Pinoy Homes Have Invisible Gyms

Because they're invisible they're very rarely used. Almost never, in fact. But count on it, most Pinoy homes have built-in invisible gyms. Exactly why there's no reason, whatsoever, to be unfit, unhealthy, rusty or sickly if you're a Pinoy living in the Philippines.

Property Setbacks 

They're required by housing laws as space allowances around a dwelling structure. Properties should have setbacks (perimeter free spaces) to keep houses at a safe distance from each other. Secondly, to attain some privacy, so neighbors can be kept from hearing or seeing each other. But setbacks are more than that. They're private pathways for brisk walking or jogging. 

Understandably, property trends today seldom allow for circling around the yards because of firewalls attached to the property lines. But still, almost all lots have small backyards for laundry which can be used for skipping rope and squatting workouts. A parallel bar can easily be attached to the side wall or installed separately as a stand-alone structure. 

Door Jamb Pull Ups

What I often used when I was in college was the top portion of a doorjamb, either the door in my room or at the main entrance to the house. The top jamb had about an inch of ledge jutting out on which I clawed my fingers and lifted myself for the pull-ups. It was tough but it strengthened my arms and fingers. I was able to do 10 reps.

Later, since our backyard was dotted with full-grown guava trees, I chose two sturdy branches to hold on with both hands and pulled my body weight up several times. Or, I looked for two very thick "Y" branches of the same height and put over them a one-and-half inch round steel bar or lead pipe from which I did my pull-ups.

Chairs

Dining chairs or solo sofa chairs are not just for sitting down. They're effective push-up stools for doing deeper dives that exert more muscle effort for the arms, shoulders and chest. Simply place each hand on a chair and rest both feet on another as you assume a push-up position. You're now in an elevated push-up pose. Lower your body as deep as possible and then push yourself up. 

You can also use a chair to rest both feet as you do push-ups with your hands on the ground or floor. This enables you to push about 80 percent of your body weight up against the gravity. 

Floor

You can do countless exercises on the floor, like body weight lifting (push-ups and squats), jogging in place, lounges and stretching, dancing, shadow boxing, sit-ups (on mats), tip-toes, among other things. As a teenager, I cleaned the floor manually using a cloth with floor wax on it, spreading the same evenly on the floor, and making it shiny by stepping on a coconut husk and rubbing that against the wax-treated floor. That was a super aero workout that kept me fit and trim and my metabolism actively burning. Strengthened my lungs too.

Stairs

If you're blessed to have a second floor, you should thank God for it because it's ideal for an aero workout good for cardiovascular and lung health. Simply go up and down several times a day. You may do it slowly or rapidly, taking two to three flights at a time. If you need to go slow, then leisurely climb up and down, resting now and then as needed. Either way, it's a great and very easy way to workout the heart and lungs.

Water Service Interruption

It's a common feature of summer in Metro Manila---water supply interruption. It can be a terrible nuisance, but with a positive outlook it's also a workout treat if you fetch water in big buckets in both hands. Like I did for years as a teenager. Each summer was marked with at least a month of zero water supply. So I fetched water from the backyard deep well and brought them in buckets to the kitchen and bathrooms. I did this several times a day, every day. It was a good workout.

Gardening

The kind of gardening I did as a teenager was backbreaking. I lifted logs to clear areas, cut some with a hatchet (we used firewood to for grilling fish), I dug into the earth using a heavy steel bar and opted to water plants, not with a hose, but by carrying buckets of water around the yards (we had plants all over our front, side and backyards). If you want a good workout, stop using water hose. 

I literally got myself an athletic fit and a bit ripped in high school and college by using our invisible gym at home. "Fitness equipment" is available all around every Pinoy home just waiting to be discovered and used. 

HEALTH FOR THE PINOY SOUL 

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