Prolonged physical inactivity can lead to serious health problems. Obesity, heart diseases, and osteoporosis are only a few out of a host of medical risks and issues when living a sedentary lifestyle. As important as it is to study and work hard, you’re equally responsible for your physical and mental well-being. A great way to start taking care of yourself is by doing some simple exercises at home.
Student doing a simple sit-up exercise at home
1. Push-ups
One of the simple workouts you can do at home is a standard push-up. At the start of a push-up, place your hands under your shoulders with your fingers pointing forward. Your fingers should be splayed for better stability and make sure your palms are flat on the floor. A good elbow angle is around 45 degrees away from your body when performing a push-up.
2. Squats
Be it indoor or outdoor exercises, knowing the right body posture is crucial to prevent injuries. The right set-up for a squat workout begins with moving your buttocks downward and feeling the weight on your heels. Always maintain your heels flat on the floor. Bend your knees slightly outwards. Look straight ahead to avoid back hunching. While doing the squat, hold your hands together as a way to “hold” your form.
3. Side Planks
Easy-at-home workouts such as side planks activate your core strength, improve body posture, and increase flexibility. Position your elbow under your shoulder. Lift your body off the floor and balance your weight using the forearm and the side of the foot. Maintain a straight line hold for as long as you can. Change sides and repeat. Throughout the exercise, breathe slowly.
4. Hip Raise Exercises
For less intense indoor exercises, hip raise exercises might just suit your workout style. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms with your palms facing upwards. Raise your buttocks off the floor by extending your hips upward while pushing down through your heels. Hold for your desired duration (but be consistent) and finally return to the starting position by lowering your hips back to the floor.
5. Body Stretches
Everyday stretching is good, especially for the less physically active. Performing simple stretching exercises helps to decrease tension and stress-related headaches when studying or working for long periods of time. Simple stretches like a shoulder release are something that anyone can do. Simply extend your arms over your head, interlock your fingers, and have your palms face upward for a few seconds. You will feel the immediate release of tension off your shoulders.
Staying healthy does not necessarily require complicated workouts or fancy gym equipment. There are many easy exercises that you can do at home. Always start with a small set of repetitions when exercising. Once your body is ready for a higher and more intense workout, slowly increase the frequency. The great thing about exercising is it will bring a positive impact not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
INTI International University & Colleges offers course programmes in Health Sciences, as well as having our own Physical Activity Research Center (PARC), where students and academicians develop research on emerging epidemics linked to physical inactivity and its impact to public health. One of our Physiotherapy graduates, Abdallah Said Mohammed, is researching on using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a system that will assist patients to work on their recommended exercises remotely. Read more on INTI’s PARC research plans and endeavours here.