Lifestyle changes, people adapt to new conditions and look for alternatives to continue living fully. This is what is called adaptation and with the current circumstances governed by a global pandemic, it has been learned by force. Everything has changed somehow also the way to take care of yourself, to eat and to play sports.
Now more and more people are exercising at home, a perfect way not to lose the routine and fight against the laziness of having to go to a gym. However, although exercising at home is fine, it is important to regain some of your daily life and exercising with other people is a great way to socialize. So the best is a combination, a little physical activity outside and a little toning at home.
Exercises to tone up at home
Let's find out what exactly toning is first, because it should never be taken for granted that everyone knows sports lingo. Toning the body consists of eliminating the fat that covers the muscles through exercise, without implying gain muscle mass. That is, tone consists of working the body to lose weight by shaping the physique. Unlike gaining muscle, in which case what is sought is to define and increase muscle mass.
To tone the whole body it is necessary to combine strength, flexibility and cardiovascular exercises. With a combined routine of these exercises, you can lose weight and tone your body in a generalized way. So you can prevent fat loss from leaving your body without shape. Take note of these exercises to create your own workout routine to tone your whole body at home.
Start with cardio exercise for 10 to 30 minutes. Can be stationary bike, skipping rope, elliptical machine or treadmill. If you choose to jump rope, you can do three sets of jumps for 8 minutes each. Cardio should be done at least 3 times a week. Let's now see some exercises to complement your routine and tone the whole body at home.
Exercises to tone the upper body
The upper body comprises pecs, abs, arms, back, and shoulders. These exercises are perfect for toning your upper body at home:
- Pushups: They can be complete, on the elbows, alternating legs or over one hand. Perform 3 sets of 12 reps each.
- Dumbbell arm raises: Front, side and elbow flexion, you will have to do 3 sets of 15 repetitions each.
- Abs and triceps: Crunches with dumbbells and triceps dips, again 3 sets of 15 reps each.
Exercises to work the lower body
Regarding the lower body the work is done on the legs and buttocks. These exercises to do at home are perfect for toning your lower body.
- Traditional squats, three sets of 10 repetitions.
- Front and side lunge, three sets of 12 repetitions of each type of stride.
- Jumps on the site, 10 repetitions.
- Static skipping: It consists of raising the knees towards the chest with jumps, a very common exercise in the training of soccer players. Do this exercise for one minute.
- Back skipping: The same exercise but in this case the legs are bent backwards, do this exercise for 1 minute.
Exercising is very important for good health, but it is also necessary take the breaks necessary for the muscle to recover after every workout. Therefore, the ideal would be to do a combined routine of cardio and strength exercises 3-4 times a week. The rest of the days must be of recovery, that is to say, on alternate days to the routines and one day a week of absolute rest.
If you don't want to stop doing some exercise, you can opt for alternatives like walking briskly in the park, taking a good bike ride on the weekend, or swimming when you need to de-stress. The important thing is to be constant in order to appreciate the effects of training on the body. In one or two months, you will notice how your body is more toned.