Training at home regularly is worth its weight in gold. It’s a good habit to build, and doesn’t need to take a lot of time or space. There are many things you can focus on at home, from plyometric training for explosiveness, strength training for stability and stamina, and also mobility training to maintain the range of motion in your joints. There is a huge potential for improvement!
© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
Suunto #indoorchallenge!
Given many of us are confined indoors due to the coronavirus crisis we decided to share indoor training inspiration. We invited some of our athletes to participate in our indoor training challenge. Each one will share a short work out and then tag the next athlete to share his or her’s. Your job is to do them!
To protect society’s most vulnerable people from the coronavirus, the best thing we can all do to #flattenthecurve is accept social distancing measures and to stay at home if instructed by authorities. Keep in mind this situation won’t last forever.
The first video is from ultra runner Ryan Sandes who is currently in lock down in Cape Town, South Africa. Sandes says he focuses on mobility work and strength training at home. “Being stuck at home is a good opportunity to do lots of mobility and strength training to make yourself a better runner and to give you better longevity,” he says.
Click play to follow Ryan's indoor workout!
Improve your mobility
Mobility training involves exercises that improve the range of motion in your joints. Many runners, for example, work on hip and spine mobility because of the repetitive nature of running and how this can, over time, reduce mobility in these areas.
“For every one hour of running you do you should do at least 15 minutes of mobility work,” Ryan says. “Training at home is a great opportunity to develop good movement.”
Blast your core
Mountain athlete and Suunto ambassador Emelie Forsberg and her partner Kilian Jornet take turns training outdoors and staying at home to look after their baby daughter. She does one indoor training session everyday and usually focuses on core strength.
“I like to do a short 10 to 15 minute core workouts,” she says. “I write down the exercises, put on my watch and go! No rest in between the exercises, I just go for the whole 10 to 15 exercises. If I feel really motivated I’ll do it twice.”
Do stair hops
To give his quadriceps a work out while he’s at home, Ryan Sandes does reps of hopping up and down stairs. “Be creative, and think outside the box,” he says. “Remember, anything is better than nothing.”
Let loose and dance!
Studies have shown that dancing regularly has numerous health benefits, including warding off degenerative brain diseases. Training doesn’t always need to be structured and serious; instead follow Emelie’s example, and build in some boogie while you’re stuck at home.
“Put on your favourite music and go for it!” she says. “Or do aerobics, Zumba, jumps, lunges, burpees – whatever gets you going!”
Watch sports and move
Mountain athlete and Suunto ambassador Kilian Jornet does one indoor workout at home every day. “I believe one the best things to do is to watch sport shows, live or repetitions, or films about sport,” he says. “This way we get inspired and we can relate our training to what we are watching.”
Run in your garden
Running lengths or around in circles in your garden, if you have one, doesn’t sound like too much fun, but according to Sandes it has two benefits.
Firstly, it’s good mental training; boredom is an inevitable part of long distance running, and staying present and motivated requires mental focus. Practicing at home in this way can develop this. Secondly, it’s an opportunity to work on your running technique. If you have a backyard, work on the key aspects of good running economy.
Skip to endurance
To maintain your base cardio fitness, Kilian Jornet suggests skipping. Do three minutes skipping, rest for a minute, and then skip for another three minutes. Do at least six three minute intervals. You’ll need a towel!
Lead image: © Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
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