Staying Active During a Pandemic
The high number of COVID-19 cases in Alberta have locked down gyms temporarily. But don't let that prevent you from staying active. The weather is changing, the sun is shining and it's a great time to get outdoors and get some fresh air while burning some calories.
During the summer, it's often easy to grab some friends and have a pick-up game of basketball, soccer or just throw a football or frisbee around. It's all exercise and all part of staying active. Go for a run, walk or bike ride with your family.
Fitness can be done anywhere with very little equipment. In this case, when in Rome, train like the Romans do. Keep it simple, and get back to the basics. This means moving your body. Squatting, running, reaching and jumping. These are all things that can be done without any equipment. So if you don't want to commit to buying weights, here are some ideas to get you started.
Find an outdoor track
In Calgary, there are a number of outdoor running tracks available for public use. Click here for a list of tracks near you.
100 metre sprints.
50 metre walking lunges.
50 metre long jumps.
20 x Sit Ups
200 M run.
Repeat and see how many sets you can do in 35 minutes.
Back to school
Bring a skipping rope and some resistance bands and head to your near by school playground.
2 minute jumprope.
10 x bicep curl with the resistance bands.
10 x back rows with the resistance bands. (Wrap the band around a pole, soccer net, bench, etc.)
5 x monkey bar pull ups.
5 x push ups.
10 x shoulder presses with resistance bands.
Repeat this five times. It's a great little burner and will take about 30 minutes.
You were born to run
Running is an easy activity that takes no equipment and is a great way to build your stamina.
Run 5K.
New to running? Here are a couple of steps (excuse the pun) you can take to build up your running ability.
Start with a 2 minute job - 1 minute walk.
Move toward a 10 minute job - 1 minute walk.
Tempo run. Run as fast as you can for 1 km and take 2 minute breaks in between. Do 3 to 5 rounds.
A walk in the park
In these times, its important to improvise and be resourceful. Here are a few exercises you can do on a park bench.
20 x Step ups.
10 x Split Squat each leg. (Put your back foot on the bench and lunge your knees towards the ground)
10 x Tricep dips.
12 x Bench push ups.
10 x Bench jumps (Jump onto the bench with both feet)
10 x walking lunges each leg.
45 second plank.
Sprints.
Repeat this circuit 10 times - it isn't your average walk in the park.
How can you say no to an outdoor workout when the sun is out?
How can you say no to an outdoor workout when the sun is out?
Stay hydrated, drink lots of water.
Grab your comfortable shoes.
Dress appropriately for the weather.
Wear sunscreen.
Bring music.
And ensure you have a piece of fruit or a protein shake for your post workout meal.
Looking for more workouts?
Sign up to Undisputed By Alex for a number of online workouts.