7 Daily Exercises to Increase Strength and Fitness

With much of Australia staying at home to fight the spread of COVID-19, many of us have not just limited our movement in the community, but around the house as well. Our regular shopping trips or coffee with friends have been put on hold, and watching just a little more TV may seem more appealing than donning a mask and venturing outside for a stroll.

This increased time we spend sitting can be detrimental to our health; high levels of sedentary behaviour in older adults are associated with mobility limitations, reduced muscle mass and reduced bone density, which can increase the risk of falls and resulting bone fractures.

However, it is possible to remain healthy and active while staying safe at home. Those who regularly break up their sedentary time with physical activity show increased levels of mobility and fitness. Older Australians can experience many benefits from regular exercise, such as improved muscle strength, falls risk, bone density, immune response and cognitive function.

If you’ve been reaching for the remote more often than the sweat towel, here are 7 exercises to help you stay active at home with no gym equipment needed! Note: If you are new to exercise, book in to see your GP before commencing an exercise program.

1. Sit-to-stands

To improve your leg strength

Position yourself sitting on a chair with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lean forwards and stand up, then bring your hips back to slowly sit down again. Too difficult? Use a taller chair, use your arms to push off your legs or place a pillow on the seat. Too easy? Hold a weight in your hands.

2.Calf raises

To improve your leg strength

Position yourself standing in front of a bench with your feet together, holding on lightly for support if needed. Lift your heels off the ground, then slowly back down. Too difficult? Lean into the bench slightly or perform sitting down. Too easy? Hold for 3 seconds at the top, or hold a weight in one hand.

3. Standing balance

To improve your balance

Position yourself with your feet together, in front of a bench for support if needed. Look straight ahead of you and balance for 30 seconds or as long as you can. Too difficult? Hold on with both hands or stand normally with feet apart. Too easy? Place one foot in front of the other, look side-to-side, look up and down, recite a poem, or pass a ball from hand to hand.

4. Marching

To improve your balance, leg strength and stamina

March on the spot or in a straight line, with high knees. Too difficult? Hold on to a bench lightly with one or both hands. Too easy? March longer, march faster, lift your knees up higher or strap an ankle weight onto each leg.

5. Tricep dips

To improve your arm strength

While sitting in a chair with sturdy arms, place your hands on the arms. Push up until your arms are straight before lowering yourself slowly down. Too difficult? Place a pillow underneath you or push off slightly with your legs. Too easy? Hold for 3 seconds at the top or slide your feet further away from you.

6. Bicep curl

To improve your arm strength

Sit or stand while holding a dumbbell or can of beans in each hand, arms relaxed at your sides. Bend your elbow and bring the weight up to your shoulder, keeping your upper arm still. Too difficult? Hold a lighter object or none at all. Too easy? Hold a heavier object or lower the weight more slowly.

7. Walking

To improve your walking endurance

Walk along a hallway or footpath with your usual mobility aids or supervision if required. Go at a pace that quickens your breathing slightly, but still allows you to talk comfortably. Too difficult? Walk more slowly or take more frequent rest stops. Too easy? Walk a little faster (safety permitting), walk up an incline, walk for longer or take fewer rest stops.

Remember to cease any of these exercises if they cause pain or excessive discomfort and consult your treating GP and/or Exercise Physiologist before resuming. If you would like further advice or guidance from our Exercise Physiologists, Vitality Club continues to provide both in-person and online consultations throughout the lockdown period.

DID YOU KNOW?

Vitality Club offers weekly online exercise classes run by our Accredited Exercise Physiologists, who guide members through simple whole-body routines with little-to-no equipment required. Participants love the opportunity to stay active at home while interacting with other members of their community! Find more information on classes here or contact us!

Written by: Annabelle Breyley-Smith, Accredited Exercise Physiologist