Regular physical activity is important for optimum health but there are days like weekends or festival season when you don’t feel like hitting the gym but at the same time do not want to miss out on your workouts. Rainy season can also at times disrupt our fitness regimen with puddles, slippery road and traffic jams that could get in the way of our daily routine of morning walk or reaching the gym. There is no dearth of indoor exercises that you can do from the comfort of your home like brisk walking, skipping, zumba, pilates or Yoga. (Also read: How exercise can counter diabetes damage: Study)

Lalchawimawi Sanate PT, LCCE, Senior Physiotherapist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Bangalore, Sahakarnagar suggests easy indoor exercises for weekends.

1. Stationary walking

Stationary walking is an easy alternative for the population who goes for a daily outdoor walk. You just need a pair of shoes and good music to lift the mood. Stationary walking is a good start for those who want to start exercising regularly during monsoon. Stationary walking is also safe to do even during pregnancy.

2. On-spot jogging

On-spot jogging can also help you burn calories almost like normal jogging on the road. You can burn more calories by jogging faster. You will need a pair of running shoes and comfortable clothing for free movement. You can do stationary jogging even while watching your favourite match or listening to your favourite music.

3. Skipping

Skipping using a jump rope is easy, helps strengthen your lower limbs, upper limbs, and uses your core for stability. Skipping can burn almost 200 calories in 10 minutes. Skipping is one fun activity, especially for children and young adults. Jump rope should be avoided during pregnancy and person with osteoporosis.

4. Zumba

If you love to dance and want to shed some more weight aerobic dance moves like Zumba can be an amazing workout routine. Zumba is a combination of different dance styles with fun dance moves. You can learn with the videos we get online or order DVDs to groove in with the dance moves. Zumba is for all age groups, from children to grandparents. It can even be done during pregnancy but the intensity and the dance moves will be modified according to age and pregnancy.

5. Treadmill or stationary cycling

Exercising with a treadmill, stationary cycling, stepper, or elliptical cycle is also considered a good aerobic exercise if you have it at home.

6. Planking, squats, pull-ups

Strength training exercises improve bone density, muscle mass, and help manage weight gain. The good news is that strength training can be performed with our own body weight in the comfort of our home.

Strength training exercises using our own body weight are planking, squats, chest press, pull-ups, lunges, etc. Strength training exercises can also be performed with simple affordable exercise equipment like an exercise ball, resistance band, or any kind of weights.

7. Tabata

Tabata is a high-intensity interval training that consists of 20 seconds of workout and 10 seconds of rest, and the workout lasts for 20-30 minutes. For example – Burpees 20 seconds, 10 seconds’ rest; Side lunge 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest, mountain climbing 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest, Russian twist 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest, and complete 8 rounds of each move. Tabata can vary from using dumbbells, exercise balls, core strengthening sets, or even kickboxing moves. Tabata helps improves your aerobic and anaerobic system. This form of exercise is very useful if you have less time and want to get the maximum benefits from the workout which can be done inside your home.

8. Pilates

Mat Pilates can be performed using a mat and comfortable clothing. Pilates uses concentration and precise movement patterns, controlled breathing, and recruiting abdominal and lower back muscles. It helps strengthen core muscles, and improves flexibility, posture, and relaxation.

9. Yoga

Yoga is an excellent form of exercise that improves flexibility, enhances inner peace and weight loss. Yoga can be performed indoors on a yoga mat and in comfortable clothing that will not interrupt the movements

10. Warm-up and stretching

Regardless of age, it is recommended to have a warm-up and stretching before exercise and cool down after exercise. Warm-up helps to gradually increase heart rate, it can be performed by simply doing a light stationary walk and stretching of the muscles improves flexibility, blood flow to the muscles and prevents injury. Cooling down stretching reduces muscle soreness.

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