Exercise tends to drop with outdoor temperature. Putting on extra weight and feeling down? Staying fit during the winter season can’t be just outdoors. So what are the best indoor exercises?
For all ages and lifestyles, it takes regular effort to maintain fitness. Aim for staying limber, building strength and stamina. Maintaining moderate exercise requires activity for 30 minutes each day, five times per week. So what are the best indoor exercises? The best indoor exercise needs to keep you hooked and on a regular schedule. So, it can’t bore you. Make exercise fun and something to look forward to each day.
Love to watch TV? Let the ads play when streaming a show, and squeeze in a plank hold for the duration of the commercial. Try doing crunches or push-ups to mix it up. Want to focus on something easier to start? Try holding a yoga pose for the ad break. Work yourself up to being active for the duration of a short show. Try indoor biking or treadmill while listening to a podcast or watching a video. Kids wearing you down? Nothing like having them jump on board as you do a bear walk. Get the family involved, lots of video game sets have exercise simulations, competitions or dance! There really is no excuse, exercise can be partnered with many everyday leisure activities.
Effective exercise requires different activities in your week. Work on different muscles and types of exercise each day. Building strength requires weight bearing exercise. Provide at least a day of rest when you train a muscle group. Change your exercise every day, work another muscle group, a cardio workout, or a stretch and recovery. Spend your 30 minutes concentrating on one muscle area or type of exercise.
So what is the best indoor exercise? It’s actually many exercises that you rotate through to use all different muscles and your heart. Fast, slow, balance, stretch and heavy should be alternated. Fast and heavy will increase your heart rate, building stamina. Slow, balance, and stretch are important for your body to recover between those fast or heavy workouts.
What is the best indoor workout for most? Mindless motivation. Following a leader, whether at a gym or turning on a video, is a great way to exercise. There are great streaming online videos for activities requiring no equipment and for all ages. Buddy up with a friend or family member. Try just a few short exercises, but aim for 150 minutes per week, which means 30 minutes daily, five times per week. Short sessions over several days is better than long hours at the gym on weekends.
If you have health concerns, discuss best exercise regimens for your condition with a doctor or pharmacist. Your pharmacist can also assist with equipment, rubs, wraps or braces to prevent injury or speed recovery.
