With millions of people returning to the office in this unpredictable, pandemic-ravaged world, many of us may lose some of the free time that allowed extra exercise, track runs, and brisk walks in the great outdoors. And since the New York Times reports that being locked out and eating more while inactive and watching Netflix can have resulted in weight gains of 20 pounds or more over the course of a year, it has never been more important get our fitness goals back on track.
Mike Donavanik, the founder of Sweat Factor, has put together a team of coaches to move us away from on-demand movies and towards on-demand workouts. For those who need to exercise on a busy work schedule, streaming services like Sweat Factor provide convenience and motivational support. You can try this exclusive workout from Sweat Factor team member Gideon Akande that requires just 20 minutes, a pair of medium dumbbells, and one heavy dumbbell.
Courtesy of Sweat Factor
w that people's old office lifestyles may be returning soon, what advice would you give to people who may be tempted to quit exercising?
I think the pandemic has shown people that you don't need a gym membership to work on your health and fitness, and that you can work out almost anywhere with minimal to no equipment. I think when people go back to the office it's all about changing the way you think and making exercise a priority. Exercise is great for relieving the stress of work and improving physical fitness.
What are some of the fastest exercises people can do?
Pushups, squats, lunges, planks and all their variations and loads of abdominal exercises like burpees. The ones just listed take up very little space and absolutely no equipment or set-up time. You can also use a skipping rope if you want to bring in more cardio components and again it takes up very little space.
How can exercise be fun and suitable for work breaks?
You can try to burn a maximum number of calories or exercise for a specific number of minutes. You could also do AMRAPs (as many reps as possible) or EMOMs (every minute to the minute). You can achieve a lot in a short amount of time using these methods.
What are the benefits of on-demand workouts?
On-demand workouts provide structure. It can be daunting figuring out how to program your workout or what to do besides the "basics". On-demand workouts give you access to great trainers who are experts in their fields. They take the challenge of designing the workout while making it fun and engaging at the same time. They also give you great pictures and pointers on what your form should look like.
Do people need to have a certain skill to try on-demand, or can everyone pick it up easily?
Anyone Can Use On Demand Workouts! Most on-demand platforms know that all ages, abilities, and fitness levels want to participate. Even if a platform is suitable for advanced or advanced trainees, the modifications and regression are always displayed.
What advice would you give to people who might let themselves go a little during lockdowns?
How do you get back into training? Be nice to yourself. The lockdown has hit people hard in many ways: physically, mentally, and of course financially. Relax a little, be patient, and set reasonable expectations.
But when you're ready to start ... just start. It can be daunting to start over with a lot of self-doubt floating around in your head, but you just have to start. Each day will get a little easier over time if you stick to the process.
Also, I'd say doing your new fitness regimen will calm you down, especially if you've had previous injuries. If you've been inactive, it will take time for your body to start up again. You won't be able to jump straight to where you were before the locks, so this is where reasonable expectations come into play.
What other safety concerns should people have before they get back into training?
Chances are you won't have the same level of strength, cardio, flexibility, and mobility that you had before lockdown. You have to recognize that and respect your body. If you jump right into what you did in January 2020, you are likely to get injured. Your joints, ligaments and muscles need to be brought back into shape.
Getting back into training like you did in "Operations" is likely to result in injury and slow down progress. So first, take it easy and measure how your body feels. You can always move forward faster if you are feeling good, but if you injured yourself in week 2 it could set you back from a few days to a few weeks and that would be super demotivating.
How often would you recommend people do the on-demand workouts?
It all depends on your fitness level and what else you are doing. Some people do on-demand workouts every day instead of having a gym membership because the on-demand workouts have them covered.
Other people like to do heavy lifting at the gym or run outdoors and then use on-demand workouts as a supplement. Either way, you should try to get some exercise every day.
Gideon Akande's 20-minute full-body strength circuit
This workout is only available to Muskelandfitness.com readers and Sweat Factor subscribers.
