You don’t need a gym to get a good workout.
Getting enough daily exercise is essential to living a healthy life. However, with more Australians preferring to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of getting enough exercise has become even greater.
This is because a lot of Australians that stay home live a sedentary lifestyle and don’t get enough daily exercise, which researchers believe to be around 2.5 to 5 hours a week of moderate physical activity.
“Getting enough daily exercise is vital for people to be healthy,” Charles Sturt University exercise science graduate Thomas Neely said. “I would recommend most people to get at least 30-45 minutes a day.”
Benefits from getting enough exercise include better blood circulation, stronger joints and bones, and an increase in physical resilience, including immune boosting benefits that can protect the body against infections.
With gyms potentially being shut-down across New South Wales if COVID-19 cases increase rapidly, getting a good workout at home can be challenging for individuals. But Thomas Neely believes that you can still get an great workout experience at home.
“I think you could exercise with just your body weight and still get a really good workout in.
“If your aim is to build muscle such as bodybuilding, then you may struggle but for most people maintaining overall body fitness, you can do that at home.”
The Department of Health released a report highlighting the importance of staying active during COVID-19 restrictions highlighting that staying active was important for both physical and mental health.
While it is important to stay physically active during COVID-19, even little things like going for a walk can be beneficial for individuals.
“Just 30-45 minutes of raising your heart rate daily is all it takes for most people,” Thomas Neely said.
Popular body weight exercises include push-ups, sit-ups and squats.