Since the worldwide pandemic situation is yet to improve, most of us are compelled to stay indoors. Working and shopping from home has become the new norm. This is effective to maintain proper social distancing rules. However, staying home for such a long period of time could have its drawbacks, especially when you’re trying to stay fit and active.
Dr Rayhan Shahidullah (MBBS) is currently doing his post-graduation training, and is also the brand ambassador of Nutrition Depot Bangladesh. As a well-known figure in Dhaka’s fitness community, we reached out to him for suggestions on how to stay active, while being at home. In a candid conversation with Avenue T, he mentions that maintaining a proper diet and keeping calorie consumption in control is essential. “My main aim is not to gain any weight during this lockdown situation and to boost my immunity,” Rayhan added. He gave us a detailed routine that anyone can follow in order to stay fit.
You can first start with some basic stretching:
-Seated trapezius stretches
-Shoulder stretches
-Triceps stretches
-Lower back
-Hip flexor stretches in three planes
-Hamstring stretches
-Quadriceps stretches
-Calf stretches
• Always select a training routine which includes upper body and lower body splits. Day one should be upper body split, day two should consist of lower body split and repeat.
For upper body workouts:
- Jumping Jacks supersets with pushups (2 sets 10 reps)
- Downward dog to plank (2 sets 10 reps)
- Mountain climbing supersets with shoulder tap (2 sets 10 reps)
- Triceps dips supersets with wide stance pushups (2 sets 10 reps)
- Lying leg raises supersets with ceiling kick supersets with heel touch (2 sets 10 reps)
For lower body workouts:
- Stationary lunges (3 sets 10 reps)
- Narrow stance squats (3 sets 10 reps)
- Floor bridges (3 sets 20 reps)
- Side lunges (3 sets 10 reps)
- Lying leg raises supersets with lying bicycle (2 sets 10 reps)
Rayhan also suggests eating more vegetables -- protein rich home cooked foods and lots of fruits containing vitamin C. Drink a tall glass of water before every meal and avoid sugars or foods that are high in carbohydrates. Also, drink half a glass of water with two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to help you with digestion 30 minutes after the iftar and 10 minutes before the suhoor during the month of Ramadan. Rayhan also emphasizes on resting properly. “The most important tip for you to maintain a good health is to make sure that you are having enough sleep at night.”
The home workout routine is specially designed for people who are having to stay at home with very limited or no equipment. It is important for us to keep ourselves physically sound, as it also helps improve our mental health in these difficult times.