Being home all day, every day due to coronavirus (COVID-19) should not give you an incentive to gain weight. Let this simple but effective workout challenge, at the very least, keep your body toned during these uncertain times we live in.
How to do this easy workout challenge
Crafted by Live Strong, the workout challenge contains eight mini exercises that you have to perform, at the top of every working hour for 30 seconds to a minute.
The goal is that by the end of the day, you should have completed eight reps of the following exercises:
- Push-ups (or any push-up variation)
- Lateral or front raises
- Lunges (or any lunge variation)
- Squats (or any squat variation)
- Planks (or any plank variation)
- Mountain climbers
- Bird dogs
- Dead bug
Live Strong advises that you couple this on-the-hour daily routine with a commitment to take anywhere between 7 500 and 10 000 steps every day.
Health benefits of staying fit during lockdown
It should also go without saying that depending on your health and fitness goals during quarantine, this workout challenge should be followed with a healthy diet plan.
Of course, we are aware that in these circumstances, chocolate and other delicacies are essential to keeping the spirits high.
If anything, this workout challenge is a commitment to keeping your mental health in check. Health experts have raised concerns about the psychological impact this lockdown and en masse cold turkey may have on many people.
In a recent Daily Maverick article, the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) warned that being cooked up at home for 21 days could lead to “unintended consequences” for those reliant on alcohol and cigarettes for relief — or an escape.
“Cutting cold turkey can kill you. In addition, the level of deprivation in townships is high and with basic needs insecure, this is a recipe for disaster. Deprive people of this and we are asking for a spike in aggression,” SAAPA noted in a statement.
Law enforcement has done its part in staving off any hints of aggression from detractor’s and for the most part, maintained law and order. It is our responsibility to ensure we come out of this confinement looking sharp and ready to tackle the new frontier.
