The COVID 19 Workout Program

Okay, here it is, the one work out to get you through all the long days at home. Now with gyms closed and people out going for walks you can work out with this one work out designed for the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As a Physical Therapist (PT) it is my job to keep people moving. The National governing board recognizes PT’s as the number one provider to diagnose, rehab, train, prevent and improve movements, no matter the sport. At Mtn Physio, the sport is hunting and all mountain sports, and my goals is to keep you hunting and enjoying the mountains at all times. We offer a full list of PT services including TELEHEALTH. We are excited for our new programs that we are unveiling with a new monthly subscription program which we will include more details on later. 

Over the past 2 weeks our country has seen rapid changes with the onset of Covid-19. It seems as though the world around us has been forced to practice social distancing to stop and slow down. I won’t lie it has been nice to slow down and spend time with my family. I have seen a lot of people slow down and spend time with their family and exercise together whether on walks or doing home exercises. Most gyms are closed and people are always reaching out for new programs to get them through the day. So as I mentioned previously here is your PT guide to the COVID 19 pandemic which you can perform alone or with your family. If you are looking for a longer work out try out CORONAVIRUS 19.

The body is an amazing machine. You have likely heard the phrase “exercise is medicine,” and more than ever we have research to support that saying. More and more studies are leaning towards Physical Therapists to educate and rehab patients to prevent unnecessary surgeries. In the case that surgery is indicated they are looking to therapists to help them recover quicker, faster and better. Physical Therapists are the movement experts with anatomy, kinesiology and biomechanics as our primary specialty. There are over 650 muscles in the human body, 206 bones, 37 miles of nerves and about 1.5 gallons of blood in the body. I will say it again that the human body is an amazing machine with the ability to heal itself with the guidance from a Physical Therapist. It is my job to understand the intricacies that keep it moving as well as understanding injury and how we rehab from different injuries. 

So…here is an easy one for you all to remember. Take 15 minutes to go through the COVID-19 fitness program. Do it with your family and friends and pass it a long.

Here are the rules:

Do 19 reps of each of the exercises.

COVID is an acronym for certain muscles of the body. Each muscle has an action that you will do with a little creativity (which I will explain below).

If too easy or short use the unofficial name CORONAVIRUS

If looking to change it up I will have a list of all the different muscles and exercises you can perform. 

ENJOY!!!!

C-Calves (Heel raises or single leg heel raises)

O-Obliques (Sideplank with side leg lifts to the side)

V-Vastus medialis, lateralis and intermedius (these are your 3 of the 4 quad muscles so do squats, wall sits or pistol squats) 

I- Infraspinatus (this is one of your rotator cuff muscles, do an external rotation with your elbow to your side and bent at 90 degrees pushing out away from your body.)

D- Deltoid (Here is a shoulder muscle you can do lateral arm raises, forward arm raises to 90 degrees)

C-Coracobrachialis (A small shoulder flexor, do curls to overhead press)

O-Obturator internus (A deep hip muscle that rotates your hip outward like sitting cross-legged on the floor, perform clamshells. Lying on your side with your knees bent lift them apart.

R-Rhomboid Major and Minor (A favorite of mine! These are the muscles between you shoulder blades. Do any variation of Rowing, or shoot your bow)

O- Obliques (Sideplank with side leg lifts to the side)

N-Nemius aka Gastrocnemius (now this was a hard one… I had to really think about what exercise or muscle started with N so this one took some creativity. Do heel raises, or single leg heel raises)

A-Adductor longus (Your adductors are your inner thighs we don’t do a lot of adduction in daily life but they are agonists for hip flexion and extension so here is a tough one in the plank position one ankle up on your chair and now suspended in the air you will lift the other leg up like you are closing your legs together.

V- Vastus medialis, lateralis and intermedius (these are your 3 of the 4 quad muscles so do squats, wall sits or pistol squats)

I- Infraspinatus (this is one of your rotator cuff muscles, it does external rotation or with your elbow to your side and bent at 90 degrees pushing out away from your body.)

R-Rectus abdominis (You have probably all heard of this one, just do sit ups)

U-Upper traps (shrugs)

S-Subscapularis- (Here is another rotator cuff muscle, the exercise is opposite the Infraspinatus, pushing out, instead you pull in towards your stomach with resistance from the outside of your body). 

Here are a list of muscles that begin with the different letters. Mix it up and enjoy!

C-Coracobrachialis (shoulder flexor), Cremaster (An elevator :)), Calves (heel raises)

O-Obturator internus (clamshells), Obturator externus (hip adduction, hip stability)

R- Rectus abdominis (sit ups, V ups, Planks) , Rectus femoris (squats, wall sits, jumping), Rhomboid major and minor (double arm rows, bent over rows)

O- Obliquis capitis superior/inferior (Deep neck stabilizers so chin tucks, Isometrics)

N- Nasalis (lets be honest the only N muscle that deals with your nose), Nemius aka gastrocnemius (heel raises, single leg heel raises, Try them off of a stair)

A-Adductor longus/magnus (Inner thigh lifts), Anconeus (Elbow extensor), Abductor pollicis (Try foot Yoga)

V- Vastus medialis, lateralis and intermedius (squats, Weighted squats, leg press, Knee extension)

I-Infraspinatus (Shoulder external rotation at your side, up at 90 degrees), Iliacus (hip flexor, mountain climbers), Inferior obliques (Single arm farmer carry, single arm overhead press, side plank)

R-Rectus abdominis (Sit ups, Crunches), Rectus femoris ( Squats, knee extension), Rhomboids (bent over rows, Reverse fly’s)

U-Upper traps (shrugs)

S- Supraspinatus (Shoulder rotation), subscapularis (shoulder rotation internally), Serratus anterior (Bench press, push ups, overhead lifts), Soleus (heel raises with bent knees, seated calf raises), Semitendinosus/ Semimembranosus (hamstring curls, Bridge, Bridge walk outs, RDL’s, Nordic’s)