Don’t have time to workout in gyms like Jetts Gym during the day? Do you often find yourself too tired to go to the gym after work? You can still exercise even if you’re too busy or too tired. In fact, there are exercises you can do in bed just before sleeping!
Remember that adults should have at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. To make sure you meet this, try a combination of these exercises daily before you go off to la-la-land.
Stretching
Stretching boosts blood circulation and improves flexibility. It may not burn a lot of calories but it’s still a wonderful way to make you flexible, warm up the muscles and make you feel good overall. There are static stretches you can do in bed, even while lying down. These include:
- Hamstring stretch – Pull one leg toward you while keeping it straight. Keep the other leg flat on the bed. Then switch legs.
- Overhead stretch – This involves extending both arms over your head, stretching the whole body outward while keeping your toes pointed.
- Upper back stretch – Clasp both hands as you stretch your arms out in front of you. Lower your head downwards as you slowly round your back.
- Knees to chest stretch – On your bed with your back to the surface, bend both knees and bring one knee close to your chest. Pull it closer and hold. Return to original position and switch knees.
Dynamic Exercises
Dynamic exercises are repeated simple movements. Here are some dynamic exercises you can do in bed:
- Knee rolls – This exercise is great for the lower back. You begin by placing both knees close to your chest and stretching both arms to the side. Then with control, roll your knee to one side, then to the other side.
- Bridges – Lay on the bed and bend your knees, with both feet flat on the bed. Then slowly and with control raise your pelvis off the bed gaining strength from your legs and glutes. Hold this position for a few seconds then slowly lower pelvis to the bed. Repeat a few times.
- Trunk rotations – Sit on the edge of your bed in a relaxed position. Keep both feet parallel to each other. Clasp both hands and rotate your body to one side. Return to center. Then rotate to the other side.
Core Exercises
Strengthening the core is very important in order to have more balance, stability, flexibility and strength. There are a few core workouts you can do in bed including:
- Push ups – Place both arms underneath the shoulders as you bring yourself to do a push-up. Keep your palms flat and your knees raised. Bend both arms and slowly lower your chest until it’s close to the bed.
- Crunches – Keep your neck close to your best and start by laying on your back. Feet should be hip-distance apart and your knees bent. Cross your arms and raise your upper body as close to your knees.
- Planks – To do a plank, lie on your belly and as you keep your core engaged, push yourself up until your head, shoulder, back and glutes are aligned. Hold for a few seconds at a time and release.
Here’s how to do a plank the right way: