COVID-19 close your gym? Here are exercises you can do at home

With gyms and fitness centers closed and social distancing in effect, you may be looking for effective exercises that you can do at home.

Paige Kondrak, a fitness specialist at Virtua Health's William G. Rohrer Center for Health and Fitness said bodyweight exercises, exercises that don’t require weights or machines, can be done anywhere and are some of the best exercises to keep you fit and healthy. These also are fun for kids if you want to get your family involved.

Here are some examples where you should do one to three sets, completing 10-15 reps per exercise.

Glute bridges

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and keep your feet on the floor.
• Place your hands on the ground with your palms facing downward.
• Lift your hips up and off the floor, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
• Hold for 2-3 seconds and repeat.

Planks (regular plank, side plank)

• Press your hands flat on the floor, shoulders aligned directly above them, and keep your back and bottom in a flat position, as you press your belly button toward your back. Hold for 15 to 60 seconds, or as long as you can.
• For a side plank, lie on one side with your feet stacked. Press your bottom hand flat into the floor (or rest on your elbow), keeping it aligned with your shoulder, and press your body up, keeping it as straight as possible from your ankles through your shoulders.

Plank heeltaps

• Start in a plank position – pressing your hands flat on the floor, shoulders aligned directly above them, and keeping your back and bottom in a flat position.
• Keeping your legs straight, raise your bottom until you’re in a pike position.
• Lift one hand, reach underneath and try to tap your opposite ankle.
• Come back to starting plank position and repeat with opposite hand and ankle.

Push-ups

• Start on your hands and knees or in a plank position, keeping your shoulders aligned directly above your hands.
• Push against the ground as you push your body up, keeping your back and bottom in a flat position.
• Lower and repeat.

Kondrak offers 15 exercises in an article on the Virtua website.