Getting Fit At Home
No money for a gym membership? No gym nearby? Or as in my case, just too cold to go to the gym? No worries – you don’t need to belong to a gym to get a great workout. Here are some tips for getting a great workout at home.
Workout Videos and DVDs – Check out You Tube, iTunes, your local library or DVD swap websites (such as Swap A DVD or Swap.com) for workout videos or DVDs to try out. This is your chance to try out different types of workouts such has Yoga, Pilates, Ballet and Zumba for free or little cost. My favorite is Hula for an escape to the islands on a cold day.
Exercise Bands – For around $10, you can get an exercise band. Exercise bands are great for adding some resistance training to your workout without investing in weights. You can use it for numerous exercises such as squats, chest presses, tricep extensions and bicep curls. Also, exercise bands are completely portable so it’s great for exercising while traveling or at the office.
Stairs – If you have stairs in your house or building, climbing stairs can provide a great cardio and leg toning workout. Put some music on and start with just a few flights at first and build up to more and more flights. If you don’t have access to stairs, try doing some steps ups on a sturdy box for few minutes.
By working out at home you can work out when it’s convenient for you. Do you have any tips for working out at home?
Whether you work out at the gym or at home, having a plan to follow can make all the difference, in most part because it takes a lot of the decision-making – and therefore opportunities to procrastinate – out of your hands. Here are three options to get you started.
Goal: Lose weight The inimitable Joe Wicks shared this plan, which is four sessions a week for four weeks. You don’t need any equipment to do these 20-minute high-intensity circuits, although give yourself at least five minutes either side to warm up and down and catch your breath.
Goal: Get strong If you have (or don’t mind investing in) a set of dumbbells, use this four-week plan to build strength and power throughout your entire body. The three workouts are intended to be done on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so you have the weekend free to recover.
Goal: Build muscle This is a muscle-building workout plan with a difference – it uses just your bodyweight to stimulate muscle growth. That means there are some tricky moves in here so beginners should start elsewhere or substitute in easier variations. You’ll need to set aside three one-hour slots a week and find yourself a pull-up bar and a bench (or any sturdy platform).
