Workout in the living room
Staying fit in the mobile office: the experts recommend these devices
Yes, the fitness studios are closed. But, no: That’s no reason to be lazy day in and day out. How about a weight bench in the mobile office? Fitness equipment for the home – these are our tips.
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In addition to meeting friends, many Germans are currently missing one thing in particular: exercise. Ex-triathlon professional Maximilian Longrée knows which muscles are neglected in the mobile office and gives tips for the mini-gym at home.
Thousands of fitness studios in Germany have been closed for weeks. Millions of people sit in the mobile office for hours every day and urgently need some compensation. Or better: Your increasingly neglected muscles thirst for challenges. But mostly chest, leg and back muscles lead a miserable existence these days. The fitness level sinks further with each passing day. Muscle structures shorten and gradually break down. In addition, the body hardly uses any energy when sitting permanently. And because many (also out of frustration) indulge in one or two more treats after work, the time comes for new love handles.
Maximilian Longrée (39) – Since the end of his professional career as a triathlete, the native of Essen has supported companies and offers after-work fitness courses for employees. In his book “Faster with Strength Training” he devotes himself to the subject of kettlebells, among other things.
© Inger Diederich
Personal coach, Ironman winner, author and fitness expert explains which muscles suffer particularly in the lockdown marathon, why even simple gadgets can help and why not everyone needs their own weight bench Maximilian Longrée in the interview. The 39-year-old former professional triathlete won the 2006 amateur world title at the legendary Ironman Hawaii. Today he advises and supports companies and private individuals in the areas of fitness and nutrition, among other things. (You can find more information about Maximilian Longrée here.)
Mr. Longrée, what does the month-long work in the mobile office do to the fitness level of Germans?
Very much. When you look at the physical side, we’re mainly dealing with muscle loss. Regardless of the fitness level, including people whose muscle percentage is not as pronounced, such as amateur athletes who regularly go to the gym. For people who did not do any sport before in the mobile office, everyday movements such as going to the car or climbing stairs in the company are no longer necessary. Meetings with friends, shopping and other things are also flat because of the lockdown. In this group, however, the muscle loss is less noticeable than in athletes who were active before the lockdown, built up muscles and cared for them. With them, the muscles are sure to decrease more, the basal metabolic rate drops and they accumulate fat because they move less and may even eat more than before. In fact, I suspect that many will be surprised when they face each other again after the lockdown.
Which muscle groups are mainly affected?
The muscles not only atrophy. It is also becoming increasingly shorter because the stretching effect that is part of every day-to-day movement is often eliminated in the mobile office. The conventional office illnesses or complaints increase. The classics such as neck pain or the notorious piriformis syndrome, i.e. the pinched sciatic nerve, could be more severe or occur in people who had no problems with it before, because they moved at least moderately – and if it was only the way to the canteen or that Climbing stairs was. Above all, the leg muscles, our largest muscle group, atrophy due to the lack of exercise.
Now you can come to terms with it or, as you have already said, do something about muscle loss. Well, not everyone has the space for a home gym. How can you still do something good for neglected muscles?
That depends a lot on the fitness level at which you went into lockdown. For everyone who has hardly done any sport up to now and just wants to maintain their muscles and health, I would make it easy to start with Elastic bands recommend in different strengths. That sounds banal, but you can use it to do many classic exercises. For example, doing something for the shoulder blade or chest muscles to sit more upright in the office chair. These are sufficient for this Fitness bands, because you don’t need a particularly strong force stimulus to maintain the muscles or even to build up a little something. As an additional exercise, I think push-ups on your knees are useful. For those who don’t feel like it, I recommend going for a walk and taking the stairs instead of the elevator on the way to the apartment. This at least simulates everyday life from the time before the lockdown. If you can do that, you should be able to maintain your fitness level well.
What about those whose muscles are involuntarily suffering from months of gym withdrawal? Athletes who usually train there two or three times a week.
It gets a little trickier there. These athletes are already more productive and can therefore do exercises independently that I would not recommend to less active people. I think of squats first – with or without weight. Or also side raises with two dumbbells in each hand for the shoulder muscles. Basically, the higher the fitness level, the more difficult it is to maintain the status quo or even to build muscle mass. Still, the worst thing you can do is not do anything for your body. I also think it’s important to free yourself a little from being able to maintain the level from before the lockdown, let alone achieve top form.
What equipment do you consider appropriate for the in-house gym?
In addition to a Weight bench In my opinion, a storage rack and a small selection are worthwhile for more ambitious athletes Dumbbells and barbells. That doesn’t take up too much space and is also suitable for rental apartments. If you don’t have space for this, you can still work with your own body weight or with the aforementioned fitness bands.
In the large Weight bench comparison 2021 you can find out about the current models.
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