Sept 11, 2020 | By Ellie Gober| Illustration by Jubilee Hernandez
As Colorado College students go into a semester of online class, there are many questions and concerns. One thing to remember despite all the crazy is that taking care of yourself is the number one priority. While many students are in quarantine, or travelling home for class, there is limited exposure with the outside world. Keeping our communities safe can take a toll on mental and physical health, despite the good intentions.
So, during this isolated time, here are some tips for staying healthy and happy at home through body weight workouts that are quick, easy, and take up a small amount of space.
To start, make a good playlist. Choose songs that will pump you up, motivate you, and get you moving. Having music is essential to making a workout or activity more fun. Along the same lines, you have to dress the part. Whether you’re outside, on your porch, your bedroom carpet, or your dorm room floor, get some workout clothes on so you’re ready to get to it. Once ready to get moving, it is vital to get a good warm-up in. Here is a series of exercises that make for a quick, dynamic warm-up and stretch that will get your blood pumping and muscles ready.
- Skipping – extra high/extra fast
- High knees
- Butt kicks
- Side shuffle, both sides
- Karaoke, both sides
- Hold knee to chest, alternating
- Hold foot to butt, alternating
- Lunges with upper body twist
- Touch toes and then go into downward dog
These exercises can be done routinely and are a quick way to get the whole body moving and warmed up. After completing these, you can move to your workout. There are many different workouts to do depending on the intensity wanted and what type of fitness is being targeted. For example, there are body weight strengths. Here is an example workout:
- Warm up
- Burpees 3×6
- Squats x20
- Push-ups x10
- Repeat 3x
- Lunges x20 (10 each leg)
- Bridges x10
- Repeat 3x
- Single leg squats (use a chair as a height to sit on if needed) x6 each leg
- Back extensions (superman) x12
- Repeat 3x
- CORE
This is the standard format for a strength workout, and these are more often done in the gym with weights. But, when at home, they are great for developing movement patterns and basic muscle gain.
The other type of workout that is common at home is the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout. HIIT workouts are very flexible and can be used in a variety of different ways. They often target both strength and cardio fitness and are effective for such a short period of time. Here is just one example of a HIIT workout:
- Warm up
- 30 second jump squats, 15 second rest
- 30 second jump lunges, 15 second rest
- 30 second mountain climbers, 15 second rest
- 30 second side to side shuffles (fast), 15 second rest
- Repeat 4x, then rest one minute
- 30 second high knees, 15 second rest
- 30 second burpees (with push-up, knees or full), 15 second rest
- 30 second plank, 15 second rest
- 30 second jumping jacks, 15 second rest
- Repeat 4x, then rest one minute
- CORE 5 minutes
This HIIT workout is a full body workout and will take approximately 30 minutes. It will get you moving, sweating, and tired enough to go back to homework. Taking care of your body is essential to keeping good mental health and staying positive during this time. Because of online school, you can also do workouts with friends through Zoom or FaceTime to engage in some fun social interaction. Stay healthy, and don’t be afraid to reach out to your fellow students if needed.
For further inquiries on workouts at home, contact me at e_gober@coloradocollege.edu.