Halle Berry has a first person essay with Women’s Health to promote her re-spin home workout equipment. The prices are competitive so she may as well get into the home workout market. I would say the timing isn’t good but maybe it’s the perfect time. She writes about the fact that she no longer does the hour-long workouts she used to and is just trying to work in ten minutes here and there, to add up to half an hour. That doesn’t sound like much for someone as fit as she is, but she probably is just maintaining her muscle at this point. She also eats very clean and is on a keto diet, primarily for her type 1 diabetes. She writes that she plays with her kids, aged 6 and 12, more and that her workouts are in short bursts now that she can no longer do sessions with her trainer.
Even on my own, though, the hour-long workouts I used to do just are not a thing right now. Like so many other parents, I’m now trying to get my own work done, help my kids with their schoolwork, and keep everyone fed and happy. So I try to catch 10 minutes here and there with the goal of doing at least 30 total minutes of more formal exercise per day.
Usually, I piece together a bunch of little bursts of exercise to meet my 30-minutes-total goal. In the morning, I try to stretch and do a few rounds of abs moves, like sit-ups or planks, since I usually have some quiet time to myself while the kids eat breakfast.
Where things go from there really changes every day. Sometimes, while my son is in class online, I’ll use a chair to do 40 or 50 step-ups per leg on the sidelines to get my heart pumping. To increase the challenge, I’ll hold a set of weights in my hands or strap on ankle weights.
Or, I’ll do a couple of sets of pushups wearing my wrist weights. (I also love what I call “wall-ups,” which are basically push-ups on a wall that have an explosive element to them, so your hands lift into the air for a moment at the top of each rep.)
I even use my son as workout equipment when we’re goofing around. I’ll sit in a chair and he’ll lay across my feet, and I’ll do a few sets of leg extensions.
Some days, though, I just wear my ankle and wrist weights around the house all day. (Might as well make those trips up and down the stairs a little spicier!)
But to be honest, I am really missing the endorphin rush you get from a really hard workout—and it’s not always easy to get that same intense-training high at home. One way I do manage to make it happen: jumping rope. Give me 800 skips with my jump rope, and I’m feeling pretty darn good.
As hard as it is to feel so out of my usual routine, I think we all need to remember to be gentle with ourselves right now. This is an odd, stressful time, and we’ve all had a lot dumped on our plates. You don’t have to make big strides or do big things. Just keep it together. Move when you can and in a way that feels good—or in a way that gets your kids in on the action. Just hang in there. All any of us can do right now is our best.
I get that Halle needs to promote her stuff, but if she’s missing hard endorphin-building workouts I don’t understand why she doesn’t just do one. There are so many kickboxing and hard strength training workouts on YouTube, or she could set up her laptop and get a remote training session. I’ve been taking spin and cardio classes on Zoom, and the Peloton app (which is on my Android TV) is free. (I don’t own a Peloton, I have a secondhand spin bike.) There are other free and paid apps to try, including Les Mills classes. To be fair to her, I only have a teenager at home. She must not have help with her kids and is focusing all her time on them as she mentions. I would say she’s fudging so she can promote her workout equipment, but if she was still working out with her trainer she’d probably be putting it on Instagram.
I did some short-burst workouts on youtube that I thought were for nothing. Sore for days!
I did a lot of blogilates and Jillian Michaels 30 mins circuit workouts and they are NO JOKE!!! With consistency, I had really good results. With the appropriate diet of course which I’m absolutely not doing at the moment….anyway… all the programs that are like 7/8 mins you should assume they need to be done four times and you get half an hour with recup.
I’ve been doing a lot of floor exercises and working out with hand weights. And also walking. May 1 I plan to hit the bike trail though. I’m going to check it out anyway, assuming it’s not overcrowded. Normally, it never is.
I used to have kids that age at home, and its hard to get 30-60 minutes to yourself without interruptions. A 6 year old doesn’t seem to understand to not bother you for 56 minutes while you do a workout session. So I can see that Halle would choose shorter bursts
the divine Ms. Berry still looks amazing after all these years😍
I have been doing 30 min HIIT and Tabata workouts on YouTube and they are intense! I really underestimated them and thought it would not be the same as running. Ha, was I wrong! You can still get that endorphin high with these shorter workouts but it is important to add some strength training.
I’ve lost a little weight without trying just by incorporating these workouts to my routine!
I like this idea of short workouts when you can fit them in. And HB looks great.
I do this too so I don’t get bored. Just discovered barre workouts. Wow! Those kick my butt.
30 minutes a day for someone who is in good shape and eats well sounds perfect.
I’m still in my pajamas working, and eating Doritos for lunch though, so whatever works for you.
I do several mini-workouts per day to break up my binge-watching. I also set timers to do 10mins of cleaning. Anything to stave off the boredom
Walking around in ankle weights is not recommended because it can throw you off balance. Supposed to be used for specific in place exercises only.
I guess you wouldn’t get too sweaty after a 10 min workout? That would be my problem with working out multiple times a day, I’m afraid I would want to shower after.