You are here: Benchmark Home » How To

Category: How To

How To Get or Stay In Shape While Staying Home

by Austin Cox

Exercise can be a great release. Not only does it provide a healthy and positive way to relieve stress, but it also improves physical and mental health. But like many other aspects of our daily lives, the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced our physical activity. There have been shutdowns, re-openings under strict guidelines, and shutting down again after having reopened.

Getting or staying fit can be challenging, especially with many fitness centers finding themselves forced into temporary or permanent closure. Thankfully, you don’t need a gym or fancy equipment in order to exercise or get in shape. Here are a few convenient at-home workouts that require little to no equipment.

Workout 1

Push-ups

Push-ups use your own body weight as resistance, and are a great way to build arm and chest strength.

When performing a push-up, make sure to keep your hands wider than your shoulders, and keep your elbows at a 90 degree angle at the bottom of the movement.

To start, you can perform 1 warm up set of 5 pushups.

After your warm up set, you should increase the number of repetitions per set. (Below is a recommendation.) Be careful to keep the same movement and form as the warm up set.

Reps: 15-20
Sets: 3

Bonus: For added resistance, fill a backpack up with canned food or books to add some extra weight.

Workout 2

Dips

Dips are a great way to build your triceps, chest, and shoulders. Find an object in your house that is about knee high and can support your weight: a couch or a loveseat usually will be good! If it is not heavy enough to not move during movement, you can place it against a wall.

Start by facing away from the furniture you are using, extend your legs so they are straight in front of you, positioning your hands wider than your shoulders on the surface of the object, supporting your weight with your hands.

Beginning with your arms fully extended, lower yourself to about one inch above the floor, and push yourself back up with your hands.

Reps: 15-20
Sets: 3

Bonus: To add some extra resistance, balance a heavy textbook or a heavy object you can lay in your lap while doing the movement.

Workout 3

Body weight squats

Put your hands on your hips or extend them out in front of you, depending on which helps you balance. Bend your knees until your thighs are angled to just below parallel, then stand back up.

Reps: 20-30*
Sets: 3-4*
*Depending on strength

Bonus: For extra resistance, wear a backpack filled with books, canned food, or similar heavy objects.

Cardio

Cardio is considered an important component to maintaining cardiovascular health, and is an important component to a balanced workout plan. Just doing 20-30 minutes of cardio activity a day could drastically improve your general health. Here are a few different cardio routines you can easily do around the house.

Running/Jogging in place

If you don’t have a treadmill, jog or run in place at a steady pace for 20–30 minutes. Increase or decrease your intensity depending on your experience level.

Running Stairs

If you live in a home with a flight of stairs, this is a great steady-state form of cardio that is sure to get your heart beating!

Walk, jog, or run up and down the stairs at a steady pace for 20–30 minutes. If jogging or running, be careful. That’s it!

Burpees

This is both a cardio and a resistance activity that can count as an entire workout! For those unfamiliar with burpees, they are a combination of a pushup, a squat, and a jumping jack.

Start in a squat stance, and drop down to a push up position. Then spring up from that position, and jump up in one fluid motion. If you need a bit of guidance, the video above shows the proper form for this exercise. Perform burpees at the fastest pace you are able to.

Reps: 15-20
Sets: 3-4

Now get moving and conquer your at home workout!

If the quarantine has you looking into buying a home and escaping the confines of an apartment, we can help.

Contact your local Benchmark branch. Contact us today for personalized information. Call me yourself or request a call from me. WeI would be honored to provide you with our famous excellent service for your new loan.

 

Benchmark brings you home.

benchmark circle icon

Mastering Video Calls | Pro Tips to Improve Your Image with Clients

by Nathan Farris

Skype and Zoom have been around for awhile, but have recently soared in popularity, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions. It’s nearly impossible to talk with our co-workers or safely meet with prospective clients in the current market without these critical communication tools. With these new challenges, now is the time to take your online presence and impression seriously. In this article, I will give you some practical ways to maintain a professional image while video conferencing remotely from home. Let’s dive in.

Power in Clarity | Improving Your Audio

While audio quality is often overlooked when It comes to video, clean and clear audio should be your top priority. If the person on the other end of the conversation has a hard time understanding you, not much will be accomplished with the rest of the call. Here are some practical tips to improve your audio.

Find a Quiet Space

If possible, use a room where you can close the door to minimize unplanned noise distractions. When not possible, consider a headset with good microphone noise cancellation.

Use a Headset

While it may be convenient to use your computer’s built in microphone, the audio quality is lacking. Try using a headset instead, to improve clarity. As mentioned above, one with good microphone noise cancellation can help overcome unavoidable background noise. Check out some of these to get started!

Location & Backgrounds

When having video calls, you’re essentially giving people a limited tour of your home. Taking control and setting the scene is important for making a good impression. Real backgrounds feel more natural and welcoming, but they can require a little more planning to get right on camera. Make sure you take the time to prepare the room that you’re planning to use for your video conference. Throw away visible trash and tidy things up. Make sure to eliminate visual distractions like a TV, open blinds, or an active ceiling fan. Find an area with an interesting background, like a bookshelf, indoor plants, or decorative lamps, for example.

If you don’t have access to an aesthetically pleasing area in your home, digital backgrounds are a good backup option. That being said, choose a digital backdrop that feels natural, like a home office for example. While it is tempting to use a fun beach background that comes with Zoom or Skype, it gives the wrong impression, so avoid them for professional or business calls. Here are a few digital backgrounds to help you get started!

The Importance of Good Lighting

Putting effort into proper lighting can yield excellent results when it comes to professional video presentation. If you have a dedicated space, it’s highly recommended to invest in a lighting kit with at least 2 lights. In general, you want to make sure to place the lights in front of you at a 45 degree angle to help create depth. Here is a budget friendly option that works great!

If you don’t have a budget for lights, the next best thing is to use natural light from a window. Make sure that the window is in front of you. Avoid having it behind you since this will cause you to look too dark in the final image that your webcam is capturing. If your window is equipped with curtains and/or blinds, try experimenting with various amounts of light to see what works best for you.

Check Your Internet Connection | Stability is Key

Stuttering video and buffering are frustrating when it comes to video conference calls. Many times people have to repeat themselves and a missed connection can create tension. Here are a few tips on how to diagnose and improve your current connection to the internet.

Use a wired connection if possible.

Plugging an ethernet cable coming from your router into your computer will almost always be faster and more stable than WiFi.

If using Wifi, find an area with a strong connection.

Weak signals can cause dropouts and slow internet speeds. Try using the 5ghz band for your wireless networks, if possible. Learn more about that here.

Check your internet speed.

Test your current internet speed using speedtest.net. For a quality video call, Zoom recommends having at least 1.5mbps (upload and download). If you have implemented the tips above and your connection is still too slow, consider talking to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or shopping for a new one to get higher speed internet service.

Did These Help?

I hope you found these tips to be helpful for the quality of your video conference calls! Here at Benchmark, we are dedicated to continuing our excellent service while working from home. If you’re in the market for a new home with a home office, we can help with financing.

Contact your local Benchmark branch. Contact us today for personalized information. Call me yourself or request a call from me. WeI would be honored to provide you with our famous excellent service for your new loan.

 

Benchmark brings you home.

benchmark circle icon

family slides down blue plastic slip-n-slide on beautiful green lawn

Natural Lawn Maintenance Tips for Safe Summer Fun

by Jason Haeger

A lawn in summer is a wonderful thing! It is the proper location for picnics, barbecues, slip-n-slides, and more. Forget chemical fertilizers and herbicides. You can still enjoy a healthy SAFE lawn by following natural lawn maintenance tips below.

Read more

This Spring, Refresh Your Curb Appeal

This Spring, Enhance Your 🏠 Curb Appeal!

by Jason Haeger

This Spring, Refresh Your Curb Appeal

Do you suffer from curb envy? Do you want bragging rights for the most inviting home on the block? Have you just moved in, and want to dress the entrance with your own personal style? Or, are you looking to sell, and want to make your home more appealing to potential buyers?

No matter your reason, improving the appearance of your home when viewed from the street level, also known as curb appeal, can be done without breaking the bank.

It can be tempting to look through home improvement websites or Better Homes and Gardens for ideas. However, before making big plans, start with the easy things. You may be surprised at how much difference it makes!

Before Upgrading, Restore

Before spending any money, focus on maintaining the features your home already has. Even a manicured front landscape can go a long way.

  • Be sure that your lawn is mowed, trimmed, and edged.
  • Make sure landscape bushes or trees have been properly pruned, and
  • Remove weeds from walkways and mulched areas. Even a manicured front landscape can go a long way.
  • If needed (and it probably is, even if you can’t tell right away), power wash the walkway, sidewalk, and front porch leading up to your home. If you do not own a power washer, paying to have this done is not very expensive, and is absolutely worth paying for.
  • How does your brick or siding look? Simply cleaning it can do a lot to improve its appearance.
  • A fresh coat of paint on the siding can go a long way towards updating a home’s exterior.
  • If your siding is in need of repair or replacement, It’s a good idea to consider getting it done.
  • If the roof is a dominant feature of your home’s facade, you might want to consider giving it some love, too. If you plan to sell, a replacement roof may be in order.

Inexpensive Home Updates

Once everything is in great shape again, it’s time to start making some striking visual changes!

  • You can really make a statement by painting the front door. Use a contrasting color to draw attention to the home’s entrance, making it feel more inviting.
  • Change your address numbers with a new updated font, or bold tones. Get creative!
  • Paint or replace your mailbox. This is the first thing visible from the road, so don’t leave it out!
  • Update the hardware on your front door. If you’re painting the front door, why not reward the attention it draws with an updated hardware set?
  • If your home has shutters, consider painting them, or adding hardware to increase interest. If your home does not have any, you can easily make your own, if cost is a concern. Shutters add character and increase visual interest.
  • Plant a tree! A tree in the front yard adds charm, a splash of color, and a sense of permanence. It makes a home feel more homey. Please avoid known invasive species in your region when selecting a tree to plant, and consider what is known to do well where you live. With larger trees, not only does this save you from the burden of excessive maintenance, a healthier tree is a safer tree.
  • Is the entry to your home feeling a little sterile, even with the painting door? Consider adding decorative outdoor furniture or planter boxes. These can help extend the “living space” to the outside of the front door, enhancing the welcoming warmth extended to visitors.
  • Last, but not least, your porch light fixture may be in need of an update. While you’re at it, consider adding lighting to the yard to enhanced safety and ambience from the road as twilight fades into starlight.

Your Home’s Curb Appeal Is Its First Impression

Making a good first impression is important for forging new relationships, and for others taking you seriously. Your home’s curb appeal the the first impression for visitors, guests, neighbors, and potential buyers (if you’re selling). Your choices for dressing up your home’s curb appeal will ultimately reflect your own personality and outlook.

You don’t have to spend a lot to get a great look, so get started, be mindful of your choices, and have fun! Who knows, you may even make a few friends in the process.

 

Benchmark Brings You Home.

benchmark circle icon