Home work out and fitness tips with Liverpool’s Absolute Body Solutions

Top tips to stay healthy and active at home during coronavirus from the team at Absolute Body Solutions

You might not to be able to head down to the gym after work but that’s no excuse for not keeping healthy while you’re staying safe at home.

Connor O’Brien from Absolute Body Solutions says there’s loads you can do from home, and it will help your physical and mental well-being if you do!

Connor, director of ABS which has centres in Speke, Liverpool City Centre and Manchester, says: “There’s loads you can do at home, so it’s no excuse to sit on the couch and do nothing. It’s far better to stay active.

“People who normally go to the gym will be missing it massively, but we have drafted together lots of exercises that people can do effectively, on the spot, in their living room.”

But he adds: “Now more than ever, it is important that as a nation we stay as fit, healthy and active as possible. Our temporary indoor lifestyle does not mean that exercise and fitness has to stop: in fact, quite the opposite!

 “If people just sit on the sofa they will get bored, and doing exercise offers a great boost to the body and the mind. It breaks up the day and helps people to focus on something other than what’s going on outside.”

ABS gyms may be closed, adds Connor, but that’s not preventing them from helping their clients –  and others – achieve and maintain their hard-earned results.

And they’ve put together top tips on how to stay fit, even when you have to stay indoors!

Keeping Fit

Set aside a time in the day to workout and try to stick to it

Have a training plan/workout to follow (check out our workout below to kick you off)

Continue to exercise outside, ensuring you follow the government’s advice of only doing this once a day and maintaining a distance of at least two metres from other people. This could be getting 10k steps in with a walk, or going on a run.

Use high reps on bodyweight exercises (aim for 15-20 reps for most exercises)

Pick 4-6 exercises and perform them in a circuit style. Take a minute’s rest at the end of the set and repeat 6-10 times

Exercises can include: squats, squat jumps, lunges, hip thrusts, press ups, plank, sit ups, mountain climbers and burpees

MORE: Some home yoga tips from Liverpool’s White Wolf Yoga Studios

Workout

Beginner: Pick 5 exercises for the circuit

Intermediate: Pick 8 exercises for the circuit

Advanced: All 10 exercises

Food & Nutrition

Continue to plan all your meals in advance, and include a good variety of all the food groups.

Hit your protein goal! Aim to consume 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. A typical amount of food to hit this for the average person would be: 3 Heck chicken sausages , 1 Chicken breast, 25g of almonds, 1 Steak medallion and 2 scoops whey protein

Set yourself a challenge to cook at least one freshly made meal a day: you can even get the kids involved! If you’re working from home, you may have more time to prepare meals, so enjoy the process!

Keep a bottle of water by your side at all times – it is incredibly important to stay hydrated: water really is the ultimate health drink. It boosts your performance and helps maintain positive energy levels.

Still continue to build in a cheat meal once a week to give you something to look forward to.

Vitamins

Vitamin A and Vitamin D: Working together they support our immune response and helps our system target pathogens. Vitamin A can be found in the likes of sweet potato, tuna, carrots, broccoli and spinach. Foods high in Vitamin D include orange juice, eggs, mushrooms and salmon

Zinc and Copper: Both dependent minerals in our body for many processes. Zinc can be found in beef, chicken, pork and lentils. Copper on the other hand can be found in chickpeas, dark chocolate, avocados and sweet potatoes

Selenium and Vitamin C: Immune cells help to kill off infection. Selenium and Vitamin C will help to give you a much-needed boost. Foods such as Brazil nuts, anchovies, salmon and chia seeds are high in selenium whereas oranges, tomatoes, strawberries and peppers are high in vitamin C

Sambucol: The active component of elderberry extract. It has been shown to be a very potent anti-viral

MORE:Things you only know when you work from home with your partner

Sleep

Sleep is incredibly important for a whole host of reasons, so try to ensure you are getting at least 7 hours a night. A good night’s sleep can boost your immunity and help you to recover, and it’s generally good for our well-being. For a good sleep, try to:

Avoid heavy meals late at night

Try taking a warm bath an hour before you go to bed

Listen to calming music or read a book 45 minutes before you go to bed

Avoid watching TV or using mobile devices in the bedroom before going to sleep

Avoid Caffeine after 1pm, and avoid it altogether if you’re a poor sleeper due to a racing mind or anxieties, as it raises cortisol (stress hormone), which can be detrimental to sleep

Pick a regular bedtime and try to follow it, even at the weekend

Use cool temperatures to help you sleep. Being warm at night and cool during the day inhibits your circadian rhythm (body clock). Switch things around and enjoy a better night’s sleep

Sleep in darkness. Too much light in your bedroom can prevent a good night’s sleep. Blackout curtains can help, or try using an eye mask

For  a bespoke programme tailored to you, you can also check out ABS online training