Rainy Day Workouts for Men

• 08 Sep 2014
• Features

By Althea Shah
While working out in the monsoon mayseem to be a difficult project for some or while some of you might just want toskip exercise around this time, think again, there could be a fitter way ofenjoying the rains! Here's how to do that in the comfort of your home and usingclose-to-zero equipment. 

It’s rainingoutside and all we can think about is hot tea, samosas, bhajias to pep up themood and complement the state of relief that the rain brings on after thescorching summer heat. Thinking of a workout may not necessarily be on the topof your mind at this time of the year but exercise can help you maintain yourfitness even in this dull and lazy weather. So what now, can't go out, rain hasspoilt your day? Who wants to walk till the park, let alone that it must bemud-slushed by the time the showers stop. And hey, you are surely not thinkingabout taking out your car and facing the blues of messy parking? But, worrynot. You can still keep the kilos off the bay by trying out these exerciseswithout the discomfort of stepping out of your home. And if you are a beginner,then, this could just be your best time to kickstart a fitness regime. Enjoythe rains while being active and happy. 

The Cardio
Jump Rope:Take a skipping rope and do some jumps.
Climb stairs:Just walk or run up and down the stairs in your building. If you do ten roundsof this, you will be justifying all that food you have binged on.
Walk: If youenjoy walking, invest in a treadmill. You can gradually increase your pace onthe machine as you go along. You could walk to the rhythm of the falling rain!If you are lucky to have big bay windows, then place it adjacently.
JumpingJacks:This is a great cardio workout. If you are watching a TV show, get up duringthe commercials and do a round of jumping jacks. Dance:Dancing can also help keep the blues away. No one's watching you. It willencourage you to try stuff that you normally would not give a shot at and it isa great calorie burner. Just play some music, get in your sweat pants and start.You can also keep playing dance videos or a dance tutorial show on TV and copythe moves.
Gardening:If you have a little corner in your home that you could nurture with love andcare, try potting different flowering plants there. 

Working out at Home 
There are a few exercises you can do at homewith minimum-to-little equipment at your disposal, any time of the day.Exercise for 45-minutes-to-an-hour with moderate intensity for four-to-fivedays a week.

WARM UP:Begin your workout with a 10-minutes warm up session. Include side stretching,jogging on the spot, skipping or jumping jacks.

LOWER BODY
Squats:Standing with your feet hip/ shoulder width apart, bend your knees and slowlysquat towards the floor. Slowly come up. Do this 10-15 times. Rest for a momentand then repeat. You can hold dumbbells in both hands to add intensity. Followthis with leg raises, both sideways and front - two sets of 30 reps each.

ABDOMEN
Upperabdomen crunches: Lie on your back,-raise one leg mid-air, support the back ofyour head with your hand and raise the head to the knee of the raised leg.Repeat with alternate leg.
Mid abdomencrunches: Raise both legs and cross them at right angles to the body while youlie flat on the mat. Stretch both arms and touch your toes.
Lowerabdomen crunches: Lie flat on the mat looking up to the ceiling. Bend each leg,one at a time.

UPPER BODY
Push-ups:Begin by standing in front of the wall / kitchen counter with your feettogether. Place your slightly inverted hands on top of the counter top. Withyour arms a little more than shoulder width apart, bend the elbows and try andget your chest as close to the counter top as possible then power it back up.Do these for 10 times; rest for a moment and then repeat the same pattern. Youcan do this on the floor — on a mat on your toes, military style. Try and getyour chest as close to the mat as possible. Do these for 10 times, rest andthen repeat.

STRETCH
Don't forgetto stretch. Pick your space and a companion. You could even try yoga, it willcalm your mind and help burn those calories. And of course, it's also awonderful time to get a body massage to relieve your body of all those achesand pains in the body that you will getting with the workouts!
JUSTWALK OR RUN UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS IN YOUR BUILDING. IF YOU DO TEN ROUNDS OFTHIS, YOU WILL BE JUSTIFYING ALL THAT FOOD YOU HAVE BINGED ON