Due to widespread lockdowns across the country, virtually every gym nationwide has been closed for the time being. Also, many other places where people typically gather to exercise, including state parks or national reserves, have been closed. For many, exercise is the portion of the day where they can finally let loose after eight hours of work and release stress. Without access to the gym, thousands of people are left with no way to exercise and blow off steam.
Not anymore! Dozens of different items you have lying around your house right now can be used to give you a powerful and exhilarating workout. While exercising during quarantine might be a little bit more complicated, it is certainly not impossible when using household items you can substitute into your routine as weights.
If you have a backyard, doing these exercises outside can help you get some fresh air and not overheat during your workout. However, if you live in an apartment or a city, these exercises can quickly be done indoors. If you’re looking for new, creative ways to work out during your time at home, keep reading to learn how you can put that old wine bottle to good use.
Things You’ll Need
The exercises discussed in this article can be done with whatever items you have sitting in your house, but some general suggestions are needed to get you started. If you have any paint cans lying around from some home renovation, they’ll be great to use as long as they are entirely closed. They don’t need to be full! Gallons of milk or water are also great to use as weights. Again, make sure they’re completely sealed. Unopened bottles of wine are also good (just make sure you don’t drop them). A soccer ball is great to use for any core exercises, and a backpack full of books or other items provides an easy weight that you don’t have to hold.
The Exercises
Anyone at any skill level can perform these basic exercises, and a visual demonstration can be found at Cnet. For an upper-body workout, exercises like a shoulder press can easily be done with two items of the same size, lifting them above the head using the shoulder muscles. To do bicep curls, use a gallon of milk or water and lift it to your chest using your biceps. Two wine bottles can also be used to perform other shoulder exercises such as lateral raises or front raises.
To get your lower body muscles working, try any variation of a lunge exercise. To add difficulty, wear your backpack stuffed with books or other objects on your back while performing the exercise. You could also perform classic squats using any of the weights mentioned above, but a water jug would probably provide a reasonable level of difficulty. A combination of a squat and overhead press is a great way to target both the upper and lower body, and you could easily use your backpack or water jug for this. Kettlebell swings can also be easily substituted with a water jug, and that’s one exercise you’ll feel working your entire body.
Post-Workout Recovery With CBD
One of the most important things you can do during quarantine is to keep your body active, so you don’t feel like you’ve lost important muscle when you head back to the gym. To stay in a good routine, you’ll also need the right products to aid with workout recovery, and CBD could be an excellent option for those exercising at home.
A good CBD tincture may help maintain overall homeostasis and regulate mood, energy levels, temperature, and more. Many studies have shown it may be quite effective at helping with post-workout discomfort too. CBD topicals like salves, muscle gels, and massage oils could also help speed up recovery time by targeting sore muscles and joints. Adding CBD as a pre and post-workout tool could make a big difference in being able to maintain a consistent and pain-free workout experience at home.
