Fitness at Home

As fitness enthusiasts and firm believers in conscious living, the recent quarantine means we have had to say goodbye to the gym and hello to alternative methods of fitness. This is precisely why today on The Goodness Journal we look to the expertise of CYQ certified personal coach, Bilal Aldean on how to optimise our at-home workouts with three simple exercises. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I started my fitness journey when I was twenty and chose to completely switch my unhealthy life around. I was soon addicted to the 'health and fitness life' and decided to pursue a career within the industry. Since then I have worked in multiple places starting in Manchester followed by Dubai. My focus is more on "General" health and fitness rather than bodybuilding or something more specific. I believe that fitness isn't just about the exercise we do, but also a healthy mindset and mentality that needs to be developed.

How does a personal coach stay fit without using a gym?

One of my areas of expertise is boxing and it's something that I've always enjoyed and used to stay active and fit even when I don't have access to a gym. My skipping rope, pads, and gloves go everywhere with me, even on holidays! Whenever I choose to workout away from a gym environment, I tend to focus on skipping, shadow boxing and bodyweight exercises.

3 exercises to stay fit without the gym

Squats

This, in my opinion, is the ultimate movement that every person should include in their training. The benefits of a squat are immense, especially when it is performed with the correct technique and focus. Depending on your ability I would recommend:

3 - 5 sets: aiming to achieve 12-20 reps per set

(Weights and Stance variations can be included to progress the exercise)

Planks

Again, another nice and easy whole-body exercise, if it is done with the correct focus. This allows you to engage many muscle groups all at once. Depending on your ability I would recommend:

3 - 5 sets: aiming to achieve 20sec + per set

(Weights or variations in raising a leg or hip rotations can be added to progress the exercise)

Mountain Climbers

This is a great exercise to activate the whole body and allows the heart rate to elevate without the need for too much impact like running or jumping. Depending on your ability I would recommend:

3 - 5 sets: aiming to achieve 15-30 reps per set

 

Your words of advice to anyone looking to make a change in their lives through physical fitness.

Understand that the benefits of exercise and a healthy lifestyle extend way above just having a nice body. Once you start to feel the change in your mentality, confidence, energy levels and productivity it will become addictive and physical changes will no doubt follow. Aim to find an activity that you enjoy and maximise how much you can do with it as your main way of staying fit, and also push yourself out of your comfort zone to try other activities that will keep challenging you and allowing you to progress further.