Working Out At Home

Working Out At Home

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to afford all of that fancy equipment used in the gyms? Well, as nice as it sounds, it just isn’t an option for most people. And since exercise is so important, you need to find exercises that are effective and don’t require any equipment at all.

Keep a Schedule

It is far to easy to be pulled into other directions when it comes to being home. You may start out with the best of intentions but then the phone rings, the dog needs to go out, there is cleaning that needs to be done, and then by the time you realize it hours have gone by and you still haven't begun your workout. If you set aside time each day to workout this will help you in avoiding distractions. Make this your time, don't answer the phone and don't let your mind wander to other things that need your attention around the house. By setting aside a set time you will be more apt to following through with you workout.

Get Outside

Changing up your routine and taking your workout outside is a great idea if weather permits. Of course you can jog or run to get a good cardio workout in, but you can also do many strength training routines as well. Get a leg workout in my lunging from your mailbox to your neighbors, then switch it up and do side lunges back to your mailbox. Pushups are a great upper body workout and can be done on your lawn or at your local park.  With a little planning and preparation you can get a great sweat on and avoid all the distractions of being at home. As with any workout be sure that you stay well hydrated and have good shoes on for support. Remember that what you eat is 80% of the battle while the actual sweat and workout is only 20%. Be sure to feed your body right and be mindful of your nutrition.

At-home cardio options

Some good options for at-home cardio include:

• Running up and down a set of stairs
• Jumping rope
• Step-ups on an oversize box or step (the higher the box, the better the cardiovascular benefits you’ll get
• Burpies
• Jumping Jacks

These options are best used as an interval training excercise (going for 30 to 60 seconds hard, coupled with one minute of rest), which is ideal for at-home workouts since they are quick to complete and help burn fat more effectively.

Factoring in strength training

The next thing to do is plan out the strength training portion of your home workout. Ideally you should purchase a set of dumbbells and a barbell with weighted plates, that would allow you to perform many of the free-weight exercises you would do in the gym (bicep curls, triceps movements, deadlifts, rows, shoulder presses, lunges, etc). If you do not have these available to you, then it’s time to get creative.