Lockdown exercise advice from HSPRF

The Australian group HSPRF have put this up on Facebook this morning, with some useful advice on exercises you could do indoors.
https://www.facebook.com/HSPResearchFoundation/posts/3158022867565219

EXERCISING WITH SOCIAL RESTRICTIONS

Many people with HSP have routines of regular exercise and movement, such as at the gym or at the physio, the pool or the park. If the current restrictions on moving around, gatherings of people, social distancing or shutdowns have disrupted your regular exercise routine, all is not lost, although it may take some imagination and creativity to establish a good alternative or two.

Whilst it can be difficult to reproduce some exercises that employ weights or equipment, using one’s own body weight and the forces of nature, namely gravity, can be employed to good effect to get a workout.

Push-Ups

Push-ups can be done in a whole range of ways:

1. from a standing push-up (or push off) leaning against a wall, to a
2. more demanding push-up using a railing, table or bench for example, to
3. push-ups on the floor keeping the belly or knees or just the feet on the floor depending on your capability https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkj8LLRsoDw to
4. even more demanding yet, alternately raising one arm and the diagonally opposite leg in the “up” position of the push-up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2vtX1mD0TA. This improves core strength and stability. Here is an easier version that also works on the core https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uofd3HJWrWg.

Sitting and Standing

Sitting on a firm chair or bench that is high enough to have your knees and hips at roughly the same height, bring your arms up in front of you and slowly come up to a standing position, avoiding using your hands or arms to push off or to help with momentum if possible. In a slow and controlled manner, return to the sitting position. This return movement of controlled sitting from standing is at least as important in getting benefit from the exercise as the initial movement of standing from sitting. 3 sets of 10 repetitions per set is good, however just do what you can to start with while maintaining posture and control – then build up over time. This movement is equivalent to a 1/2 squat. YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yxfzyzEzBY

Do not try this from a slumpy couch. If you are unable to stand from sitting on a firm chair, you could try the same movement from a stool or other form of higher seat. Or you could do a partial squat from standing, with good control and slow movement on both the way down and the way back to fully upright. This might start as a 1/8 squat and progress to a 1/4 squat as you improve. YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01pCqfW9v4c

Duration stretching

Duration stretching can provide enormous benefit to mobility and quality of life. Six high load daily exercises of 15 minutes cumulative duration each make up the program. They can be done in front of TV, so if you watch 90 minutes of TV a day, or there is a movie you have been wanting to see, now you can kill two birds with one stone. Here is the link to the duration stretching program: https://hspersunite.org.au/daily-duration-stretching-pays-…/

The Shower or Bath ‘Dance'

Either standing (Shower Dance) or sitting on the floor (Bath Dance) the idea is to do the exact same movements (dry and clothed in your living room) that you would do washing yourself in the shower or bath and drying yourself afterwards… You can even use the towel! We achieve a good range of motion and more exercise than you might think when we shower and bathe. You can do it to music, hum along or entertain yourself with your own singing. Just do what you would normally do and are capable of when actually showering or bathing.

Using exercise equipment

Many people have some exercise equipment at home – exercise/gym balls, maybe some hand weights (those packets of rice or flour or cans of fruit can double as weights) an exercise bike or treadmill, or elastic resistance bands.

Outdoor exercise

For many people, it is still okay to leave your home to get some exercise. Where possible, it is important to take advantage of this, not just to exercise, but to boost spirits and help maintain a positive outlook.

Check out more Bowflex workouts here: https://goo.gl/jkjFMm If you're a person who thinks there is no way you could do a single push-up, we are here to tell ...