Stay Strong and Healthy by Developing a Quarantine Routine
Movement and breath work for a strong mind-body connection
Quarantine. This is a word that has become a normal part of our vocabulary over the past year as we have been living in this COVID-19 pandemic world. Quarantining may keep us away from COVID, but it brings a new set of challenges for many, including: how do we remain strong and healthy while being isolated from others and our regular activities? Your answer: a quarantine routine! This becomes especially important in the winter months with long, cold days and most of us in need of a way to keep ourselves strong both physically and mentally.
Routines can help regulate our hormones and biorhythms, which affect our sleep, appetite, mood, and immune system. The first part of this quarantine routine will focus on quality movement, core strength, and our breath.
Whether or not you're new to any type of movement program, below are three simple actions you can incorporate into your quarantine routine that can help regulate your breath, strengthen your mind-body connection, develop core strength, and help anchor your day. However, please remember that everyone's fitness level and physical ability is different.
Only engage in the actions/exercises that are within your comfort and safety levels. Please, seek your healthcare provider's guidance/approval prior to beginning any new exercise regimen.
Breath and Movement Routine
1. Breath Work
The very foundation of our existence, our breath, can be used to decrease stress, lower blood pressure, improve aerobic capacity, and calm the mind and spirit. By focusing on our breath we create a connection between our mind and body. It also can help us by strengthening small accessory (helper) muscles around our core (think supporting muscles around our abdominals, back, pelvis/hips).
How To
Let’s start with belly breathing, otherwise known as diaphragmatic breathing. This type of breath focuses on filling our lungs up and out, like inflating a large balloon.
Close your eyes, imagine your abdominal region as a balloon. Inhale through your nose, filling the torso up with air like a balloon. Your ribs and abdomen should be greatly inflated outward. Next, exhale slowly through your mouth, drawing the abdomen in, deflating the torso (balloon). You may even want to place your hands on your belly during this exercise.
Try this for 5-10 breaths.
2. Core Activation: Bridge
This is a movement to activate and strengthen your inner core muscles: abdominals, glutes, hamstrings, and back. It also increases stability of the spine.
How To
Lay on your back with your feet on the ground, knees bent towards the ceiling, feet flat, and arms at your side. Inhale to prepare, then exhale as you engage your abdominals lifting your hips up to the ceiling. Pause for a breath, then lower back down.
Repeat 5-10 times.
3. Squat
This exercise helps to strengthen our core, legs, back, and balance. It is also a great way to work on your breathwork, visual imagery, and mind body connection.
How To
Stand with your legs parallel and feet hip width apart. Inhale to prepare, then exhale while you bend at the hips, sit your seat backwards (keeping knees in line with ankles), so that you are sitting in an imaginary chair. Repeat 5-10 times.
And there you have it! Three basic, but important and effective, actions that you can take TODAY to get started on your quarantine routine to help you stay strong and healthy. As you build strength, you can add additional repetitions in, as well as additional sets. Remember, quality matters more than quantity, and lastly, if you have any sort of mobility limitation or injury, please check with your personal healthcare provider for clearance on any type of exercise programming.
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