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16<br />
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, <strong>2016</strong><br />
DT<br />
Health<br />
Fitness routines to<br />
do at home<br />
• Reaz Fiem<br />
As we labour away with<br />
our everyday jobs and<br />
envelope ourselves in<br />
all the responsibilities<br />
that come with being independent<br />
adults, we may sometimes<br />
overlook the importance of leading<br />
a healthy lifestyle. One of the<br />
major problems behind this, is that<br />
most of us have jobs that involve<br />
us being stuck to the office desk all<br />
day, with very little opportunity to<br />
move around. As a solution to this,<br />
many decide joining a gym is the<br />
only viable option. Unfortunately<br />
for most, joining is one thing, and<br />
going there regularly, is another<br />
thing entirely. Due to so many<br />
other things that demand our<br />
attention everyday, going to the<br />
gym slides lower and lower on the<br />
list of priorities.<br />
Fortunately, visiting the gym<br />
isn’t the only option to staying fit.<br />
Here are a few things we can do on<br />
our own at home:<br />
The mindset<br />
It all starts with a mindset. If you<br />
believe that only the gym can<br />
make you fit then you already have<br />
a predetermined mindset. What<br />
can help you build a fit physique<br />
is the determination to workout<br />
regularly, it does not matter where<br />
and with what equipment. So, the<br />
first thing to do is set a regular<br />
time to exercise. There is no set<br />
timing for when to exercise –<br />
whether you do a bit of workout<br />
early in the morning, or in the<br />
evening after you’re back from<br />
work – this should solely be based<br />
on a time that is convenient for<br />
you. So set a fixed time to do it for<br />
at least four days in a week.<br />
Equipment<br />
Yes, it is true you do need some<br />
equipment to stay fit, therefore<br />
start off by investing in a few. But<br />
it need not be full-on expensive<br />
gear. To start off, just buy a pair<br />
of dumbbells and a mat and<br />
with this, you can follow a high<br />
intensive burn-out routine.<br />
The routine<br />
The key to building a great<br />
physique is of course an affective<br />
routine. In my opinion, home<br />
workouts should be of high<br />
intensity – that is, keeping your<br />
muscles under constant tension<br />
as you perform moves with less<br />
resting time. Also, a great home<br />
routine will see you targeting all<br />
the body parts with just a pair<br />
of dumbbells. So let see what<br />
workouts can be performed with<br />
free hands and the addition of just<br />
a pair of dumbells.<br />
Standing shoulder press: This<br />
workout is needed to improve the<br />
shoulders. This is a multi-joint<br />
pressing movement with the<br />
dumbbells for extra resistance.<br />
If you can master the form then<br />
this can definitely help you build<br />
a great pair of shoulders. A note of<br />
caution is that you should always<br />
perform it with the correct form to<br />
keep the tension on the shoulders,<br />
rather than on joints, to avoid<br />
injury.<br />
Lateral raises: Another shoulder<br />
workout to incorporate with<br />
dumbbells. This should be done<br />
along with the shoulder press.<br />
This helps to shape up the<br />
shoulder muscles. Once again the<br />
form and tempo should be key.<br />
Squats with dumbbells: Squatting<br />
while holding dumbbells on<br />
both sides is another multi-joint<br />
exercise that works on the entire<br />
lower body. Think of building<br />
a house, a base is built first. In<br />
case of your fitness journey, the<br />
philosophy is the same. You need<br />
to build a strong pair of legs to<br />
support your upper body.<br />
Lunges with dumbbells: If you<br />
are bored of squatting then try<br />
lunging while holding dumbbells.<br />
Lunges are performed by<br />
alternating leg movements and<br />
can help build strong legs. So it<br />
should also be added to the entire<br />
routine.<br />
Dumbbell rows: You can perform<br />
row exercise with dumbbells to<br />
build your back muscles. Two<br />
types of rows can be performed<br />
with dumbbells – one is bent over<br />
rows and the other is a one-arm<br />
dumbbell row.<br />
Pushups: This is a free hand<br />
exercise for the chest. You can<br />
bring in two variations. Flat pushups<br />
and the other is incline pushups.<br />
This is the staple of any chest<br />
routine and is a good addition to<br />
your daily workout session.<br />
Bicep exercises with dumbbells:<br />
Regular dumbbell curls and<br />
hammer curls are two variations<br />
on exercises for your biceps that<br />
can easily be sone at home.<br />
Triceps extension with<br />
dumbbells: This is an effective<br />
exercise to incorporate for a full<br />
arm workout.<br />
The above workouts with<br />
10 repetitions for five sets can<br />
actually provide a proper burnout<br />
workout routine. By performing<br />
them at least four times a week,<br />
along with a proper diet, you will<br />
see changes in your physique<br />
within no time.•<br />
Reaz Mahmud Fiem is a<br />
nutrition and fitness advisor<br />
who makes it his business to<br />
help you stay fit