KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With social distancing, you may not be able to work out at your favorite gym. Several gyms have temporarily closed their doors or altered their hours amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Closed gyms include Orange Theory, the YMCA and Gold's Gyms. Planet Fitness has reduced its hours -- many of the chain's gyms are now only open until 10 p.m. Other Planet Fitness locations, like the one on Kingston Pike in Knoxville, have temporarily closed.
According to certified trainer Brooks Dean with New Start Fitness, the local gym is still open but class sizes are shrinking.
“Normally we have about 20 maybe 25 people per class,” said Dean. “Right now we have about ten, but that’s good for social distancing. People want to stay safe.”
But you can still get amped up at home.
“You can get a good workout in your living room,” said Dean. “You can focus on your core, upper and lower body.
You can see Dean's workout in the video at the top of this page. The second half of the workout is in the video below. Plus, you can just follow the instructions under the second video.
Here are some upper body exercises you can do at home:
Push-ups
Planks
“With these exercises you’re working your shoulders, your pecks, your abs,” said Dean. “A little bit of everything.”
Here are some lower body exercises you can do at home:
Squats
Lunges
“You want to do each exercise for thirty seconds. Wait ten seconds then go the next exercise and repeat,” said Dean.
Here are a few cardio exercises that you can do around the house:
High knees
Jog in place
Jump rope
Jumping jacks
Some local and national chains are making it easier for gym members and non-members.
Planet Fitness, one of the nation’s largest chain gyms, is offering free online classes. The at-home workouts began streaming on the company’s Facebook Page on March 16. Anyone can join in on the class. To learn more, click here.