Fitness – Exercise Anywhere

Who said you must only exercise at the gym? These workouts will get you moving, wherever you are!

Gym can be intimidating, and the pressure to look cute while sweating is high. There’s also the added anxiety of appearing like you know what you’re doing! Actually, you don’t need to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to exercise. You can workout without ever stepping into a gym.

You also don’t need to sweat for hours – a moderate workout for 45 minutes, to keep lifestyle diseases at bay is enough, says Lucky Mazibuko, a fitness instructor and founder of Pulse60 Fitness. “By completing 45 minutes of moderate exercise per day you can reduce your risk of a heart attack and stroke. You can also manage a healthy body weight, lower your blood cholesterol and the risk of some cancers. Not only does keeping active reduce stress, anxiety and depression, you also feel great,” Mazibuko adds.

1. SKIP

This will remind you of your childhood when played skipping rope with your friends. Besides being really fun, it’s also a great full body cardio workout you can do at home. “Skipping is a great way to get your heart rate up. The higher the heart rate, the more calories you burn. You can skip between sit-ups or squats or as a warm-up or cardio workout,” Mazibuko advises.

2. MOUNTAIN CLIMB

“This move targets your full body and engages your core in order to maintain a straight posture throughout the exercise,” says Khethiwe Mlangeni, co-founder of PopUpGym. She suggests doing at least 10 reps at a time. Lie on your yoga mat in the plank position, making sure your hands are directly underneath your shoulders, shoulder-width apart. The feet must be hip-width apart and your toes curled under. Keep your legs and arms straight. Once stable in the plank position, pull your right knee into your chest. As the knee draws to the chest, pull your abs in even tighter to be sure your body doesn’t sag or come out of the plank position, then quickly switch and pull the left knee in.

3. CHAIR DIPS

This is another great home workout. Do dips or presses for 10 minutes and you’re done for the day. Sit down and wrap your fingers around the front edge of the chair. Slide your body forward until your buttocks are just off the chair. Start with your arms fully extended. Adjust your feet so your heels are a couple of centimetres in front of your knees. Bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor. Point your elbows directly behind you – don’t let them flare out to the sides. Stop when your elbows are at a 90-degree angle and press back up, straightening your arms. “This is great for those who have flabby arms and soft or loose upper skin as it builds muscles and defines biceps and triceps, Mazibuko says.

4. WALKING

Not everyone can run, and a 30-minute walk is as beneficial as a 30-minute run, Mlangeni suggests. When you do this correctly, it will increase your heart rate, which is good. When you’re walking, you’re strengthening your bones and muscles. If you live about a kilometre from the shops, try to walk instead of driving. At a shopping mall, park further away so you can walk for longer,” she says. The trick, however, is to put in effort. Make it brisk so that your heart rate can increase.

5. TAKE THE STAIRS

Forget about the lifts and those convenient escalators. Take the stairs. It’ll make a difference in the long run, because all the small steps add up and improve your overall fitness. With so many gadgets available on the market to help keep track on how well – or badly – you’re performing, there is no excuse to be lazy. An average FitBit requires that you clock in at least 10 000 steps every day, which is in line with the World Health Organisation’s recommendation that one should be active for at least 150 minutes a week.

6. SIT-UPS

To strengthen your core and get enviable flat abs, old-fashioned sit ups still do the job. “Sit-ups target 90 degrees of your stomach as they mostly engage your abdomen, gets you that flat tummy and builds muscles for a six-pack. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, it’s great to reduce fat or maintain your flat stomach,” Mazibuko says.

7. STAR JUMPS

Doing jumping jacks or star jumps is another great way to get your heart rate up. Mlangeni says they are a great start to any workout. “Star jumps are a great warm-up exercise and you don’t need any equipment – just your body. Start with your feet together and hands on your sides, then jump and land feet apart and arms above your head then jump back to the starting position,” she explains.

8. SQUAT

While you wait for the kettle to boil or microwave to ping, you can do squats. It is one of the best ways to tone those legs. Challenge yourself to start with just 20 squats each day, and build up from there. “Squats focus on your lower body, such as your lower back and knees, and they build your quadriceps, the upper part of your legs,” Mazibuko says.

9. DANCE

Put those vosho and twalatsa moves to good use – dancing can burn a lot of calories, but requires a lot of intensity. For example, if you weigh 70kg and do moderate dancing for an hour, you can burn up to 410 calories. Mlangeni says dance is a great way to keep active and it doesn’t even feel like a workout. “Dance is a great workout because you burn calories and you’re exercising without even realising it. Even if you have two left feet, you can do it. It’s fun and gets you sweating!” she enthuses.

10. LEG RAISES

Leg raises target your lower abdomen so that stubborn spejeje can disappear, Mazibuko says. “Lie flat down on the mat, and you alternate lifting one or both your legs high towards the ceiling, but control the movement and tighten your core. Do at least 20 reps to feel the burn,” he says. Also, joining your kids when they play, is bonding and a great way to keep active.

Exercising really doesn’t need to be a chore. A yoga mat, great music and dedication is all you need. Switch it up, and good luck!