KEEPING FIT WHILE AT HOME |

Reality TV star Siyasanga Mfenyana shares her top five tips for working out at home

FOLLOWING President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of a 21-day lock-down, going to gym won’t be an option as the nation tries to flatten the curve during the Covid-19 outbreak.

That said, don’t despair.

They are options to help you keep fit during this period of selfisolation and Siyasanga Mfenyana, who paired up with Simphiwe

Ngema (aka #TeamTropical) has a few tips to help.

The media personality, who is also a co-founder of Girls with Gains, has been helping women keep in the best shape and, in doing so, loving their bodies. The reality TV star has some workout advice for women.

Below are her top five tips:

Jogging with ankle weights

I learnt this trick from my ballet teacher when I was young.

She would make us wear them for half the class then take them off. We would feel stronger and so much lighter once we took them off.

That’s exactly how I feel after a 30-minute jog with them on.

Using resistance bands

The name speaks for itself. Anything is a little bit harder with resistance. If you’re doing cardio, this helps tone and build muscle instead of just losing weight.

When using resistance bands during a workout, you tend to feel more muscle activation than if you were doing an exercise without them.

Pilates

The full body workout and core strengthening from pilates is insane. Pilates is also a great way to focus on and understand how to breathe better during workouts.

Joining a Pilates class with an instructor is great, but it’s really easy to find great pilates instruction videos on YouTube that you can then work from in the comfort of your own home.

All you need is a bit of space and an exercise mat. You can, of course, head out and get all the bells and whistles (such as gliders, Pilates ring and more) to take your Pilates session to the next level.

Moving push-ups

I promise this isn’t just for soldiers in the army. This exercise begins by getting yourself into the plank position and, from here, moving your weight slowly from the left shoulder to the right and repeating. This is a great way to strengthen your upper body and develop gorgeous and defined shoulders.

Keeping your peach tight with glute kickbacks

Glute kickbacks are one of my favourite exercises to keep your booty in great shape.

They’re really easy to do from home.

1. Get onto all fours, with a straight spine and contract your core muscles.

2. Extend your right leg back and up until your thigh is parallel with the ground. The sole of your right foot should be facing the ceiling.

3. Contract your glute at the top of the move and hold for a beat.

4. Return to your starting position without touching your knee to the ground and repeat.

5. Do 12 to 20 repetitions, then switch sides.

Her additional tips include adding weight on ankle weights to take your exercise to the next level. Of course, keeping hydrated throughout is important.

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