I love going to the gym to run, lift weights, and do abdominal stretching on a mat. But, there are days when time doesn’t allow me to leave my home office, catch a paratransit ride, and spend two or more hours at Planet Fitness. That’s when at-home calisthenics help me get up and get moving for the day.
Why? Whether you have it programmed through an app on your smart device or pumping through the speaker you bought through Amazon, Alexa has a few exercise routines always a voice prompt away. One of my favorites is the seven minute workout where you change your exercise every sixty seconds. It keeps your heart pumping as you build intensity. By the time you’re done, you’ve let your body move with the music as your pulse quickens. However many reps you do for each exercise is up to you since Alexa doesn’t prompt a given speed. I love its random selection so that my muscle memory doesn’t get locked into one routine each time I do it.
If stretching’s what you want, a six minute routine gives you the chance to work your abs, arms or legs. Of course, that may involve some yoga positions or a simple planking posture that you hold for thirty or sixty seconds. This kind of workout may be short if you go one rotation, but provides a way to relax into a busy part of your day or cool down afterward.
Of course, there are longer and more complicated time controls. You can do several sets to the six or seven minute workout to make it last a half hour or more. The point is that Alexa brings the exercise to you when you can’t drive or ride to it.
Maybe, you do want a longer time doing calisthenics. Go for it! I will often run in place to some classic or soft rock from the 1980s before stretching my neck, arms, shoulders, waste, and ankles. Then, after getting Alexa to change pace, I will do multiple sets of crunches, leg lifts, push-ups, and sit-ups, before stretching through a few minutes of cool-down.
No matter how long or short you go, Alexa’s company, directions, and music can certainly get you up and get moving at whatever time you exercise.
Want more information on Alexa’s settings for getting your workout set up, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Apps-LLC-My-Workouts/dp/B06XR9BL7M
Boldly Blind 