Besides keeping physical distance from other people, maintaining our physical and mental health is also important in order to prevent infection. Physical training strengthens the immune system, which means stronger defence against the virus. However, graduality is important, as a sudden, huge load on the body may do more harm than good.
Sándor Szántó, acting director of the Sports Medicine Clinic of UD thinks that besides maintaining and improving strength, working out at home also helps keep our cardiovascular system in shape.
- In order to keep our cardiovascular health, dynamic workout is recommended that moves huge muscle mass and raises heartrate to about 110 in the case of older people, and about 130 for younger ones. It is important to note that these exercises are only effective in terms of reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and burning fat if a session lasts at least for 30 minutes, and it is repeated 4 or 5 times a week – explained the expert.
These sessions should ideally take place outside, at appropriate distance from others, says the head of the Sports Medicine Clinic. If you work out in your home, turn on the music, and do some hopping, or use a skipping rope.
If you have 2X2 metre free space, you can work out using your own weight, and do exercises like squats, forward lunges, push-ups, stretching and planking. As for equipment, a chair or a sofa may come handy. Instead of barbells, you can use PET bottles filled with water, according to your strength level. If your arms are already tired, you can put a few books in a backpack, and continue working out using your increased weight.
Sándor Szántó also emphasized the importance of dedicating a specific amount of time to your training session every day, which makes it easier to integrate it into our daily routine. It also ensures regularity. Involving family members may help in sticking to the programme.
Sedentary lifestyle in a home quarantine may result in muscle and joint pain. According to Szántó, the key is prevention and adopting a right sitting position.
- In a bent posture the load on the intervertebral discs is three times higher than in a standing position, which may lead to slipped discs. Back pain, headache or clicking jaw joints may also be among the consequences of a wrong sitting posture. The straight position of the neck can be ensured by setting the monitor at the right height. Avoid staying in the same position for longer periods. Change position at least every hour, or you can even work standing at an appropriate workstation – he added.
According to Sándor Szántó, in addition to adopting a right posture, stretching is also important, which can be done next to a desk, sitting on a chair, or next to the wall. He added that fitball can be used for sitting, but it is also an excellent tool for doing exercises. Besides moving member muscles, it is a perfect tool for strengthening core muscles.
Press Office
What kind of training programmes should be used in order to stay healthy and keep ourselves in shape during the time of “home quarantine”? According to an expert of the Sports Medicine Clinic of the University of Debrecen, the keywords are graduality and regularity.
