On days when you can’t get in the pool, it is important to have a back-up plan to meet your fitness needs. This 45-minute in-home exercise video is broken into four mini workouts that target strength, joint mobility, core and muscular flexibility.
WHO IS THIS VIDEO FOR?
These mini training segments are go-to routines that I use when I can’t get in the pool, and I don’t feel like driving to the gym. The COVID era helped me become less militant about my fitness activities, and more accepting about exercising at home. As I get older, I also have become more intuitive about what my body needs, whether that be cardio, strength, joint mobility, core training or stretching. These mini workouts are for anyone who wants to join me in some in-home exercise. They can also be used by instructors who teach studio classes. The 20-minute hand weight routine is a big hit whenever I sub classes in the studio.
EXERCISE VIDEO-AT-A-GLANCE
This 45-minute at-home exercise video is divided into four segments, a 20-minute strength routine with hand weights, a 10-minute seated joint mobility routine, 5 minutes of deep core training on a mat, and a 10-minute floor stretching routine. Each segment is described in more detail below.
This 20-minute strength routine with hand weights feature five supersets. Each super set combines two exercise combos. When I train in the gym, I prefer supersets because it keeps the pace moving quicker, and I get more in a shorter amount of time. When I sub classes, I like to insert cardio bursts between the strength supersets. Doing so transforms the weight routine into a breathless metabolic circuit that burns more fat and elevates the metabolic rate longer into the day. Training in this manner requires a lighter set of hand weights because there is very little resting. The 5-pound hand weights I am using were purchased on Amazon for $17.00.
The 10-minute joint mobility routine was performed seated to be more inclusive. However, you can do this routine standing with a chair or wall for balance when doing the lower extremity joints. All the movements in this routine are from AEA’s Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program (AFEP). The exercises are designed to move all your joints through a full range of motion (ROM), from the cervical spine down to your ankles. Failure to move your joints through their full ROM can lead to stiffness and pain, which can diminish your quality of living.
Typically, when I do core training at home I love using a stability ball. However, I wanted to keep equipment needs to a minimum in this video. Instead, I opted for a quick 5-minute core routine on the floor. I refer to this as a deep core routine because the goal is to recruit the deeper muscles of the core by engaging the transverse abdominis with stability and compression. This is the muscle that surrounds the spine like a corset. Strengthening it can help prevent lower back injuries. The mat used in the video can be purchased on Amazon for $22.00.
The older I get, the more I stretch. Over the years, I have become more aware that tight muscles can lead to injuries, especially the kinds of injuries that can sideline you from fitness activities for weeks at a time. This 10-minute floor stretching routine is one that I do two or three times a week. There is nothing fancy here. There are only so many biomechanical ways we can strengthen and stretch the major muscle groups of the body. Best to stick with tried-and-true methods. However, it is important to stretch intuitively, allowing your body to shift positions to deepen the stretch.
I hope that you find this video helpful and that you join me on days when you can’t get in the pool. In the video below, I summarize the four mini-workouts in the Fit to Go video.