5 Exercises You Can Do In Bed: The lockdown has made our lives very sedentary; we work from home and have no access to our gyms, so we decide to snooze a little more, but you should know your bed isn't just for dozing off. That's right; here are five exercises to do in the comfort of your bed to burn more calories than repeatedly pressing the snooze button.
For many of us who have spent years going to the gym, exercising in bed is a foreign concept. The logic is that when you are at home you have a lot more freedom to choose what kind of exercise you want to do. Some people choose to exercise in bed by using bicycles or dumbbells.
Other people exercise by using leg raises or side leg raises. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a look at some exercises that can be done in bed to help you get in shape faster.
Bicycle crunches
Lie flat on your back and place your hands behind your head while interlocking your fingers and supporting your head. Proceed by raising your knees to a right angle and go through a bicycle pedal motion. Rotate your upper body to touch your elbow to the opposite knee as it comes up.
Bicycle Crunches are one of the best exercises for your lower back. Many people choose to do leg raises with free weights or their body's weight as opposed to dumbbells. You can do crunches with your legs while lying down on your stomach. The key is to keep your back straight so you don't lose your lower back.
Leg raises
Remain flat on your back and keep your hands on each side of your body. Keep your feet together and raise them up and back down but hold your feet for 2 seconds before touching the bed and then repeat the exercise.
Foot raises are very good exercises to use in bed. There are many variations of the foot raises. Some people like to do standing foot raises. Others like to do in the fetal position. No matter what variation you choose to do, it is important to keep your feet elevated up off the ground.
Side leg raises
Lie on your left side, keeping your feet together and your elbow supporting your head. Lift your right leg to a right angle and proceed to join your feet back together. Repeat the same exercise while lying on your right side.
For those that use bicycle crunches, leg raises, and side leg raises, it can be very challenging to keep your body still. It is important to keep your torso slightly elevated while doing the crunches. You can also do leg lifts while lying down on your stomach. If you choose the floor, you can use small hand placements and hold your body in one position for a few seconds then switch to another position for a few seconds.
Forearm Plank
Start by lying on your stomach and placing your forearms on the bed directly under your shoulders and raise yourself parallel to your bed. Make sure not to move your hips and keep your body straight from head to toes.
Hand positions can also be changed around while doing crunches. One of the biggest problems many of us have with crunches is that our hands are so close to our lower back that it causes us a lot of pain. When you do your hand positions on the floor or on the bed, you will avoid that problem.
Heel touches
Begin by lying flat on your back, but keep your knees bent. Slowly reach for your right heel by leaning towards it and repeat it on your left side as well. Continue for as many repetitions as you want.
For your feet, make sure they are in a heel position. As you are lying down on your stomach, use your toes to lift your heels slightly off the floor. As you raise your heels, push your knees out a bit and raise your hips as well.
This will allow you to use more pressure on your crunches. Try to work your way up your calves rather than lifting your back. If you don't have a Swiss ball, you can use something firm, like a bar.
Another great exercise to try is this exercise. You should lie on your back and cross your arms over your chest. Your arms should form a U shape.
Draw your right knee in toward your right hip. Now pull your left elbow toward your left hip. Then move your left knee forward and pull your right elbow toward your right hip.
Just try to use all of your body parts. As you lift your body with your left knee, use your right knee to pull your left arm down.
Try to stretch out these crunches to about five minutes and then slowly decrease the amount of time you do them. This will help to lengthen your muscles in the process. To get the most benefit from your exercise in bed, try to do it for a couple of minutes each day.
You might like doing some light stretching before ending your workout.
Remember to keep breathing throughout all exercises and to hydrate always.
