Can you work out at home? Three exercise strategies to build a strong body even indoors

What are some ways to enhance the effectiveness of exercises done at home?

▲ Speed control

The intensity of weight training is inversely proportional to the speed of the exercise. Even when lifting heavy weights, if the movement speed is excessively fast, muscle stimulation decreases, and even with lighter weights, slowing down the movement increases the training intensity. It's similar to the principle that lifting a delivery box slowly is much more difficult than lifting it all at once.

Therefore, bodyweight exercises such as squats, push-ups, and pull-ups can be transformed into high-intensity workouts by slowing down the pace. An additional benefit is that the slower the exercise speed, the lower the risk of joint injuries such as in the knees and shoulders.

▲ Use of exercise small equipment

There are ways to enhance exercise effects by using simple exercise tools. For example, with resistance bands, depending on how they are used, you can strengthen various muscles such as the biceps in the arms, the quadriceps in the thighs, the gluteus medius in the hips, and the anterior, lateral, and posterior deltoids in the shoulders.

Additionally, yoga mats reduce various pains that may occur when performing floor-based movements such as sit-ups and bridge exercises. Using a foam roller before and after workouts for stretching can provide several benefits, including increased joint range of motion, reduced risk of injuries and muscle soreness, and increased muscle blood flow.

However, exercise equipment can easily become a bulky item that only takes up space at home if not used properly. Therefore, when purchasing exercise equipment, it is advisable to start with relatively small items and try using them to reduce trial and error.

▲ Tabata workout method

One of the biggest disadvantages of bodyweight exercise is that there is no clear way to develop cardiovascular endurance. In such cases, the 'Tabata training method,' which alternates between high-intensity exercise and rest, can be an alternative. For example, performing the burpee (a movement that combines squats and push-ups) for 30 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 10 sets. The advantages include the very short total exercise time and the fact that it helps improve not only muscle strength but also cardiovascular endurance.

However, since Tabata exercise is classified as a high-intensity workout, the risk of injury for beginners is quite high. Therefore, it is recommended that beginners first master bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and squats separately before attempting Tabata training.