While isolation restrictions are slowly lifting, the cooler months remain ahead, which means staying active through isolation training while at home is still on the agenda. If you are looking to rekindle your love affair with exercise or are looking for some much-needed motivation to workout at home, we have you covered with these isolation exercises. No equipment, no excuses. We have taken every single reason you have given yourself not to exercise and have thrown it out the window with a solution for every space, every exercise preference and every budget. 

Set up a circuit using bodyweight exercises 

No gym, no worries. When it comes to isolation exercises at home, it turns out that all you really need is one piece of hard-working equipment – your body! Bodyweight exercises not only help build strength and endurance but also burn through calories just as effectively as having a set of weights at home. When you stop to consider some of the exercises you complete during your gym class such as planks, push-ups and squats, you will soon realise that you already insert bodyweight exercises into your gym repertoire, now you just have to complete them at home as part of isolation training. 

Step one: Make time and make space. Being at home means that we have all the time in the world to make excuses for why we can’t exercise. So move around some furniture, put down your exercise mat and book in a time to sweat it out. Treat it like an appointment, and one you won’t cancel. Don’t bail on yourself. 

Step two: Choose whether you are focusing on cardio or strength-training or both. Once you have decided, make a list of ten different exercises you wish to complete. If you are incorporating cardio, you may consider exercises such as burpees, jogging on the spot or across the living room. For strength training, you may consider exercises such as push-ups, squats, lunges and dips. Make a plan and write it down. 

Step three: Timing is king. If you really want to feel the burn from your home circuit, you will have to commit to both sets, repetitions and a time frame. This means not taking 60 minutes to complete what should have been a 15-minute circuit to get the heart pumping. You may consider starting with 30 seconds on each exercise and work your way up through the next couple of weeks. 

Step four: Set yourself up to succeed. Play some inspiring music and get to sweating it all out. Set a timer or ensure you have visual contact with a clock to time each exercise and set. Try and complete one set and work your way up. 

Need inspiration? We have you covered on our YouTube Channel here. 

Join a 6 –week challenge online 

Use isolation as a time to tap into the more useful side of the Internet by joining a virtual isolation exercise challenge. Rather than spending 15 minutes of every morning scrolling meaninglessly through your Instagram feed, why not spend that time starting your day on the right note. Why not exercise with Happy Way’s own Malissa Fedele as she guides you through a simple yet equally effective 6-week workout challenge. 

Workout challenges offer the perfect way to step back into a fitness routine by keeping you accountable, giving you tangible goals to work towards and by offering a time frame in which you can reach all those personal milestones you have been pushing to the side. 

The Happy Way 6-week workout challenge offers three, 15-minute weekly workouts that you can complete in the comfort of your own home. No gym equipment required, just your yoga mat and a chair. But before you become overly confident, let us tell you, each 15-minute circuit will leave your heart pumping, palms sweating and will fill your brain with the kind of endorphins we all need right now. 

Why not ask your plus one, family members or even best friend to join in on the fun with you virtually? State your intentions to complete the challenge and stay accountable. Remember, the only person you are competing with is yourself, so don’t let yourself down. 

Take up yoga or Pilates virtually. 

How many times have you made a New Year’s resolution to take up yoga or Pilates and failed to make it through the door of your first class? With work, family commitments and a busy schedule preventing you from taking up a new hobby, isolation at home presents the perfect opportunity to give yoga a red hot go. 

With many studios forced to close their doors, businesses have had to adapt, and adapt they did. Chances are that your local yoga or Pilates studio is offering online courses, classes or live streams. If not, the Internet presents a treasure trove of easy access, fun and interactive classes from beginners to more seasoned classes. Glo, as an example, offers to bring yoga, meditation, and Pilates into your very own home with a host of classes designed for all levels. The best part is that for most Yoga classes on offer, you can try before you buy with free trial periods before you subscribe. 

The even better news is that websites such as Do Yoga With Me, Yoga With Adriene, Yome and Daily burn offer free access to yoga classes online. Grab those yoga mats and acquire a new skill set. The time has never been better to get your isolation training going.

Get creative 

If you’re still looking for an excuse not to exercise, why not use that energy getting creative with all the different ways you keeping fit while multitasking. This includes cleaning. Did you know that the average person burns around 170 calories an hour while cleaning? So why not set some timers and treat your Sunday cleaning session like a marathon. Or if cabin fever is starting to set in, why not turn it into Saturday night fever instead by throwing a dance party for the whole family to enjoy. Rearrange some furniture and get those bodies moving because one 60 minute session of dancing burns anywhere from 200-400 calories. Finally, just go back to the basics. If space permits, spend more time with the little ones outdoors. Create your own obstacle courses, kick the soccer ball around, play hopscotch and complete all those fun activities you couldn’t usually get to do when the kids are glued to their laptops.