Weatherproof my exercise routine!
April 24, 2016 4:42 AM   Subscribe

My thousandth exercise question: My exercise routine needs some tweaking. Please advise. I need options for exercise at home on days that it's too hot to go out, and given certain other restrictions.

As I've posted about before, I currently exercise about 5 days a week, with one-hour-long bodyweight training sessions with a trainer 3 days a week, and one-hour walks on the weekdays that he doesn't come. All fine, except now it's too damn hot to go out walking, with temperatures regularly reaching 40 degrees Celsius. What can I do on days it's too hot to go out?

This sounds like an easy question to answer but I have no access to a gym or a pool, due to my current location and life circumstances, or any access to group classes. I have space to workout at home, but it's quite small. I have a temperamental internet connection - ie I can't easily stream youtube videos but I CAN wait for the whole thing to load and then play it. Given that, I was thinking of trying out yoga videos but then I read a lot about how it isn't safe to do yoga at home without an instructor there to stop you hurting yourself (and I HAVE hurt myself doing yoga at home, before). So I'm not sure about that anymore. I have no equipment apart from a yoga mat and two dumbells. I don't have the budget or space for any equipment. I was thinking about just repeating some moves from my strength-training workout, but I don't know how that would affect muscle recovery etc.

What else can I do? I was hoping for something that would be a little gentler and more pleasant like walking. I already bust my ass 3 days a week so I'm not looking to do something like Insanity or Jillian Michaels on in-between days. I am overweight and while I have been exercising regularly for about 18 months now, I would still totally call myself a noob at all things exercise-related. I have troublesome knees but am otherwise healthy.

Thanks for your help Mefites!
posted by Ziggy500 to Health & Fitness (12 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
I have this DVD, Walk Away the Pounds Collection. Four walking workouts, with varying intensities. I do the 3-mile one, sometimes stopping after 2 miles, depending on how I'm feeling, time constraints, etc. She also does arm stretches and kickbacks, etc., but nothing too strenuous. But it can all be done in very little space. She is kind of perky in a female Richard Simmons way, but that's okay, it gets the job done. Also: love the varying ages and body sizes of the group she leads.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:59 AM on April 24, 2016 [4 favorites]


Jump rope. That exercises your whole body.
posted by maurreen at 5:47 AM on April 24, 2016


If I were you and wanted something slow and pleasant, I would turn on a movie or show I wanted to see and just move while watching it. Knee lifts, stepping from side to side/ forward and back, ballroom dance steps, raising and lowering arms, etc. at whatever intensity you're aiming for.

I personally would probably do something at jogging intensity for 20 minutes rather than walking intensity for 60 if stuck inside, but that's just me.
posted by metasarah at 5:48 AM on April 24, 2016 [2 favorites]


Could you walk early in the morning, before the sun comes up?

I remember Jazzercise used to come with intensity modifications. Those DVDs might be fun.
posted by lakeroon at 6:01 AM on April 24, 2016 [2 favorites]


Yoga is fine if you keep it slow and gentle, particularly if you go to classes occasionally to get your form corrected. Or something like Tai Chi would be even more gentle.

I also like just bouncing on an exercise ball while engaging the core -- very gentle but effective ab workout that you can do while watching tv. Ad a few other pilates/yoga moves like plank, and you could get a pretty decent but gentle workout in.
posted by veery at 6:20 AM on April 24, 2016


Do you have access to a mall to walk around in?
posted by Kalmya at 6:38 AM on April 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


This is why mall-walking is a thing.

Where do you work out with your trainer? Is it indoors? Do they have an indoor track or even just a big room (like a bball court) where you could walk laps?

If streaming is an issue, you can always rent exercise DVDs from your local library. If going to the library every week seems like a hassle, I think workout DVDs are pretty cheap on Amazon.
posted by Brittanie at 6:39 AM on April 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


I know that you said that you don't want to buy equipment, but if you're up for a pretty inexpensive piece of equipment, what about hula hooping? It's boring as fuck, but you can do it while you watch TV. There's actually some research that confirms that it's a good workout. You want to make sure that you get a weighted hoop, because they're easier to keep up than the ultralight ones, and you want to make sure that you get a bigger one, because you move more slowly with a wider hoop than a narrow one, which is good for beginners. Once you get the hang of it, you can get a small, light one from a toy store if you want.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:45 AM on April 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


You can get free dvds from your local library. It is fine to do yoga at home. You have to follow the same rule for yoga at home as you do for yoga in a class- if it feels wrong, stop doing it!

It wouldn't hurt to jump into a class every once in awhile to correct your form. Some instructors will come to you for a private session for a price that won't destroy your budget.
posted by myselfasme at 7:02 AM on April 24, 2016


Is it cooler in the early morning or evening, and if so, is it safe to walk at that time?
posted by cotton dress sock at 7:30 AM on April 24, 2016


Here's another vote for Walk Away the Pounds. They also have 4-mile and 5-mile DVDs. I have not tried the 5 mile, but the 4 mile takes about an hour. If you have light weights (i.e., 2 or 3 pounds), the instructor adds them in for a bit more calorie burn, or you can just do the motions without the weights. For someone at your fitness level, these would be light workouts.

If you want to pursue yoga, I'd suggest looking for a DVD that is meant for beginners, which should have more instruction about how to do the poses and avoid injury.
posted by tuesdayschild at 12:35 PM on April 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


Have you tried barre? When done correctly it can be a very intense workout. I signed up for a few free classes and after the free classes were done, I was hooked. In a short time, I noticed that I was getting stronger and leaner and it helped my running like you wouldn't believe. I got faster and running didn't seem to take as much effort as it had before I started barre. Barre doesn't require any special equipment, but if you want, you can use dumbbells, resistance bands and a core ball. It's not just for the ladies either; in my classes, there are often men who attend and will struggle alongside their female counterparts. It's not easy and you can make each class harder by challenging yourself more or less (if you're having an off day). You should check and see if there are any studios that will give you some free trial classes. I know my studio has online class options as well (for a small fee).
posted by ATX Peanut at 1:27 PM on April 25, 2016


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