Top 5 home workouts for all fitness types

If you’ve been tuning in to Tropika Island of Treasure Curaçao on Tuesdays at 7.30pm on SABC3, you would know Siyasanga Mfenyana, who is paired up with the fabulous Simphiwe Ngema (aka #TeamTropical).

Siya is a media personality and co-founder of “Girls With Gains” where she spends a lot of time teaching women how to love their bodies and how to get into the best shape possible. So, we asked her to share her top 5 workouts to do from the comfort of your own home in light of the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by the president on Monday.

1. Jogging with ankle weights: I learnt this trick from my ballet teacher when I was young. She would make us wear them for half the class then take them off. We would feel stronger and so much lighter once we took them off. That’s exactly how I feel after a 30-minute jog (outdoors or on the spot at home) with them on.

2. Using resistance bands: The name speaks for itself. Anything is a little bit harder with resistance. If you’re doing cardio, this helps tone and build muscle instead of just losing weight. When using resistance bands during a workout you tend to feel more muscle activation than if you were doing an exercise without them.

3. Pilates: The full body workout and core strengthening from pilates is insane! Pilates is also a great way to focus on and understand how to breathe better during workouts. Joining a pilates class with an instructor is great, but it’s really easy to find great pilates instruction videos on YouTube that you can then work from in the comfort of your own home. All you need is a bit of space and an exercise mat. You can of course head out (after lockdown, of course) and get all the bells and whistles (such as gliders, pilates ring and more) to take your pilates session to the next level.

Tropika Island of Treasure Curaçao contestant Siyasanga Mfenyana | Image: Supplied

4. Moving push-ups: I promise this isn’t just for soldiers in the army! This exercise begins by getting yourself into the plank position, and from here moving your weight slowly from the left shoulder to the right, and repeating. This is a great way to strengthen your upper body and develop gorgeous and defined shoulders.

5. Keeping your peach tight with glute kickbacks: Glute kickbacks are one of my favourite exercises to keep your booty in great shape. They’re really easy to do from home.

– Get on to all fours, with a straight spine, and contract your core muscles
– Extend your right leg back and up until your thigh is parallel with the ground. The sole of your right foot should be facing the ceiling
– Contract your glute at the top of the move and hold for a beat
– Return to your starting position without touching your knee to the ground and repeat
– Do 12 to 20 repetitions, then switch sides.

Add a weight or ankle weights to take this exercise to the next level.

Most importantly, when doing any kind of workout at home (or anywhere, for that matter) be sure to always stay hydrated.

Don’t miss Tropika Island of Treasure Curaçao on SABC3 every Tuesday at 7.30pm with the repeat every Saturday at 8pm where you can see Siya in action.

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