Physical activity & exercise programming to one extent or another is a mixture of science, design, art, experimenting and trial & error... & effort..
It's 'easy' enough to walk into a gym with an abundance of equipment & go from machine to machine. For anyone suffering a chronic health condition, exercise prescribed is more than just an exercise. But what if you're constantly traveling for work? Time restraints are an issue & not to mention the expense of unused gym memberships.
Something to keep in mind is that physical activity & exercise can be done in your house, at the park or in a hotel room. You can do it with any floor space, in your office or in a pool.
So, being creative plays a vital role in the consistency & progression of your exercise regime. Floor space speaks for itself, you can do pushups, squat jumps, core exercises such as planks, crunches or leg raises.
Some examples of other objects used...
Park bench or chair: is the perfect object Used for sit to stands (squats), Bulgarian lunges (one leg on bench), glute bridges (laying on back with feet on chair), step ups, mountain climbs, incline pushups or dips
Towel: wrapped around a stable pole can be used for rows or assisted pull-ups. Wrapped around the toes can assist with hamstring stretches.
Bed: Pushups - doing push-ups on unstable surfaces have been shown to increase activation through triceps. Can be utilised as an 'un-stable' object to replace the bench/chair in order to challenge stability.
Pool: to perform low impact hydrotherapy based exercises or general mobility improvements.
Park: run, walk, crawl.. Literally anything.
Door frame/ walls: if sturdy, can be utilised for some amazing stretches through pec major & minor, latissimus doors, QL's (low back muscles), quadriceps, hamstrings, calf muscles, the list goes on!
The one most important thing to remember, even more important than that 'something' in the second paragraph is the term "something is better than nothing". Although these exercises can be performed anywhere, at any time you need, doing something (literally anything if safe to do so) is more important than knowing what specifically to do. If you listen to your body, you will find that programming your own exercises is quite easy. If something was challenging or irritating a joint, regress or modify the intensity/ exercise, don't just stop *stopping exercise all together has been shown to further increase risk of injury & symptoms of chronic health conditions*. If something made you feel great, pain free & energised than run with it!
Be creative, try to add some inspiration & meaning to your programming whether it's at the gym or not. Remember, you don't have to be a scientist of exercise & creative arts to know when something feels good for the body.
If you have any further questions, queries or want suggestions on programs please don't hesitate to contact me!
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