Rainy day home workouts: Don’t let April showers keep you from getting fit for summer

Kelly Gonzalez
Busy Bodies Health and Fitness
Date Published: April 15, 2009

“April showers bring May flowers.”

Unfortunately, April showers don’t bring the endurance of Lance Armstrong or the body of Heidi Klum. Waking up to gray skies, and threatening rain clouds may be all you need to can your outdoor workout for the day interfering with your fitness goals.

In reality, strong rain showers and spring storms can be dangerous out on the roads. The roads are slick, lightening and strong winds can be extremely hazardous, drivers may not see you as well, and wet socks and shoes can cause nasty blisters.
If it’s just one of those days, don’t sit around until the flowers are in full bloom. Get creative, and stay fit by working out indoors. It can be a nice change of pace, and give you a chance to work on your weaknesses.

Turn on the tube

Perhaps, you have a workout DVD sitting around. Whether it’s a Jane Fonda video from years ago, or Jillian Mitchells latest fat burning session, give it a go.

On satellite TV there’s a channel for everything. Luckily for us fitness fanatics we now have our own television station, FitTV. Check their schedule for workout shows and times at their home page http://fittv.discovery.com/
Laugh it up. Sitcoms are usually 30 minutes long. Make room in the living room and start moving for the entire length of the program. Switch it up between cardio intervals and strength training moves.

It doesn’t take much

When you’re out on the road cycling, running, walking, how often do you hear, “stop and give me 10.” Being stuck indoors leaves you with the perfect opportunity to increase your strength and reduce your risk of injury.
You don’t even have to head for the gym to use the circuit weight training machines. All you need to create resistance is your own bodyweight. Below is a full body strengthening workout.

Perform 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions for each exercise. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets and 30 seconds between exercises (only if needed, otherwise complete consecutively in a circuit fashion) Please make sure you are in good health to perform the below exercises.

Push-ups

In a prone plank position, outstretch your arms and separate your hands about shoulder width apart. Lower your body down towards the floor by bending your elbows in a 90-degree angle. Lower down for a 3 second count and push up for a 2 second count. Perform as many full pushups as possible, when fatigued finish the set by dropping to your knees, but keep your upper body in a straight line as you lower your body towards the floor.

Full Squats

Stand with your feet hip width apart. Sit back and down as if you’re sitting in a chair. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Mountain climbers

In a prone position with your palms flat on the ground jump your right foot forwards toward your right hand and quickly switch bringing your left foot towards your left hand as your right foot goes back to the starting position. Keep alternating quickly for 12-15 reps on both sides. Strengthen your core, scorch calories, and get a cardio blast from this plyometric exercise.

Tricep dip

Using a chair or bench, line the middle of your back on the edge, place your hands on the ledge behind you. Walk your feet out and use your arms to lower yourself down (elbows 90 degrees) and push back up.

Abdominal crunch

Lying on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. Curl your upper spine off the floor, squeeze and hold for 2-3 seconds and slowly roll back down. Keep your neck in line with your spine throughout the entire exercise to avoid straining.

Plank

In the prone position on your forearms and toes, keep your spine straight and hold for 60-90 seconds.

Beautiful Spring days will be here soon increasing our anticipation for the summer season. For now, we may still be plagued by gray skies, cooler than normal temperatures, and spring showers. No matter what the weather brings, at least your workouts don’t have to suffer!