How to Stay active and fit during the epidemic Part 2 - Cardiovascular and Strengthening Exercises

Many people think that it is necessary to go to the gym or outdoors for cardiovascular and strengthening exercises, but the fact is that many of these exercises can be done at home, and no equipment is necessary.  To keep active and to boost our immunity, we must continue to do exercises routinely.   Dr. Claudia Ng and our exercise therapist, Dark Yuen, will demonstrate some simple exercises suitable for the whole family to stay healthy and fit during this epidemic.

• Cardiovascular training

Cactus jump - Stand with legs wide apart and arms bent at the elbow, fingers pointing upwards like a cactus.  Then jump and bring both arms and legs towards the midline and out again, repeat 50-100 times.Use your muscles between the shoulder blades to open your arms wide.Keep your back straight to ensure breathing is smooth and to avoid injury.

The following exercise is a combination of cardio training and lower body strengthening.

• Strengthening

1. Wide leg squat - Back against the wall, legs wide open and slightly away from the wall.  Bend your knees outwards and squat down to about 90 degrees.  Stand up and squat down again 20 times.  Remember to keep your back against the wall as you move up and down to ensure a neutral spine posture.
2. Core stability training - The last exercise is core stability training.  Supporting the upper body with your elbows, lift both legs up, bending and straightening them together.  Then move them up and down like scissors, and open and close sideways, 10 times each.  Do not rush through the leg movements, but more importantly, keep the upper body steady avoiding any sideway tilts.  This is to train the core stability.

 

Dr. Claudia Ng: The above exercises are suitable even for persons who are not very active.

Exercise Therapist: Totally agree!They are simple enough to follow, and very energizing.Better still, my back and neck feel so much more relaxed!

Dr. Claudia Ng:  That’s great!However, if you notice any discomfort during or after any of the exercises, you should seek professional advice from a chiropractor!