For the time being, we can still work out outside, provided we keep enough distance. And that's nice. Going for a run, rollerblading or just cycling, it's all possible as long as you take into account the mutual distance. Because sitting inside doesn't make your body much better. Unless you do something about it inside, of course you can! I would like to tell you how we are currently handling sports indoors. Maybe you can get some inspiration from it to also maintain your fitness while staying indoors. Are you not an (indoor) athlete? Then read these tips for burning calories without exercising.
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To start with, I take the dog for a walk every day. I often take one of the children with me, but not always. That is not an indoor sport, but still exercise that for me belongs in the list of staying fit.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-MiGE1HGbw/I really think she's fantastic! She makes indoor sports a lot more fun and just looking at it makes me very happy. Yet participating is important in this case if you also want to stay fit 😉 . Every day Roos puts the nicest short workouts on her instagram account Laviederoosaparis with wonderful music. In general it is a squat workout with a little dance in between, during 1 song. Not enough to get completely fit, but a very nice variety in exercising at home with the standard sports that you can do indoors. Highly recommended, this cheerful girl who tries to inspire and cheer others in times of Corona. I look forward to it every day.
If you have the space, then a number of sports equipment is very nice to have. Unfortunately, not everyone has this luxury. For people who live in a flat, for example, sports equipment is not very useful to get enough exercise. Fortunately, in that case you can also just jump rope † Super effective and a skipping rope doesn't take up much space to store! Whether you prefer a new fitness equipment buy, or rather do exercises without equipment:we provide some ideas to keep fit!
To train our fitness we have an elliptical trainer , the Max trainer M7i. This one is quite expensive to buy but very nice. If you prefer not to pay the entire amount in one go, there are plenty of options to take out a small loan for these types of purchases and repay it according to your own wishes. The top three pieces of equipment that I recommend to maintain your fitness are the treadmill, cross trainer and stationary bike. These machines are specially designed for athletes of all levels, whether you are a beginner or an expert. The only downside… they take up quite a bit of space.
The least taxing of these three is the hometrainer † This device is based on a bicycle with a saddle, a handlebar and pedals. The biggest advantage of the exercise bike is the low load on the muscles, making it extremely accessible for older people or people who are no longer able to walk. They can then maintain their condition in this way. The latest exercise bikes are computer controlled exercise bikes. For example, you can digitally set how hard you want to pedal and it is also possible to measure your heart rate while you are exercising by means of metal electrodes.
I used to have an exercise bike myself, but personally I find these devices a bit boring. Yet there are people who are completely devoted to it, so it might be something for you!
The second device is the treadmill † This simulates the outdoor environment and you can walk as far as you want while staying in the same place. You can program yourself how many kilometers you want to walk at a speed of your choice. Personally, I find a walk in the fresh air a lot nicer, but if that is no longer an option, a treadmill is a nice alternative. In addition, you can train nicely with a treadmill, for example by simulating slopes. You can change the incline percentage and thus ensure that your calves are more engaged. Even with bad weather you no longer have an excuse not to move 😉 .
So the last device is the de crosstrainer † This one is a mix between the treadmill and the exercise bike † The device consists of bars to operate with your hands and planks for your feet. The idea is to move the flywheel, which is in the crosstrainer, by applying force with your hands and legs at the same time. Almost all muscles in the body are addressed with this device, with the highest load on the legs and shoulders. But the back, side and abdominal muscles are also used, as they have to maintain stability in the trunk. I can tell you that you will not laugh with our Max trainer. In other words, you really have a serious workout with this! In addition, I have used this device to train my knee again after a winter sports injury. A fantastic device. Another advantage:I can also watch a netflix series while I'm working out, which makes it a lot less boring!
The above devices are certainly not cheap, but it is extremely important to keep moving. Too little sport leads to an increased risk of depression, more stress and makes you less resistant to diseases. These are all things that we would prefer to avoid as much as possible, especially during this difficult period.
Good. The above sports equipment should not be missing from the list, but I also understand that they are not for everyone. Fortunately, you can also exercise with small sports attributes that do not take up much space.
As mentioned before, a skipping rope (smartrope) a very smart purchase. They do not cost much, take up little space, and still ensure that you can build up your condition well. Make sure you have one of these skipping ropes that are really meant for the sport be , and no toys. Then you can be sure that you will enjoy it for a long time.
Barbells, kettlebells and dumbbells are also ideal for indoor sports. They take up little space (you just put them under your couch or bed to clean up) and yet you can do great workouts with them. We also have a number of these in house, but in all honesty I have to say that I don't do enough with them. Reminder to myself, do more with these kettlebells †
Frank and the kids usually do Spear. From there, Frank is 'infected' with the sandbag phenomenon 😉 . We also have a heavy sandbag at home (really sports-related, so not an ordinary bag) that you can pick up to train your muscles. A tour around the house with such a sandbag in your arm is already a challenge.
My favorite inside is this punching bag. We once had a punching bag on a support (via marktplaats) in the past, but this punching bag is really a lot nicer. Nice and heavy so you can ram and kick it wonderfully. In this way, our condition remains a bit at a good level. I understand that you may need a little more space for this bag. We are therefore lucky that we not only have a home office, but also a spacious chill out area behind it. That's where the punching bag is. Still, these punching bags are actually quite nice to look at, I think. Do you have a corner in your room free? Then it wouldn't look out of place in a more modern interior I think.
I previously wrote an article about the fitness hoop , and this should not be missing from this list of indoor sports. With a fitness hoop you train all your core muscles. In that respect, a hoop is a great alternative to an elliptical trainer if you don't have the space inside. Or the money 😉 . These fitness hoops are a lot cheaper and you can also easily clean up so that you have your living room to yourself after use.
How do you motivate yourself to really keep up with indoor sports? That's really the most important of all. Because you can buy stuff, but if you don't do anything with it after a week, that's a shame.
There are a number of 'simple' tips to motivate yourself to stick to sports, even if we are indoors:
What are you doing to stay healthy and strong during this period? Are you also exercising, or are you letting it slip through your hands?
Stay healthy and stay inside!
