Lee Lonsberry has continued running trails while practicing social distancing - including this recent run on the Baer Canyon Trail near Fruit Heights.
SALT LAKE CITY — Quarantine life doesn’t have to mean the end of your exercise routine, even if your neighborhood gym is closed, and you’re confined to your home.
Exercise also has the added benefit of helping to relieve stress and panic, which can weaken the immune system and make you more susceptible to illness. But do not exercise beyond exhaustion, which can increase the risk of infection.
Lee Lonsberry spoke with Paul Daniels, who has been a personal trainer for more than 20 years and is the owner of Utah Fitness Institute, to explain how to get started.
“Be active. Get your heart rate up,” Daniels said. “There’s a lot of things you can do without equipment: squats, push-ups.
“Just get yourself moving, that’s probably the most important thing,” he said.
Daniels said start your exercise routine with jumping jacks.
After you’re warmed up, move to resistance training such as squats and add a weight of some kind, such as holding a milk jug.
Next, move to push-ups. Start on your knees, if it’s easier, Daniels said, and then move to fingers and toes. If you can’t manage fingers and toes, use a railing or countertop, he advised.
Here are some other exercise Daniels recommends:
Try toe raises for your calves, which can also be done seated.
For glute raises, get down on your hands and knees and raise a leg behind you to stretch the hamstrings.
To work your core and get your heart rate up, Daniels also suggested both the bear crawl and the mountain climber exercises.
Live Mic with Lee Lonsberry can be heard weekdays from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app.