No matter your reason for missing the gym – whether due to limited time, space, or otherwise – working out at home doesn’t have to mean giving up on fitness goals. With some simple equipment and bodyweight exercises you can stay in shape right from your own living room! Do not have access to a jump rope? Attempt lunge jumps or broad jumps as alternatives. No plyo box? Try stairs or benches instead for training purposes.
1. Take the Stairs
Alternating elevator rides for stairs is an easy and efficient way to increase both strength and cardiovascular fitness. Stair sets can be found anywhere from home, to office buildings and uncrowded public areas like parks or stadiums.
Stair climbing workouts provide a full body strength, explosive power, balance and cardio workout in one. To accurately gauge intensity use the “talk test”. When performing this activity you should be able to speak clearly without singing during it – you could also make this activity into more of a fun challenge by setting up practice games with friends or coworkers!
2. Get Your Hands on Some Basic Fitness Equipment
There’s no shortage of fitness equipment out there, but you might be amazed at just how effective home gym tools can be without breaking the bank. Before investing in high-tech connected home gym equipment, start small by starting with budget friendly basics such as a jump rope and exercise ball.
Jumping rope offers an effective cardio workout, with weighted versions providing extra resistance. Exercise balls provide numerous exercises for strengthening balance and strength; and having a good mat makes yoga and other floor exercises, like push-ups or crunches, easier.
3. Try Bodyweight Exercises
Bodyweight exercises are an ideal solution for people who find it challenging to find motivation or time for traditional gym-based workouts, with plenty of variations that make working up a sweat easier for everyone.
At home, on trips or wherever there is enough space, incorporating simple movements such as push-ups, planks and squats is an easy and fun way to gain an effective cardio workout. Pilates mat exercises can also provide beginners with a way to build strength, improve balance and posture, as well as learn how to exercise safely without equipment.
4. Wash Your Car
Car-washing can be both therapeutic and physically demanding! To maximize effectiveness, have separate buckets for rinsing and soap mixture, to prevent dirt resurfacing in already washed parts of your car. Also use microfibre mitts instead of sponges as these are safer on paintwork – this home workout could burn 6 calories every minute!
5. Try HIIT
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is a proven strategy to both burn fat and build muscle, through short bursts of exercises designed to target multiple muscle groups at the same time. You can complete these workouts either indoors or outdoors.
Fitness is essential to both mental and physical wellbeing. Exercise can improve mood, decrease risk of injury or disease and increase energy levels. Make an effort to find a fitness partner and set goals together. Doing this can keep both motivated and accountable – plus, having someone else keep an eye on each other keeps the challenge fun!
6. Try Stretching
Many young people today are looking for alternative means of keeping fit, whether they cannot or do not wish to visit the gym regularly. Home workouts can be just as effective in terms of getting in shape than gym exercise programs. Doing the laundry, dishes and vacuuming are great arm and leg exercises that don’t involve weights or resistance bands – all great activities that provide great arm/leg exercise opportunities! But adding resistance bands or weights can increase their difficulty even further.
Home exercises that are simple and accessible include stretching, push-ups against the wall and lunges while watching television or talking on the phone. Establish a daily ritual like brushing your teeth or drinking coffee as part of your health regimen – something like brushing teeth or getting coffee in the morning can keep your motivation high!
7. Try Climbing the Wall
If you love climbing but can’t make the gym or don’t have time, there are still ways to stay in shape and remain physically fit. Equipment-free exercises using water bottles or your body weight could work wonders; dancing during commercials might even count! Chores such as mopping or sweeping could even serve as workouts!
Install a bouldering wall for an intense at-home workout! A bouldering wall provides the opportunity to practice climbing technique while working out your entire body without leaving home. Research different climbing wall designs before selecting one that is the best fit for your space; once this decision has been made, start staining plywood panels and drilling grid holes for hold placement.
8. Try Climbing the Stairs
Stair climbing provides an effective full-body workout, strengthening muscles in your quads, hamstrings and glutes while improving balance, coordination and mobility – not to mention torching calories at an impressive rate!
Doing stair exercises doesn’t require purchasing or renting equipment – you can do them anywhere from your building stairwell, outdoors at a park or stadium, to using machines at gyms. Plus, there’s even the thrill of competing in an international stair-climbing race in various stairwells. Starting on the first step of a staircase with feet hip-and shoulder-width apart and hands under your shoulders, gradually lower your body until your chest is just above the stairs before returning to starting position. Repeat two or three times.
9. Try Swimming
Swimming can be an incredible workout – whether for competition training or general health and fitness purposes. Swimming burns off 400-1,000 calories an hour depending on speed and intensity and engages many different muscle groups at the same time.
Search for a local pool and inquire about membership costs. Alternatively, use bodyweight exercises and items found around your house (a sturdy chair for tricep dips, gallon jugs filled with water or sand to perform resistance curls etc) instead of swimming equipment as alternatives to aquatic exercises. Get active without the gym membership – and discover exciting outdoor activities! There’s no doubt getting fit can be fun and engaging with nature can only add to its benefits.
