COVID-19 Part II: 5 Home Workout & Exercise Strategies During the Coronavirus Outbreak
Welcome to the second instalment of our coronavirus series: COVID-19 Part II: 5 Home Workout & Exercise Strategies During the Coronavirus Outbreak. In Part I we looked at whether or not the gym or yoga studio are safe to use in our current predicament. In Part II we are playing our part and providing our wonderful community with a selection of the type of workouts, exercises, skills and techniques you can do in the safety of your own home. We've also provided our favourite book on each topic as it's likely we're all going to have some extra reading time!
5 Home Workout & Exercise Strategies During the Coronavirus Outbreak
Ashtanga Yoga Sequence
Best For Those Who Want to Commit
You may already know that we're fanboys of Ashtanga yoga here at So We Flow... If you already practice Ashtanga, particular in the Mysore style (un-led), we know you'll already have your isolation practice sorted. That's the beauty of Ashtanga. You have a systematic, scientific and (dare we say it) results driven practice that’s designed to give you a proficiency to carry out your asana practice competently at home. It's a powerful, harmonious balance of strength and flexibility and it's straight-up - no bullshit. Superior to all of the physical traits, you have a deeply meditative and cleansing practice that will leave you feeling clear and liberated during a time you most need it.
Important: If you're a beginner, take it slow. The Ashtanga practice is not something that benefits from an excessive approach - you will get injured. Most importantly focus on the breath and the rest will come.
Learning Resources
For beginners: Ashtanga Yoga for Beginners - Half Primary Series
For intermediates or experts: Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series with Clayton Horton
For reading: Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual - David Swenson
'Prison Cell' Bodyweight Circuits
Best For Those That Have No Equipment
The infamous Charlie Bronson spent three decades in solitary confinement, and has stayed as fit as a fiddle, gaining several world strength and fitness records in the process. Forget fancy gyms, expensive equipment and designer outfits - all you need to get incredible strong and fit is your body, a few square metres of floor space and the motivation to work hard. Getting stuck into some intense, full body, bodyweight circuits is the most time efficient way for those wanting an increase in strength, cardio conditioning and a clear mind. Although it's unlikely you'll be time poor during this period, if you have kids, or a business to keep afloat, bodyweight circuits might just be the thing that keeps your movement practice intact.
Learning Resources
For beginners: The Beginner Bodyweight Workout: Try this 20 Minute Routine At Home or Anywhere!
For intermediates or experts: The 20-Minute 'No Excuses' Navy SEAL Bodyweight Workout
For reading: Solitary Fitness - Charles Bronson
Progressive Calisthenics
Best For Those Who Want to Build New Skills
Imagine emerging from this with an impeccable handstand, explosive muscle-up or effortless pistol squat. You can have all this and more with progressive calisthenics. The principle of this is simple: gradual strength gain by performing exercises with incrementally increasing difficulty levels, not moving to the next level before you are competent at the previous.
For a pistol squat that might look something like this:
- Half squat
- Full squat
- Close feet squat
- Uneven squat
- 1/2 pistol squat
- Assisted pistol squat
- Pistol squat
By progressing through small steps of difficulty over time we can unlock high level skills that would be impossible if approached without a methodical training system. This is the way gymnasts and the bodyweight performers of Instagram achieve their superhuman feats of strength. Progressive calisthenics takes time, but if you are a beginner you will likely move swiftly through the earlier progressions. Things often slow down once you become more advanced, and that's when a little extra education on the science behind the philosophy and the introduction of methods (such as resistance bands) to reduce the increments between exercises to even smaller progressions.
Learning Resources
For beginners, intermediates and experts: Thenx (online and app) or Street Workout - By Al Kavadlo and Danny Kavadlo (ebook)
For reading: Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength - Steven Low
Run, Swim, Walk, Cycle
Best For Those Surrounded By Nature
Even if your usual outdoor quota is a stroll around the concrete jungle of London, we innately need the outdoors in our lives - this will undoubtably be one of the most difficult things about being stuck indoors for a long period of time. We can imagine that if you live in the city, you may be less inclined to get outside, but if you live in the countryside, on the coast or any other natural area, you've got it good right now. We can't believe that the great outdoors will become off limits, although at the time of writing Biarritz has prohibited surfing!
So hit the trails or the sea and get intimate with the elements.
Learning Resources
For beginners: Runner's World - How to Start Running Today: A Beginners Guide
For intermediates or experts: Lifehacker - A Road Map for Taking Your Running to the Next Level
Full Body Daily Mobility Routine
Best For Those Who Are Physically Limited or Tired
Finally we wanted to share an accessible movement routine that EVERYONE can and should be doing to keep themselves loose and feeling good during this time. An accomplished mobility routine should move every joint; through a complete range of motion; in every plane; and in every direction.
This is great to complete daily as your sole practice, but is also the perfect routine to perform before any period of activity - whether it’s calisthenics, climbing, surfing or any of the other practices mentioned above. You'll feel relaxed, open and limber. This routine has been developed by our founder Jake throughout years of practice and continues to be shaped. Mobility is more often than not what lets us down during periods of inactivity rather than strength or fitness. So get loose, bro.
Learning Resources
For beginners, intermediates and experts: Becoming Flubber - Full Body Daily Mobility Routine - Jake Wood, founder of So We Flow...
For reading: Becoming a Supple Leopard by Dr Kelly Starrett
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That's all from us folks. In this time of uncertainty, look after yourselves, friends and family; keep yourself educated and rationally cautious; and of course, keep your movement practice safe and wise. If you have any questions about any of the practices listed here, please send us an email and we will do our upmost to answer in a timely and thorough manner.
Thank you for your enduring support and being a part of So We Flow… - see you on the other side.
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