During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to fitness centers and public gyms was significantly restricted. This period highlighted the crucial role of exercise in maintaining our physical and mental health.
A notable study by the UBC School of Kinesiology revealed that moderate exercise effectively alleviates depression. In response, PARC adapted by offering a range of fitness classes with appropriate safety measures and shared various at-home exercise techniques. Below are five creative exercises that were ideal for home workouts, requiring minimal equipment and ensuring a consistent fitness routine.
Pelvic Tilt Exercise
- Target Areas: Hips, core strength, lower back.
- Benefits: This exercise is a combination of stretching and strength-building, particularly effective for relieving tight hips caused by prolonged sitting.
How to Perform:
- Starting Position: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Movement: Push your lower back into the floor while contracting your abdominal muscles. Exhale as you do this, allowing your hips and pelvis to rock backward.
- Hold: Maintain this position for five seconds.
- Relax: Gently relax your muscles, allowing your lower back to rise slightly off the ground.
- Repetitions: Repeat the exercise two to three times.
- Rest: Take a rest for 30 seconds to a minute between each set.
Bicep Curl Exercise with Resistance Band
- Target Area: Upper-body strength.
- Equipment Needed: A resistance band (strong, stretchy tubing with handles).
How to Perform:
- Starting Position: Stand on the middle of the band with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Hold the handles in front of you, with your fists upturned.
- Movement: Curl your arms up toward your shoulders. Ensure a smooth motion to maximize the resistance from the band, which works both your biceps and triceps during the upward and downward phases of the contraction.
- Repetitions: Start with 10 repetitions. Increase the number as you feel more comfortable.
- Rest Between Repetitions: Rest for 10–20 seconds after each repetition.
- Sets: Repeat the exercise two to three times.
- Rest Between Sets: Rest for 30 seconds to a minute between each set.
Sit to Stand with Arm Raise Exercise
- Target Area: Legs, core, back.
- Benefits: Strengthens muscles for increased mobility and improved balance.
How to Perform:
- Starting Position: Sit on a chair with your arms at your sides.
- Movement: As you stand up, slowly and controlledly raise your arms until your hands are straight up in the air.
- Return Movement: Lower your arms back to your sides as you sit back down on the chair.
- Modification: If fully stretching your arms up is challenging, raise your hands as high as comfortably possible.
- Repetitions: Repeat this movement 10 times.
- Sets: Perform this in two to three sets.
- Rest Between Sets: Rest for 30 seconds between each set.
Bent-Over Row Exercise
- Target Area: Upper back, posture, core.
- Benefits: Strengthens upper back muscles and shoulders, improves posture.
- Equipment Needed: Hand weights (3 or 5 lb dumbbells, water bottles, or soup cans).
How to Perform:
- Starting Position: Stand with your knees slightly bent. Holding a weight in each hand, lean forward, keeping your back parallel to the floor.
- Core Engagement: Brace your core muscles as if preparing for an impact to your stomach.
- Arm Position: Extend your arms toward the floor, keeping elbows slightly bent or fully extended.
- Movement: Without slumping your shoulders forward, use your upper back muscles to pull the weights up to your chest, then lower them back to the extended position.
- Repetitions: Do 10 repetitions.
- Sets: Perform two to three sets.
- Rest Between Sets: Rest for 30 seconds between each set.
- Modification for Back Support: If needed, brace one arm on a chair and perform the exercise with one arm at a time, switching arms after completing the repetitions.
Seated Toe and Heel Raise Exercise
- Target Area: Calves, feet, ankles.
- Benefits: Strengthens calf muscles and feet, supports ankles, improves flexibility and balance.
How to Perform:
- Starting Position: Sit up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Heel Raise Movement: Raise your heels off the floor, keeping your toes on the ground. Hold this position for about two seconds.
- Toe Raise Movement: Return your heels to the floor and then raise your toes off the floor, keeping your heels grounded. Hold this position for about two seconds.
- Repetitions: Do two to three sets of 10 repetitions each.
- Rest Between Sets: Rest for 30 seconds between each set.
- Variation for More Challenge: For a more challenging workout, perform this exercise standing up instead of sitting down.
