One of the biggest impacts the Coronavirus has made on our personal lives pertains to our health and fitness. With quarantines and social distancing policies in place, gyms and fitness centers across the country have been forced to close their doors. But where does that leave everyone who depends on those facilities to stay fit and healthy? You can't be expected to buy home gym equipment in turbulent financial times like these. Don't worry, your situation isn't hopeless. You can learn how to get in shape at home, even without gym equipment. Keep reading for our quick guide.

Cardio Training

Cardiovascular exercise provides one of the easiest ways to stay fit at home. People have been learning how to get fitter at home through cardio workouts long before the Coronavirus dug its roots into our society. Here are the best cardio options.

Hit the Pavement

If you can leave the house, you have endless miles of roads and sidewalks to walk, run, bike, and jog. It's not illegal or even unsafe to be outside unless you're congregating in large groups of people. You can start off slow and build up your endurance by slowly increasing your speed and/or distance over time. For an extra challenge, try incorporating high-intensity interval training (H.I.I.T.) sessions into your running or biking routine:
  • Exercise at 75-90% perceived exertion for 30 seconds
  • Slow down to a recovery pace for 60-90 seconds
  • Repeat 5 to 10 times
As you progress, start intensifying your exertion or decreasing your rest period. You can also add extra rounds.

Be a Stair Climber

However, if you don't feel like going outside because of allergies or any other reason, you can still get in a good cardio session. If you have stairs in your home, you can build up lower body strength and significantly tax your cardiovascular system by running stair laps. Once again, you can start slow and increase your speed or intensity over time. Just remember to stay safe and avoid tripping or taking too many steps at once.

Master Calisthenics

Finally, there are a number of calisthenic movements specifically designed to improve your cardiovascular conditioning. However, many of these movements also come with the added benefit of increasing your lean muscle mass. Here's a quick free home exercise program designed exclusively with cardio-based calisthenic movements:
  • 5 burpees
  • 10 jump squats
  • 20 jumping jacks
  • 30 jump ropes
  • Repeat 3 to 10 times as indicated by your fitness level
Remember, all of these exercises can be modified based on your ability. The key is to continually push yourself harder each time. You can increase the number of rounds, the number of reps on each exercise, or try to decrease the time it takes you to complete the workout.

Strength Training

How can you incorporate home exercise programs that increase your strength and lean muscle mass without weights or other equipment? Believe it or not, you have everything you need already. Bodyweight movements have been used for increasing strength since the dawn of exercise. However, it's important to understand proper form and technique to optimize your results and minimize the risk of injuries. No matter what, you'll be sore, but you don't have to be broken. Here's an example of a well-rounded, full-body strength program you can do at home.
  • 15 Bodyweight Squats
  • 10 Pushups
  • 5 Pullups or Assisted Pullups
  • 10 Lunges (each leg)
  • 15 Situps
  • Complete 3 to 5 full cycles
Remember, these sets and reps can be altered based on your strength and conditioning level. Experiment with various combinations to find the best fit. Just remember that learning how to get in shape at home requires self-regulation - you have to push yourself. For the best results, we recommend slow and controlled movements through the motions of each exercise. Try to count to three on both the positive and negative movement of the exercise. For example, during squats, this would mean counting to three as you lower yourself down, pausing briefly, then counting to three as you slowly stand up into the starting position. This type of controlled movement increases both your power and stability. It also helps you achieve greater trauma to the muscle tissue which is necessary for growth improved strength.

Functional Strength Exercise

You may also want to explore how to get in shape at home by finding a daily yoga routine. Yoga has dozens of physical, mental, and emotional benefits. People have been using yoga for centuries to gain peace of mind, higher levels of consciousness, and yes, even stronger bodies. While you may look at yoga and assume it's all about being flexible, there's a ton of yoga positions only people of exceptional strength can execute. Power yoga, for example, is all about increasing strength, balance, and stability. Of course, yoga is also fantastic for improving your flexibility and range of motion, which is ever more important as we get older.

Incorporate a Healthy Eating Plan

Learning how to get in shape at home through exercise alone, however, isn't enough. If you're seeking true health and/or weight loss, your nutrition plays a vital role in your success. The best personal trainers and health experts will tell you that weight isn't lost in the gym, it's lost in the kitchen. You simply can't outwork a bad diet. For reference, to burn off the average candy bar, you'd have to run for 22 minutes. The best way to lose weight is to monitor your caloric intake and eat primarily good, whole foods (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats). Use the 80/20 rule. Eat healthy foods 80% of the time and allow yourself leniency the other 20% of the time.

Make It Part of Your Daily Routine

No project, goal, or hobby could succeed without consistency. In order to make a positive change in your health, you have to work at it every day. Our bodies are masters of homeostasis. Their main goal is to keep things the same. The only way to change the way things are (your current health and/or weight) is to consistently put forth an effort. We recommend making your new health and fitness plan a part of your daily routine. Schedule a time to workout each day. Pre-plan healthy meals so you never find yourself starving and craving less healthy options.

Looking for More Tips on How to Get in Shape at Home?

Learning how to get in shape at home isn't easy. However, you aren't alone. Hundreds of thousands of people in the nation are in your exact same shoes. Reach out to friends and family on social media and initiate health and fitness challenges to help motivate one another. And if you have any other health concerns and are looking for an affordable and helpful pharmacy, we can help. Contact us today to learn more about ordering prescription drugs and maintaining your best health.