The Two Minute
Workout Challenge
Keeping active while at home for long periods can
be challenging. For many people, going out for a run or taking time to perform
a full workout can be daunting, especially if this is not a part of their usual
routine.
There are a few quick and
easy ways to add some movement to your day, starting with something as simple
as boiling the kettle. As the average kettle takes 2-3 minutes to boil,
challenge yourself to see if you can complete these three exercises while
waiting for your cup of tea. You can focus on one each day, or work through one
different one each time.
1.
Challenge your balance.
Standing on one leg is
something many of us assume we can do, yet rarely take the time to check. This
is an essential skill that can deteriorate without being noticed until everyday
activities, such as getting dressed, are impacted. Being able to stand on one
leg is important for putting on shoes, trousers and reduced balance can be a
risk factor for falls.
Start by seeing if you can
stand on one leg with your eyes open for the entire time the kettle is boiling.
Test both legs and if this is too difficult, make sure you are close to a bench
that you can use to support yourself. To increase the difficulty, try balancing
with your eyes closed, then progress to balancing on your tiptoes. If you can
balance on your tiptoes, with your eyes closed, then you may need to ask your
physio for more suggestions.
2. Heel Raises
Start by keeping your
knees slightly bent and lift both heels off the ground at the same time. You
can begin with repetitions of 5, have a quick rest then repeat. Challenge
yourself to increase the speed of your heel raises and see how many you can fit
into your waiting time. As you bend your knees, aim to keep your knees over
your second toe. If you feel this is a little too easy, you can progress to
single-leg heel raises, which will also improve your balance!
You can start a daily
competition with the people in your household to see who can complete the
most.
3. Squats
Squats are a great
exercise to keep your large muscles working. You can start with small squats
and reps of 5, aiming to slowly increase your number and progressively squat to
a lower position. As with heel raises, when you start to find squats to be less
of a challenge, you can move to single-leg squats.
Don’t hesitate to ask one of our physios for tips
on how to stay active while at home. Remember! Doing SOMETHING, is better than doing NOTHING!!
We have had lots of conversations with our clients taking them through the steps to get started with our online Pilates classes so please do not hesitate to give us a call or email and we will help you too.
Want to know more about Pilates, then check out our page
. Or call us on 028 92666959, or email info@gavnoble.com
The information in this newsletter is not
a replacement for proper medical advice.
