Do you want to start getting into a healthy and fit lifestyle but don’t know where to start? Not being able to go to a gym is no excuse for not working out! Whether you’re looking for at-home workouts for beginners or a more advanced full-body workout at home, you’re in the right place. Many people fall victim to sedentary lifestyles that can have terrible long-term effects on our bodies and overall health. If you’re an avid online casino games player, it can also be easy to fall into the bad habit of sitting around, with your fingers doing the majority of your day’s exercise… as you spin the reels on your favorite online slot. But fret not!
We have some excellent workout tips to help you get fit, strengthen and tone up in the comfort of your home. Obviously some people might have more demanding workout requirements than others, so we’re going to offer you three workouts – core strength, cardio, and toning – which should give you a good balance. But first things first:
Remember to warm up
Before you dive straight in with a skipping rope, it’s important that you warm up before you start any workout routine, because you’re essentially preparing your body for aerobic activity. Warming up gradually primes your cardiovascular system for action by raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow to your muscles. And when your muscles are warm, you’re less likely to cause an injury during a workout, whether you’re at home or at a gym.
Warm-up exercise suggestions
Here are some gentle warm-up exercises which will help to prevent injury. If you’re at home, stick on some energizing beats (or whatever works) to get you into the groove!
- March on the spot, while swinging your arms backward and forth
- Jumping jacks (also known as “star jumps”)
- Walking jacks (step from side to side, with your arms raising and lowering)
- Arm circles and shoulder shrugs (do them in both directions)
- Leg swings (forward and side to side; don’t forget to swap legs!)
- Hip rotations (like stepping over a fence)
- Hip circles (as though you’re hula-hooping – do it in both directions)
- Body-weight squats
- Push-ups (keep your back straight)
- Lunges (keep your hips square)
- Hip extensions (opening your hip out to the side; repeat on the other side)
…and cool down
You knew this was coming, didn’t you! Yes, cooling down after a workout is equally as important as warming up. This way, you can have a gradual recovery to your pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure. Cooling down can also facilitate the change of blood flow, rather than going from one extreme bodily state to another, and can help remove lactic acid from your muscles. Try to plan your workout to allow for this important wrap-up to your session – you’ll feel the benefit afterwards!
Cooling-down exercise suggestion
Remember to take long, slow, and deep breaths during the cooldown. This helps you get your breathing back into its normal cycle.
- Side-arm circles
- Lying-down stretches of the upper body
- Leg stretches
Workout 1: Beginner body weight
The body weight workout is a great way for beginners to find their rhythm and flow with an at-home routine. It’s a good workout that can ease the body into training, start a bit of core work, while minimizing the chance of injury. (Again, if you’ve got some beats playing, it can help you count the repetitions of each “set” or exercise that you do!) Here goes:
- Body weight squats: 20 reps
- Push-ups: 10 reps
- Walking lunges: 10 on each leg
- Dumbbell rows (using a gallon milk jug, or another weight that works for you): 10 on each arm
- Plank: Hold for 15 seconds
- Jumping jacks: 30 reps.
If you’re in doubt about how to do any of the above exercises, we suggest you do your research first, either online or at your local gym. And don’t forget to cool down when you’re done!
Workout 2: Cardiovascular intermediate exercises
If you’re looking for calorie-burning exercises that you can do in between, before, or after playing casino games, you can opt for some cardiovascular exercises.
An intermediate cardio workout ramps up the intensity of your at-home workout routine, and is a great way to get the heart pumping.
This 20-minute cardio mashup can lead to great results, because it helps you target different muscle groups. What’s more, there’s no chance you’ll get bored – thanks to the variety of activities you’ll be doing. Aim to do approximately 4 minutes of each exercise below. Are you ready? Let’s go!
- Shuffle step and march: Quickly shuffle to the right 3 times. March in place for 4 counts, reaching the opposite arm up with each step. Shuffle back the other way and repeat your marching on the other side.
- Side step: Take a wide step out at a 45-degree angle with your left leg, slightly bending your knees. Step your right foot to meet it. Repeat on the other side, and keep going.
- Squat jumps: Bend at the knee level to squat. From this position, jump in the air and extend the hips until the body is straight. Land softly on the balls of the feet, rolling backward to absorb the shock in the heels. And repeat!
- Jump rope: If you have a skipping rope, alternate between jumping with both feet as you skip, and jumping from one foot to the other.
- Trunk rotation: Stand holding a heavy object at chest height, with your elbows against the sides of your chest. Twist from the torso, turning to one side, then the other. You can also hold the arms at shoulder height and twist side to side.
Don’t forget to cool down when you’re done. And give yourself a big thumbs-up for completing your circuit training!
Workout 3: Toning exercises
Let’s look at a toning exercise program. What’s it all about?
Toning basically means that you’re developing firmer, more defined, stronger muscles. A variety of exercises can help you achieve the body that you’re aiming for, within reasonable expectations, of course! If you’re looking to tone your bum, abs, legs, and arms, you should do the following workout:
- Press up: You can do three-quarters or full press ups, depending on what you’re comfortable with. Do 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps. Remember to keep your back straight in plank as you push up (breathe out as you do so,) and don’t lock out your elbows.
- Tricep dip: You’ll need to sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet on the floor, hands on the floor behind you with fingers pointing towards your body. Next, lift your hips off the floor. Now, slowly bend your elbows and lower your body close to the floor and slowly push back up. Do 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps. (You can also use a low bench as an alternative to this exercise.)
- Shoulder press: Take a resistance band (or improvise at home with something that’s got some elasticity in it,) and stand in the middle of it with both feet, while holding either end of the band. Stand tall with your arms bent and by your sides, fists raised to shoulder level. Slowly extend your arms above your head until they come together, and then widen the handgrip as you return your arms to their starting position. Do a set of 20 - 30 reps.
- Squat: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands down by your sides, or stretched out in front for extra balance. Lower yourself gently by bending your knees until they’re nearly at a right angle, with your thighs ideally parallel to the floor. Do 2 sets of 15 to 25 reps.
- Lunge: Stand in a split stance, with your right leg forward and left leg back. Slowly bend the knees, lowering into a lunge, until both legs are nearly at a right angle. Keeping the weight on your heels, push back up to the starting position. Do 1 set of 15 reps, then another set on the opposite leg.
- Stomach crunch: Lie down on your back, knees bent and hands behind your ears. Keeping your lower back pressed into the floor, raise your shoulder blades no more than 3in off the floor and slowly lower down. Do 2 sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Once again, remember that you must cool down after your toning workout for best results. And you know what? One of the great benefits of exercise is that it’s known to have mental health and cognitive benefits as well as physical ones; So if you love your casino games, you’ll find that after a good workout, you’ll hit the tables (real or virtual) with a sharper mind… all of which makes you a better gamer!
No more excuses! Add exercise to your online casino fun
At BetMGM, we’re not just about playing real online casino games but also making sure you’re fit and healthy as you step into our world of casino game titles. The above at-home workout routines can be done any time – while playing against the dealer at an online blackjack table or even at an online poker tournament. You could make it more fun by tying the physical activities you do to what’s happening on your screen – for example, every time you finish a round of poker, you do 5 burpees; or every time you fold, you have to hold “plank” for a minute.
Or if you don’t like the games that we’ve mentioned, we have a great array of other table games and online slots for you to enjoy.
Register at BetMGM, where you’ll get to play some of the most thrilling online casino games in the comfort of your home, or on the go.
