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Sedentary behaviour and low levels of physical activity can have negative effects on the health, well-being and quality of life.

Physical activity and relaxation techniques can be valuable tools to help you remain calm and continue to protect your health during this social distancing period.

WHO recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or a combination of both. You can find the local gym that does online fitness sessions and do workout routines in your home. You can use their gym software to book your appointments easily.

For Women

1. Jumping Jacks

Jumping jack gives flexibility and help you increase the stamina. Keep your feet together and stand tall and keeping hands straight at your sides. While jumping, raise your arms above your head and feet’s apart to the sides. Quickly reverse and come back to standing position with a jump.

A one or two minute jumping jack exercises can loosen your muscles with more flow of oxygen into the bloodstream.

2. Push-ups

Get into plank position. Keep hands under bit outside your shoulder, keep your leg stretched, lower your body until chest gets near to the floor and quickly come back to original position. It basically strengthens your upper body as it’s beneficial for chest, shoulders and triceps.

It also strengthens yours thighs and abdominal muscles. In the beginning, it seems difficult to do more number of pushups. You can also start with knee pushups, inclined pushups in the beginning.

3. Squats

Squat is most effective exercise to tone your thighs, hips and butts. There are many variations in squatting exercise. Do the basic one to start with. Keep shoulders and chest up with back straight and feet wider apart (as of the shoulder width). Take your hips back and then bend your knees and sit as if you are sitting on chair. Slowly come back to the original position and repeat. Ensure to look straight while squatting.

Do it in a controlled manner. If your back or knew starts hurting, you are not doing it properly!

Take a rest and then start a fresh. Do only fewer sets of 2 to 3 with only 8 or 10 reps. Squats do improve your overall health by boosting digestion and blood circulation.

4. Single Leg Stand

Vrikshasana (Tree Pose).

Balancing on one feet enhances flexibility of leg muscles. It boosts your concentration, helps you stay focused that makes you fight anxiety and depression. To start with, do a basic exercise. Shift your entire body weight on one foot and lift the other slightly off the floor. Keep it straight forward and try not to lean your body. Stay in the position for a minute.

You can also do yoga posture vrikshasana that relaxes and calms the central nervous system.

5. Bridge Posture

Lie flat your back with arms on your sides, palms down. Keep feet flat on the floor with knees bended. Ensure to keep feet’s apart (hip-width). Slowly lift your hip towards ceiling and hold on to the position for a while and then come back to original position. Bridge pose helps you get relief from lower back pain and helps you fight hypertension.

6. Plank

Plank exercise puts your entire body on work. It’s most vital for abdominals. Get down on the floor on your elbows and toes. Elbows should bent and directly below your shoulders. Keep the body straight while holding on to the position.

7. Leg Raise

Leg raise exercises are one of the best for abdominal areas. You just need to lie on your back, place your hands beside you, palms down. Raise your legs off the ground keeping your knees locked. Hold on to the position as long as you comfortably can and then slowly come back to original position.

8. Hands In and Out Breathing

This one helps in people with menstrual disorder and asthma. Stand straight, Stretch your arms forward at the shoulder level with palms facing each other closely. Spread your arms out to the sides while inhaling till they form a straight line at the shoulder level. Come back to original position while exhaling. Repeat it for 3-5 minutes.

9. Hip Rotation

Lie flat on the floor and keep the feet apart. Slowly push up one leg, looking straight and then pull it back. Now raise your other leg and do the same. It strengthens your hip muscles and improves flexibility.

10. Crunches

It’s a traditional exercise for stronger abs. Lie flat on your back, knees bent with feet flat on the floor. Keep the feet apart. Hands to be kept at the base of your head with elbows pointed out. Bring up your head and shoulder off the floor using your abs and go back to the position with control.

Rotate through these exercises for a quick home workout

For Men

1. Jumping Jacks

Stand straight with your feet together and hands on your sides. Jump along with raising your arms above your head and bring your feet apart. Reverse the movement immediately and come back to the original position. Start doing it faster.

2. Plank

Get into pushup position with elbows bent in 90 degree keeping your body weight on your forearms. Ensure your body forms a straight line from your head to feet. Hold on to the position as long as you can.

3. Cross Crunches

Lie flat on your back. Bend your knees with feet flat on the floor. Place both the hands loosely behind your head. Now, bring your right shoulder and elbow across your body and at the same time bring up your left knee towards your left shoulder. Try to touch your knee with elbow. Go back to the original position and repeat the same with the left elbow.

4. Side Plank

Start on your side with feet together while keeping forearm below your shoulder. Now slowly raise your hip until your body form straight line from head to feet. Hold on to the position and repeat on the other side too!

Elderly exercisers during lockdown.

5. Squats

Start with the hips back with back straight, chest and shoulders up. Bend your knees and squat down keeping them in line with your feet. Start with 25 squats a day and then increase.

6. Lunges

Lower your hip until both keens bent in 90 degree angle. Step forward with one leg while keeping your upper body straight and relaxed. Come back to original position keeping the weight in your heels.

7. Push-ups

Get down on the ground setting your hands shoulder-width apart. Ensure your body forms a straight line. Begin to lower your body keeping elbows close to your body. Push back to starting high plank position.

8. Russian twist

Sit with your torso leaning back at about 45 degree, knees bent, feet elevated a bit as if it should look like imaginary v shape between upper body and thighs.

9. High Knees

Stand straight with feet hip-width apart. Raise your right knee as high as possible while raise your left arm. Reverse the move. Continue pulling knees up quickly.

10. Dead Bugs

Lie on your back keeping your legs and arms extended towards ceiling. Extend your right arm behind your head while lowering your left leg. Come back to original position and repeat it with switching sides.

You can try exercise that involve working with dumbbells, weight machines, medicine balls, kettlebells and elastic bands to help strengthen muscles.

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