The coronavirus pandemic has changed life for all of us. Even as the weather warms, we’re all hunkering down indoors. It’s the right thing to do right now. By sheltering in place, we’re helping to flatten the curve, quite literally saving lives. But all the time at home can make you a little stir-crazy. So we looked for a way to burn energy and feel your best while safely at home. And we landed on this no-equipment stay-at-home workout.
Using things you already have around your house, you can get a high-intensity, full-body workout in — even if you’re stuck in a tiny studio apartment.
How to build your no-equipment quarantine workout
This no-equipment stay-at-home workout is circuit-based and designed to improve your full-body strength and your balance. We’ve picked five exercises. All you need for this workout is a chair and two items of the same weight (canned goods, water bottles, or anything else you have laying around). You can adjust how long you do each exercise, how long you rest between, and how many times you repeat the circuit based on your fitness level and what feels right in your body.
Generally, we’d recommend the following:
Beginners: 30 seconds per exercise, 30-second rest in between each exercise, complete the circuit three times with 2 minutes of rest between circuits (17-minute workout)
Intermediate: 1 minute per exercise, 30-second rest in between, complete the circuit two times with 1 minute of rest between circuits (16-minute workout)
Advanced: 1 minute per exercise, 30-second rest in between, complete the circuit three times with 1 minute of rest between circuits (24.5-minute workout)
We’ve developed this workout to be customizable. Really, really hate mountain climbers? We feel you. Swap them out for a different type of cardio you enjoy more, like jumping jacks or jump-roping. Similarly, you can swap out any exercise on our list with another one that targets the same muscle groups. Make this no-equipment stay-at-home workout work for you and stick with it. You might just come out of the stay-at-home season looking and feeling your best!
Suggested no-equipment stay-at-home workout exercises
Mountain climbers (cardio)
It’s time to get that heart rate up! Get into plank position. Feel stable, then pull one knee in toward your chest. Push it back into plank, switch legs, and repeat. Move as fast as you can to pump your heart rate and add some cardio into your no-equipment stay-at-home workout. For more info on how to do mountain climbers, check out this video from Howcast.
Curl and press (arms and shoulders)
It’s time to make good use of those canned goods we all stocked up on a few weeks ago. With one in each hand, perform a bicep curl, then rotate your wrists out as you press your hands above your head. Livestrong has a quick curl and press video so you can see this exercise in action.
Plank (full-body)
You can modify your plank to best serve your body. If you have wrist problems, for example, do forearm plank. If it feels too intense, drop your knees. For more information about how to do plank and your various options for it, check out this plank video from Bowflex.
Bulgarian squats (legs)
Grab your chair. You’re going to be doing a split-squat with your back foot propped up on a chair to serve as a kickstand for you. If the chair feels too high, you can also use a stack of books. Don’t forget to watch your timer during this exercise and switch legs halfway through.
To make sure your feet are spaced appropriately for this leg-strengthening exercise, you can use this Bulgarian squat checklist video from Squat University.
Russian twists (core)
Keep those canned goods handy.
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor in front of you. Lean back slightly and lift your feet off the floor, then twist from one side to the other. For guidance on proper form, Fit Father Project has a great Russian twist video.
You can do this exercise with your hands empty but, for more intensity, hold a canned good as you twist.
We’re all adapting to this new normal, but we know that it isn’t easy. To help, we’re offering telehealth therapy. If you want to schedule a video call with any of our therapists to talk about how this pandemic is affecting you or any other issues that feel heavy on your mind, get in touch. We’re here to offer a source of support to help us all weather this storm.
