No one wants to get sick, or overweight, but the coronavirus is definitely spreading the menace by having most of the gyms closed. If you are worried about being a couch potato for too long, this article might help you out.
In light of the situation, Daniel Tso, a top fitness coach in Hong Kong, has shared some hacks to keep you in shape and, better still, healthy!
1. Drink Sufficient Water
Tso stressed the importance of drinking a sufficient amount of water, saying that it could enhance metabolism, curb hunger and fatigue. There are no strict guidelines on how much water one should drink, but according to the European Food Safe Authority, men and women should intake no less than 2500mL(around 10 cups) and 2000mL(around 8cups) of fluid, including all the liquid one consumes from food and beverages.
2. Exercise at Home
Sure, exercise is still the key to maintain a good physique! Here comes a 4-minute High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) routine that everybody can do at home. It’s a perfect beginner-level workout without any equipment.
What you are going to do is to start from the first move below, push hard for 20 seconds, and take a 10-second break before moving on to the next move. Complete the four steps twice to sweat off the virus!
Check out the following hyperlinks for video tutorials for each move.
4-Minute HIIT Workout (Two Rounds): Squat-> Kneeling push-up-> Squat thrust-> Plank
Besides the suggested routine, wallsit /sit-up /stationary lunges /bulgarian split squat are also some of the at-home friendly training.
3. High Protein Diet
The high-protein diet helps body transformation by enhancing metabolism and increasing muscle mass. Apart from meals, you may consider getting supplements such as protein shake powder. Tso especially recommended food that contains probiotics, such as low-fat Greek yogurt, saying that it could boost the immune system.
Wondering how much protein you need per day? There are some online calculators, such as Calculator.net, that provide you the customized recommendation of daily intake of protein while websites like Food Calculator could give you a glimpse of the nutrients you are consuming from different dishes.
4. Fasting
Different researches have shown that fasting could increase human growth hormones, which boost the fat burning rate and build muscles.
Simply put the mechanism like this, stop eating for 16 hours and follow by an “eating window” for 8 hours. You are allowed to drink water and black coffee throughout the day. Here is a routine suggested by Tso:
5. Sufficient sleep
Some people would overlook the importance of having sufficient sleep towards body transformation, according to Tso. Yet, a 7-8 hours sleep could increase human growth hormone and curb the production of hunger hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin.
Tso’s point echoed with a finding released by a researcher from the Standford University. Though, the researcher added that sufficient sleep could lead to a better workout performance and thus greater benefits from exercising.
Start today!
Do not let the virus infect you to be sick (and out of shape)! Stay at home, conserve masks, and try following the tips!