Feel Good

Work Smart Not Hard: 7 workouts you can smash in 30 minutes

Written by High Life North
Published 26.01.2021

By Brittany Heeley

Are you bored of your daily walk around the block? We absolutely understand the struggle! Coronavirus has meant we can no longer hit the gym after work, but with only 30 minutes of allocated “outside time” to play with, it’s tough thinking of anything we can do except our stroll around the houses or, if we’re feeling wild (and the roads aren’t too icy) a cheeky cycle.

Well, we’re here to help at HLN, so have scoured our sources to bring you some ideas that might just help put some spice back into your workouts. Thank us later…

 

FOR THE ONES WHO LIKE A CHALLENGE…OUTDOOR HIIT

How about setting up your own outdoor interval circuit? If you’re lucky enough to have a big, beautiful garden, whack on your workout gear and you can train in your own back yard!

Of course, the winter chills may have you second-guessing whether you actually need fresh air, but on fairly comfortable weather days outdoor circuits are a great way to build agility, increase stamina and burn a ton of calories.

Don’t have any equipment? Get creative and use a tin of beans as a weight (bags filled with books for more of a challenge). Need some circuit inspo? We’ve got that covered too – check out this video by SELF on YouTube. This one is sure to get you moving.

FOR THE ONES WHO LIKE A RELAXING WORKOUT… YOGA

Yoga is renowned for helping balance mind and body, as well as improving your flexibility. If you’ve become a bit of a couch potato, yoga may be the answer to re-activating your muscle groups again.

Grab yourself a mat and you can explore the wealth of YouTube and follow videos that have been uploaded by yoga instructors – they’re literally giving you a free yoga class! Yoga with Adriene may be a good place to start if you’re comfortable training independently, or you could sign up for an online yoga session with Hot Pod Yoga or Wellness Space – whichever tickles your fancy.

FOR THE ONES WHO DON’T ENJOY HOME WORKOUTS…THE RING FIT ADVENTURE

Let’s be honest, as much as we’d like them to be, home workouts just aren’t for everyone. But, if your household owns a Nintendo Switch, this fun workout game may just be the thing to get you up and running. The Ring Fit Adventure game was released towards the end of 2019, but has gained huge popularity since we’ve all been in lockdown.

Jog, twist, crunch and squat – the game challenges your agility and uses body weight workouts with some resistance from the ring-con device to improve your overall strength and fitness.

You can get a good quality workout without leaving your front room – perfect for when the weather is not on our side!

 

 

FOR THE ONES WHO NEED SOME MOTIVATION…ONLINE PT SESSIONS

Getting in touch with local personal trainers is definitely a win-win. You’re able to follow the help and guidance from a trained professional, while also supporting the local community and independent businesses during this difficult time.

Many personal trainers have begun hosting online 1-to-1 fitness sessions in order to keep working throughout lockdown. This has opened up a pool of opportunities for the North East community, as we can now keep some element of socialising alive while keeping ourselves healthy.

Here at HLN we’re big fans of Juicy Fitness. who are family-run business from the North East, offering fitness routines for women and designed by women. But have a quick browse on social media and see if any of the trainers from your local gym are providing sessions too – you’ll definitely not regret it.

FOR THE ONES WHO PREFER CARDIO…5K RUNNING CHALLENGE

Cardio admittedly isn’t everyone’s favourite, but if you’re reading this then you’re probably up for the challenge. It’s a great way to push your body and use multiple muscle groups, all while shredding fat.

You may even want to meet a friend (socially-distanced, of course) and go for a run or a bike ride together. It’s healthy to see faces other than those in your household and it’s a great way to catch up while sticking to the lockdown rules.

If you’re looking for a plan to get started, why not try the Couch to 5K app? This is a nine-week plan on achieving a 5K distance run, which is ideal if you’re wanting to push your body and achieve a personal fitness goal.

 

FOR THE BUSY BEES…GROCERY SHOPPING

If a workout-in-disguise is more your style of exercise, how about doing your weekly food shop on foot? Leave the car behind and use your strength to carry your shopping bags home.

Don’t underestimate this one – those bags can be heavy! But this way you can get yourself some cardio in, breathe in that fresh air and tick off one of your jobs for the day. Sorted.

FOR THE ONES WHO LIKE ROUTINE…LIVE FITNESS CLASSES

It’s easy to fall into slouch-dom when you’re living, working and socialising all from home. But make sure you don’t fall behind on your fitness by making it a part of your daily schedule – with a little help from a daily live fitness class.

Get Fit North East host several live training sessions each week and signing up for a few classes may just be the perfect way to inject some variety into your day.

 

 

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