The old man may be snoring on a rainy day, but you don’t want to do it, as well. You want to hit the gym and get your blood flowing and elevate your heart rate. Unfortunately, with the awful weather outside, you can’t make it to the gym. Do you have a plan for this event? In New York City, some do not see bad weather as an impediment to their workout because their building has a gym on premises. Still, others have taken the steps to weather proof their workouts by having a few pieces of equipment on the apartment.
Hang a jump rope in the closet. A jump rope is a great piece of equipment to help get you going and an equally great way to switch up your cardiovascular routine. So many of us get caught in the routine of going on the treadmill or the elliptical machine. This is a great alternative, even once in a while. Just put on your favorite music or television program and start jumping. Make sure you make plenty of room for the rope to swing freely. Try some different tempos throughout your routine. You can go fast or slow, jump on one leg or two, or even follow the tempo of the music.
You can work your upper body without any equipment at all. Use that same open space you created for jumping rope and get down on the floor and do some pushups. In one movement, you can work your chest, shoulders, and arms. Even a little back and abdominals with the proper form. If you want to switch it up a bit, you can change your hand placement for slow grip or wide grip pushups. You may also want to try incline pushups, by placing your hands on a steady piece of furniture or by purchasing a set of pushup bars.
You may have a towel lying around in the apartment, but if you want to invest in a mat, the extra padding will provide comfort on a hardwood floor while stretching. Sitting on the floor, bring the soles of your feet together and move them away from your body, keeping the sole touching each other. Place your hands on your knees and gently push the knees towards the floor and with a straight back lean into the stretch. As you hold the position, breath in and release, breathe out. Hold and repeat 5 times, you will feel the stretch on the inner thighs. Standing with your feet apart in line with your shoulders, hands on your hips and with a straight back begin to lean forward slowly. Breathe in as you bend with a straight back, hold the bent position and exhale as you slowly return to an upright position. Repeat 5 times, you will feel the stretch on your core and back leg muscles.
Poor weather is no reason to miss a workout. A planned day of rest is a reason. The exercise will even improve the mood of the day for you. If you aren’t sure how to put together a home workout program, work with a Manhattan personal trainer for a few sessions to learn proper exercise form and some basic stretching. A personal trainer Manhattan may even teach you some other movements and exercises that you can do without equipment. If the rain lasts for more than one day, you are going to need a few different programs, so as not to get bored. Enjoy your workout!
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