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5 Best Ways to Stay Fit Indoors During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Many people are currently stuck indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, you can still stay fit in quarantine, and being stuck in lockdown doesn’t have to prevent you from achieving your fitness goals. There are plenty of excellent ways to stay fit indoors and, even if you’re not in lockdown, these approaches can still help you lose weight and gain muscle throughout the year.

You don’t need a gym membership to stay in shape and, in many cases, you won’t even have to spend money. Many of these approaches require nothing but your own body – although you might want to invest in some home fitness equipment to keep yourself motivated while you’re stuck in the house. Here are 5 of the best ways to stay fit indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jump Rope

While it’s probably not the first thing to come to mind when you think of cardio, rope skipping is arguably the most underrated cardio exercise of all. It can improve your coordination, build your calves, and can shred an impressive amount of fat in a short amount of time. It’s often used by athletes (especially boxers) because of these benefits.

The perks of skipping aren’t just anecdotal. A study in the Research Quarterly journal from the American Association for Health, Physical Education and Research found that 10 minutes of jump rope a day was just as efficient as 30 minutes of jogging a day for producing cardiovascular benefits. In other words, try jogging 10 minutes a day for 4 to 6 weeks and you’ll look and feel fitter in no time.

The best thing about this exercise is that you can get a handy speed rope for less than 10 dollars and start using it anywhere. Simply find somewhere with an ample amount of space, keep the handles around your waist, and use your wrists to flick the rope over your head while you hop on your toes. It can take time to get the technique down, but you’ll reap the rewards once you get the hang of it.

Boxing

Boxing isn’t just a combat sport, it’s also one of the best ways to stay fit. Boxing combines speed, athleticism, endurance, and strength, and there are plenty of excellent boxing workouts that you can do right from the comfort of your home.

You don’t need to enroll in a boxing gym to get started, nor do you need any equipment. You can find plenty of shadowboxing and footwork drills online that will help you learn the fundamentals and use them to get fit. For instance, try shadowboxing in your living room for 3 rounds of 5 minutes and you’re bound to feel the burn.

If you want to take things up a notch, you can find plenty of boxing gloves on Amazon from brands like Everlast, EVO, and Reebok. You can also find freestanding or hanging punch bags that you can install in your house or garden. Try punching a heavy bag or speed bag for 20 to 30 minutes a day and you’ll burn plenty of calories while building your shoulders.

Stationary Bike

One of the best investments you can make for staying fit at home is an exercise bike, also known as a stationary bike. These handy pieces of equipment allow you to cycle on the spot for as many minutes or hours as you want, allowing you to swiftly burn calories while simultaneously engaging your leg muscles.

There are many types of stationary bikes. For instance, you can find folding bikes for easy storage, upright bikes, spin bikes, or even recumbent bikes that allow you to sit back while you exercise. Luckily, you can find these at all price ranges from brands like Marcy, Roger Black, Pro Fitness, and Peloton.

The best thing about a stationary bike is that you can set it up anywhere in your home. For instance, if you need an easy way to stay motivated while doing cardio, simply place your exercise bike in front of the TV and do 30 minutes to an hour of cardio while you’re watching your favorite shows and movies on Netflix. Soon enough this will become second nature and you’ll be in the best shape of your life.

Calisthenics

Calisthenics refers to exercises that require nothing but your body weight. As such, calisthenics workouts are perfect for those looking for ways to stay fit indoors without having to pay anything. There’s a whole host of exercises you can try, and they can help you build strength, tone your body, and burn calories all at the same time.

Some of the basic staples of calisthenics include push-ups, dips, pull-ups, crunches, and bodyweight squats. All of these can be performed at home and, while you might want to invest in some cheap home equipment, you can perform most of these exercises using what you already have. For instance, you can perform tricep dips using your bed frame or even a couple of chairs.

If you want to push yourself, you can find plenty of calisthenics circuits online or even create your own. For instance, try doing 20 pushups, 20 bodyweight squats, and 20 jumping jacks, taking 30 seconds of rest, then repeating the process 4 more times. You can also try making the exercises harder, such as doing diamond push-ups when regular push-ups become too easy.

Weight Training

Although calisthenics can help build strength, weight training will generally help you build muscle faster. While many gyms are currently closed, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on any muscle gains. You can weight train from the comfort of your living room or bedroom.

While you’ll need to buy some equipment, keep in mind that this is a long-term investment that can keep you in good shape for years to come. You can find plenty of dumbbells, barbells, and weight plates on eBay or even Craigslist. However, you might want to consider Adjustable Twistlock Dumbbells and Adjustable Kettlebells that allow you to change the weight with ease.

With just a couple of dumbbells or kettlebells, you can perform all kinds of exercises such as bicep curls, shoulder presses, front raises, upright rows, deadlifts, goblet squats, and much more. You might even want to invest in a weight bench or squat rack if you want to get serious – soon enough you’ll find that you prefer your home gym to any real gym.

Conclusion

From calisthenics to skipping, there are many ways you can burn fat, build muscle, and stay fit indoors. These methods are especially useful if you’re in quarantine or lockdown, but are also perfect if you work indoors, are trying to stay fit during winter, or simply prefer working out at home. Try a few of these home exercises out and see which works best for your individual goals and preferences.

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