Starting your fitness journey
Getting fit does not mean you have to sign up to a running club or hit the gym. Some of us find that we would like to have our lungs climb from our chests and whip us in the face, in private. Fear not. You can sweat it out at home.
Step one: Stretch
Touch your toes, practice slow splits, reach for the stars. Stretching out every muscle you possibly can is intense, yet it will save you plenty of aches later. Watch a yoga tutorial or two, to up your game, once your workouts are getting longer.
Step two: Jump
Jump ropes are relatively inexpensive. Some are heavier than others, so make sure to do your research on what type of rope you should get. Heavier ropes add some resistance to your workout to aid in toning your arms and burning more fat. Lighter ropes are designed to keep you jumping for longer.
The inexpensive option is a jumping jack.
Step three: Use your own body weight
Squat, let your feet back and do a push-up. Come back up and jump (reaching for the sky). Repeat this for your allocated time.
Step four: Run/walk
If you don’t have access to a treadmill, take a walk or go for a run. Alternatively, look for a spot indoors or outside where you can do 5 – 10 metre sprints.
Step five: Stretch again
Step six: Rehydrate and recover
Working up a sweat can lead to dehydration and a loss of electrolytes. You may get cramps, headaches and muscle spasms, especially if you are unfit. Drinking water is crucial, but you have to add some electrolytes.
Here are some products available, in-store and online, to help you recover quicker and get better results:
- Joint Heal Caps – To enhance joint health and aid the healing of tendinitis
- PowerBar 5 Electrolytes Zero Calorie Tabs – To aid in replacing five essential electrolytes
- 32Gi Endure 900g assorted – to give you energy and stamina to keep going
- 32Gi Protein Recover – assists with muscle recovery, as well as a healthy protein and carb intake after your workout
How much time you should be spending on your work outs
Start by spending five minutes on each step on day one. If you feel like you can handle more on day two, add a minute to each step. Once you feel comfortable to do more, keep adding a minute. This way, your workout can last anywhere between 25 - 90 minutes. You decide on what your body can handle. Start with three days per week and build up to five or six days. Remember to give yourself one day to rest, as your body may reach its limit
An alternative to a day’s training, could be your household chores.
Your home might need some attention. When is the-last time you spring cleaned? This is a long-haul endurance workout. Sweep to a beat, scrub and shuffle, dust while you do the tango, and watch your cleaning become a choreographed dance. You can keep your heavy-duty cleaning for the days that you don’t plan on exercising.
If you are sick, please do not exert yourself as this may do more harm than good.
You can still do some stretching to help your blood circulation and lymph node drainage, but do not attempt anything that will make your heart work any harder than it needs to.
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