benefits that may surprise some. High knees are a cardio exercise that engages your core, strengthens your leg muscles and improves your flexibility and coordination.
5) Plank Jacks:
Many people do not know what plank jacks are so we came across this information from Shape Magazine:
How to do plank jacks.
- Start in a low position with feet hip-width apart.
- Hop into a scissor position where your feet are out wider than your hips
- Hop back to the start position.
- Tighten your abs and prevent your butt from extending beyond the shoulders.
Given the exercise is done properly, Plank Jacks are some of the best bodyweight workouts because they’re a combination of cardio and core-strengthening. These exercise help to strengthen your lower and upper body, and this makes plank jacks an entire body work out in itself.
Plank jacks works your core and you’ll have the benefit of increased shoulder activity, which is needed for this intense full body exercise.
We Are Not Done Yet!
4 More Great Easy Home Workout Exercises That Can Be Done Without Equipment
Just because you do not have equipment at home does not mean that you are not able work out. There are many different exercises that you can do that will help you to stay in shape and keep you moving. Some of these exercises listed here are some that you do anyway without even realizing you are working out.
Walking Up and Down the Stairs
Many people that go up and down the stairs all day do not realize that they are working out and getting a great workout at that. Stairs are a great way to work your legs, bum, and abs. If you are thinking “walking up and down stairs will not help me stay in shape”, then take this challenge.
Continuously walk up and down the stairs without stopping for 15 minutes. If you find that you are short of breath and sweating, then you are challenging your body. Your heart rate will increase and that is ultimately what your goal is when working out.
If you find this challenge to be too easy, run up and down the stairs for 15 minutes and see how you feel afterwards. Stairs are a great way to get your heart rate up and there is no equipment needed. If you think this is silly, think back to what a traditional gym has to offer; they most likely have a stair climber.
Tiptoe Lift
The tiptoe lift is a great and easy exercise to do and it improves your flexibility, develop the strength of your calf muscles and also helps to improve your posture and develop the proprioceptive ability and body balance. (Proprioceptive ability is a big word for the body’s ability to sense position and movement which include our balance and equilibrium – You learned something today!).
To do the tiptoe lift stand with your feet shoulder with apart and your toes pointing forward and lift your body up by pushing up from the balls of your feet and your toes.
Make sure that you upper body stays straight up and down and that you don’t lean forward.
The tiptoe loft is the one of, if not the easiest exercise that you can do anytime and anywhere and not just at home!
Pushups and Planks
Now for upper body. Push ups and planks are great exercises that you do not need equipment for when performing. When doing push-ups, remember to go slow and have good form. Doing push ups incorrectly can lead to you hurting your back, shoulders, elbows, and wrists.
If you are having difficulty with push-ups, instead of exercising on your toes, put your knees on the ground or push-up against the stairs, a wall, or a counter. Once these exercises get easier for you, decrease your incline and pretty soon you will be doing push-ups on the floor, using your toes for stability of your lower body.
Planks are great as well. Challenge yourself to do one minute. It may seem easy; however, when you are no accustomed to doing this exercise, a minute can seem like forever. Once you make it to a minute, continue challenging yourself and add a minute.
Crunches
Crunches are a great ab workout. You can do the standard crunch, up and down, and you can also do crunches from side to side to work the sides of your abs. Engaging your ab muscles will undoubtedly strengthen those muscles and you will begin building a stronger core. Having a strong core can help to improve posture and balance as well. Crunches are easy and do not require weights.
Conclusion
You have no excuse. You need to keep active during Corona. Once Corona finally passes, your will be in great form and habit to continue your home workout routine and maintain your general health and fitness levels. You will look great and feel better about yourself. Its easy to start a home workout plan. You do not need any equipment as you can workout using simple and effective bodyweight exercises. By keeping your mind and body healthier, it allows you to cope with the current pandemic in a more rational and evenly grounded lifestyle. Then, finally, once the pandemic ends, you can continue your routine to maintain the new level of excellence that you have achieved in your life. Get to it! Start now!
Be A Man – Do The Right Thing. Take Care Of Yourself. Now More Than Ever!
BAM!!! Be A Man! Do The Right Thing.
Be the DtRTy Guy!