Work from Home (WFH) warriors have got a saviour. Hyderabad-based freelance fitness instructor Vishwas Awasthi has curated a specific exercise regimen for those who have been slogging away at home for an extended period of time. With nearly eight hours a day spent in not-so-ergonomically-designed chairs, a customised workout can be a life-saver.Approximately two million deaths every year are attributed to physical inactivity; and a WHO study on risk factors suggests that sedentary lifestyle is one of the 10 leading causes of death and disability in the world.
With corporates extending WFH for employees until December 2021, Awasthi has redesigned the exercise modules suitable for his students in this new normal. He suggests that even while sitting on the chair, there are a bunch of movements one can do to keep fit. “I advise triceps dips and close grip push-ups for the upper body. For the lower body, I ask them to do lunges and hip raises besides a core workout on the floor. Make your chair, desk, mat and couch your gym equipment and get fitter, one rep at a time,” he emphasises.
This 24-year-old K11-certified fitness instructor, who has been training nearly 35 students (virtually at present), one on one since 2017, has also added ‘mindfulness’ to his exercise sessions. “Usually, yoga is what we associate with the mind-body connection and being mindful. I train my students to completely focus on the way their body moves and responds, while they work out,” he says. “You have to experience the way your joints feel when you lift a weight. Relish the stretch in the small of your back when you bend forward.
You must be fully aware and present while working out,”he adds.Awasthi believes that mindfulness while doing physical exercises leads to strong mental health. “Workout helps one stay focused, be in the present and be involved in the body’s responses. It should be that one hour where nothing else matters. High levels of focus on the body alleviate the mood and sharpen cognitive thinking. My modules are based on this credo and I am sure it will be of help to all,” he explains.
Try these during WFH Coffee Breaks
✥ Lunges make your lower body stronger and strengthen your core to give better stability and improve hip mobility
✥ Planks improve your posture, build core strength and improves metabolism
✥ Push-ups improve upper body strength, posture and promote core strength