Why No-Equipment Workouts are Essential for Your Physical and Mental Wellness
At the core of the HerMeNow Wellness initiative, we aim to improve our participants and team's physical and mental health. We realize that not all of us have the luxury of time or access to facilities to start a physical fitness regimen. Therefore, we want to share how you can stay healthy and work towards your physical fitness without going to an expensive gym or buying equipment that would burn a hole in your pocket.
Our physical health is as vital as our emotional/ mental health. And ignoring one of these can profoundly impact the quality of our lives. Our self-motivation and the desire to care and do better for ourselves are far more critical than access to the facilities to establish any health regimen.
With that being said, we encourage you to take a moment to self-analyze where you are at and where you would like to be when it comes to your physical and mental wellness.Why is it essential to you? What benefits do you feel will cultivate from setting up a routine for yourself that'll help you improve your physical health, become more flexible, leaner or stronger?
Running
Running or jogging is an excellent no-equipment workout that you can include in your fitness regimen. Running provides many health benefits, including a healthy heart and fast calorie burn. Many people who include running in their workout routine find it an excellent aid for stress relief.
It can be an excellent workout for those looking to lose weight or increase their stamina. And it will help you with enhanced cognitive functions such as focus and mental shape.
Running is associated with high energy, so it should not be done near bedtime. However, it is an excellent workout if you plan this during the day or at least 4 to 5 hours before bedtime.
Always take time to warm up and cool down before and after running. You can start with a brisk walk or a light jog and transition into running. Take time to stretch your legs and arms after you are done, and a few minutes of brisk walking to cool down.
Always opt for running outdoors instead of a treadmill if you have the option. The outdoors provide a higher level of mental stimulation, which also helps with getting rid of boredom and reduces stress even more.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent full-body workout, especially for this weather. It allows the body to cool down in the summer heat and engages almost all major muscle groups. Similarly to running, swimming also improves cardiovascular health. It increases your heart rate and your lung capacity. Since it's a cardio exercise, it supports weight management and weight loss.
It is a low-impact exercise, so you can expect less tension on your joints; at the same time, it helps the tendons and ligaments to gain strength. If you suffer from bad knees or a tight back, swimming can help you recover.
The different strokes and movements in swimming practice help with becoming more flexible and releasing the stored tension in your muscles and body, which are caused by stress.
It is an excellent workout for fluidity.
Yoga
Yoga is becoming more and more popular around the world due to its holistic health benefits. As much as it provides an excellent workout for the physical body, it works deeply on the internal (emotional/ spiritual) body.
You don't require any equipment for this except for a mat. The asanas (poses) in yoga are designed to enhance flexibility, reduce stress in the body at different levels and strengthen the body. You can find different yoga practices ranging from high intensity to low intensity and different styles depending on your needs.
Unlike running and swimming, yoga is not a cardiovascular workout. Instead, it's focused on flexibility, mobility, and strength. On the other hand, with yoga, you will cultivate the benefits of mindfulness, meditation, stress management, and improved sleep. Yoga can be an excellent workout for those recovering from any kind of injury or pain in the body, as it works on posture and alignment.
It's a combination of physical and emotional/ spiritual body.
Bodyweight Workout
Bodyweight workouts can be done anywhere, anytime, without any equipment. Bodyweight workouts are focused on muscle strength and toning.
Bodyweight workouts include jumping jacks, squats, lunges, planks, crunches, pushups, tricep dips, etc. Even though bodyweight workouts are more focused on strength and toning, you can add a little bit of cardio to it by increasing the number of jumping jacks in the beginning as you warm up.
Similarly to running, a bodyweight workout requires a warm-up in the beginning and a cool-down at the end to avoid muscle injury.
Bodyweight exercises are popular due to their accessibility and convenience. You can modify the exercises as per your requirements. And can create a customized workout for yourself.
Even though all these workouts are great on their own, feel free to play them around and mix and match to step up your fitness game without any equipment.
For example:
Swimming and body weight can be a great combination if you are looking for a cardio and muscle strength session.
Running and yoga is a great way to lose weight and stay flexible.
Swimming and yoga improve muscle length and flexibility.
Physical workouts are not only good for maintaining good fitness and physical health. In fact, they also help us with many cognitive benefits. They improve physical strength, flexibility, and mobility, reduce stress, build confidence, and create a healthier and positive mindset.
Another common benefit of physical workouts is enhanced focus and concentration. Last but not least, physical workouts cause an increase in dopamine in the body, which promotes feelings of joy and happiness.
If you are a HerMeNow participant or alumni, book your free coaching session now through the HerMeNow website https://www.hermenow.com/wellness.
Anam Anjum
Wellness Consultant
+971 52 629 9656