Disclaimer: To develop an exercise program that best suits your needs, please consult with your physician.
For many people, thinking about exercise conjures up images of treadmills and dumbbells that don’t sound very appealing. In fact, this kind of perception can often lead people to avoid exercise altogether if they aren’t comfortable purchasing a gym membership or exercise equipment for their own home.
If this sounds familiar, scratch that thought! Exercise doesn’t have to be about all the bells and whistles — it’s all about stimulating your muscles to move and to grow. YOU can exercise in whatever way you are able to with whatever budget you have, so check below for some great alternative forms of exercise.
Home Workouts: Use Your Own Body Weight
The best piece of equipment you can ever use when exercising is yourself! Body weight alone is the best place to begin any exercise, and all exercises can be modified to match your
current fitness levels.
Calisthenics are exercises that use little to no equipment (even just body weight), and they’re a great strategy for beginning any workout that incorporates strength training
into its routine. Simply identify what groups of muscles you are looking to target during a specific workout, and then let your body surprise you!
Some of the benefits to using your own body weight during exercise include:
- Increased flexibility
- Greater core strength
- Better balance
- More efficiency/free of cost
- Less risk of injury
- More challenging!
Whether you’re at home, in a hotel room or at a friends house, body weight exercises are a great way to work out without going to the gym or spending the money on equipment.
Use Your Own Home for Total Body Workouts
If you’re looking to add more variety and creativity to your home workouts, there are also plenty of everyday items you likely have on hand that are great for working out all areas of your body.
For example, simply using a gallon of milk or a jug of water is great for exercises such as squats, single arm rows, bicep curls and calf raises. Other common household items that are great for incorporating into your exercise routine — PLUS some example workouts — include:
- Canned goods – Overhead shoulder press/bridges/single arm rows/front and side raises
- Reusable grocery bags – Bicep curls/hamstring curls/bridges/chest press
- PVC pipe – Chest press/squats/calf raises
- Resistance bands – Squats/chest push-outs/tricep extensions/single arm rows
- Inflated bouncy ball – Front raises/tricep extensions/squats
- Basketball – Chest press/front raises/bridges/calf raises
- Chair or bench – Single arm rows (for support)/push-up/squats
- Books – Front and side raises/tricep extensions/squats (used to add height to the chair or bench)
- Towel or Frisbee – Hamstring curls
There are a ton of ways that you can work out in your own home at little to no cost at all. Remember — exercise is what YOU make it, and you can be as thrifty and creative as you want!
Want More Information about Exercising On a Budget in Your Own Home?
You can read the full article from Your Weight Matters Magazine by CLICKING HERE.
