Screen fatigue is real, especially now that you are settled into your at-home routine. Looking at a screen for hours on end is exhausting. Between the endless scrolling on social media, Zoom meetings and happy hours, Netflix binging, and virtual workouts, sometimes you just want a break. While there are many benefits to virtual group exercise and personal training, you can also mix screen-free workouts into your routine. Personal trainer Igor Legostaev shares how you can unplug your workouts.  

 

Keep it simple. Workouts do no need to be complicated to be effective. Build your workouts around an arsenal of simple movements like squats, lunges, pushups, jumping jacks, and planks. This way, you do not have to refer to a screen to master the exercises.  

 

Use a deck of cards. Put an active spin on playing cards. Each suit represents an exercise and the value determines the number of repetitions (Number=2-10; Jack=11; Queen=12, King=13, Ace=14). Shuffle your deck, flip the top card over, and start moving. You can play this game with a variety of exercises, so don’t be afraid to get creative and make it fun.  

  • Hearts: lunges  
  • Spades: pushups  
  • Diamonds: jumping jacks  
  • Clubs: bicycle crunches  

 

Take your workouts outside. There’s no better backdrop to your workout than the great outdoors. Warmer summer weather is the perfect time for a bike, run, or power walk through the park. Take it up a notch: Stop at a park bench and do elevated pushups, triceps dips, or lunges.  

 

Jump rope. Jumping rope will get your heart rate up fast. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and alternate jumping rope for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest. As you get more advanced, reduce the amount of rest.  

 

Journal to track your progress. Keep a written log of the volume and duration of each exercise that you incorporate into your workouts. You can refer to it to create future workouts, which has major benefits, including tracking progress, building consistency, and eliminating the need to look for exercises online. Plus, having a plan is a major contributor to training intelligently and getting results.