How to exercise and stay motivated at home during lockdown

Adding health and fitness into your daily routine, or keeping focused if you currently have one, is a huge benefit right now. Not only will it help you physically build immunity and reach your health goals, but also it will support you mentally.

During exercise, you’re forced to be present and being in the zone. With the recent  situation, understandably you may not be able to concentrate whilst the daily updates of the news or virus interrupts your day-to-day routines.

However, it’s time to focus on you!

We recently interviewed Luke Townsend, Technogym Educator and asked for his best advice, tips and guidance on how we can enjoy Wellness on the go, the seamless and integrated digital ecosystem consisting of smart equipment, mywellness cloud and applications.

Morning workouts: the best way to kick start your day

Morning workouts typically mean you’re less prone to distractions. You’re less likely to get phone calls, text messages, and emails. With fewer distractions, you’re more likely to follow through with your workout, improve energy and better focus throughout the day!

My advice to start is to check into your Technogym mywellness app to see what daily workouts are available, link a heart rate device if you have one and start tracking your moves and workouts.

How can we set up a daily routine?

Set key times and days during the week of when you want to exercise when working from home, it’s easy to get distracted so best to do this ahead of time. Make sure you plan your day and set yourself realistic goals throughout the stay at home period. The mywellness app offers a huge library filled with pre-loaded exercises, walking and cycling routines, plus workouts which update regularly which can support you for your fitness needs.

The advise is setting yourself a daily activity plan to include at least 30mins of physical exercise is a natural remedy for stress. During exercise, your brain makes more endorphins, the “feel-good” neurotransmitters behind a runner’s high. It also doubles as a distraction from anxious thoughts.

Staying engaged can be quite difficult sometimes, what can you propose that could help keep people energetic and pumped?

Just because you can’t make it to the gym, doesn’t mean you can’t find some like-minded people to help keep you on track with your workouts.

Using the new Technogym mywellness app will allow you to track your daily indoor and outdoor workouts, connect your favourite fitness apps such as Strava, Garmin, MapMyFitness and even your heart rate monitor make sure your hitting the right training zones.

To keep you motivated you can even review and analyse your performance and progression that can help you keep striving towards your goals. Lastly, sharing tips online or via social media as well as your successes can help you to feel driven – and who doesn’t like to be congratulated after completing a gruelling workout? Plus, sharing is caring – so share the mywellness love.

What can you recommend when it comes to trying something new and keeping workouts varied?

One of the easiest ways to lose motivation is by letting your workouts become boring. Try something new and keeping your workouts fresh is the key to staying on top of your fitness, the Technogym mywellness app is perfect for suggestion new exercises ideas to really spice up your workout!

But if you’re looking to use accessories during your workout, Including Skilltools or resistance bands then these can be a great way to engage different muscle groups and learn other aspects of your fitness.

Even trying other types of activity from Yoga, skipping, boxing, stretching or working on a personal best and nailing the perfect press up! Keep your body guessing for optimal results.

 And finally, do you have any other advice?

Yes, pump up the volume! There’s no better feeling then having your favourite music on while you train. Updating your playlists and adding new songs can help with motivation.

Playing music can be an amazing mood booster.

Whether its upbeat, fast-paced, rock or your secret guilty pleasures. Music and songs with inspiring lyrics can help to motivate you and put you in the mood to exercise.

Whether it’s in your home or via the mywellness app where you can sync your favourite music to your run, walk or cycle. It’s your workout, pick the playlist and turn it up!

Ladder Workout

This workout is great for keeping your heart rate high and scorching fat. First, choose a kettlebell, dumbbell or anything weighted in your home.

  • Set a timer and complete 10 reps of each exercise, then 9,8,7 and so on till you get to 1 as fast as you can.

1. Kettlebell Goblet Squat

Hold a kettlebell with two hands by the handle and bring it close to your chest: squat while holding the torso vertically. The kettlebell should stay as close to your body as possible, to ensure that the weight is discharged mainly to the lower limbs and that there is no forward imbalance.

2. Kettlebell Overhead Lunge

The use of the kettlebell in overhead, with one arm extended upwards perpendicular to the shoulder, is useful for learning this position using the load on one limb only. Lunges allow the training of the muscles of the lower limbs, with a greater focus on quadriceps and glutes, stimulates the muscles of the shoulder and back that must stabilize the arm perpendicular to the ground throughout the exercise.

3. Kettlebell Ground to Overhead

The feet are placed at shoulder width with the tips slightly open and the kettlebell is located exactly in the middle. Start from the squat position and grab the kettlebell with both hands. Stretch your legs quickly and make a pull towards the chin with your arms guiding the movement with your elbows. When the kettlebell has risen to chest height your hands move slightly to the side of the handle and the kettlebell continues to rise above your head. Keep the movement controlled and return to the starting position.

4. Body Weight Push Up

In plank position with your hands in front of your shoulders and your feet at the same width as your hips. Bend your elbows and bring your chest to the ground, keeping your back straight. Stretch your elbows and return.

Push up

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