No More Excuses – Exercise at Home

We all have those days where we don’t feel like leaving the house to go to the gym and of course not many of us are fortunate enough to have that costly gym equipment at our house. As exercise is so important, what options do we have on days like this? Well if you are lucky enough with the weather then of course a nice walk around the neighborhood could come in handy. If the weather isn’t good and you are stuck indoors we have a few tips for you. Remember at home you are able to play your favorite music to help get you in the mood; alternatively some of these exercises are able to be done in front of the television which really helps as your mind will be focused on other things.

Exercise at Home

Here are some tips which we hope help you:

Jogging in Place: This works as a great warm up for any other exercise which follows. Jogging on the spot can be done in front of the television or with the music on and it really gets the heart going. Of course you will need to make enough room for yourself but the only equipment needed for this exercise will be a good pair of running shoes which will help alleviate the stress on your legs.

Jumping Jacks:  Another fantastic warm up exercise which really gets the heart pumping and we all know how important a good cardio workout is. The added bonus of the Jumping Jack is that it brings an element of fun to the workout.

Squats: Let’s get the exercises started with our legs and buttocks. Make use of a normal chair and just simply stand and then sit down again. Repeat this in sets, of course the more regularly you train, the more sets you will be able to do. You will feel a squeeze in the buttocks and legs and this shows it’s a good workout.

Push Ups: These are generally known as the best exercise for building up and strengthening your ABS. Focus on getting up until you feel the stretching of your muscles. Once you feel that you are comfortable with doing a few sets of these, focus on bringing your head all the way up to give you an added workout.

Light Weight Lifting: This is fantastic to do at home as there are so many options to pick from as far as the actual “weights” go. You can make use of anything such as a tin of beans to start with. You can combine this with the jogging on the spot exercise as well. Once you feel comfortable and would like to move on to another level start using things like empty bottles of laundry detergent which you have refilled with water. There are a lot of options.

Dancing: Last but not least, our favourite form of exercise, dancing. Another exercise which is a great cardio workout and will also act as a great warm down for the muscles you have used in your workout. Throw in the Fun Factor and it really is a win-win. Dance until you can’t dance no more and enjoy the benefits of a great workout.

As you can see there really is no excuse to not exercise every day. Whether it’s raining or you just don’t feel like leaving the house, there are simple options available to you. Have fun and keep on training.

home exercise equipment

Affordable home exercise equipment worth owning

Jump Rope: Boxers use these for a reason, as it’s one of the best ways to beef up your cardio. When jumping you burn lots of calories, improve your cardiovascular system and help build muscle.

Most sport shops stock them and they are relatively cheap plus you can take it anywhere.
Price depends on its weight. Obviously the heavier you go, the more intense your workouts will be, but with basic models you can achieve the same result if you work out with increased speed and effort.

Make sure you have a big enough room to exercise with it.

Kettle bells: Considered by many to be best in home exercise equipment, they are similar to dumbbells with a unique shape providing you with the same type of workout benefits.

You can do a variety of different exercises with them.

They come in different shapes and is also available in adjustable form.

Stability Ball: This ball is perfect for working out your abs or for upper and lower body workouts.

They are also useful for rehabilitation exercises like stretching or sitting on which can help to improve your posture.

Exercises you can do on the stability ball includes: push ups, bridges and back extensions.

Chin Up Bars: Chin up bars are widely available at sport and fitness shops. They are affordable and is easy to set up.

They work by mounting it in a door frame. They are very useful especially if you live in a flat.

Exercises done with them mostly include, pull ups, chin ups and hanging leg raises with the purpose of strengthening your back or working your abdominal muscles.

Medicine Balls: Simple but yet effective exercise equipment. They are mainly used during upper body exercises.

They come in different sizes and weight. You can easily found one that will fit your fitness level.

Mats: When doing exercises at home, you will definitely need a mat or something more comfortable than the hard floor.

Exercise mats is made to provide your body with a soft surface to do exercises on it like working out your abs.

Dumbbells: Dumbbells is a must have for home exercise equipment. They are very useful as it trains all the major muscle groups, builds up strength and isolate muscles.

They also help improve coordination and balance as dumbbell exercises needs more control
They can be purchased with different weight plates which is adjustable or dumbbells which has a set weight.

Bear in mind to get yourself a rack to store your weights with different weight, which is why adjustable dumbbells is better as they can take up to 20 sets of weight.

Ab Wheels: Constructed with a bar and wheel in the middle, this piece of exercise equipment is useful for exercising your core or abdominal muscles, but can also exercise your back, arms, chest and shoulders.

TRX: Relatively new to the fitness industry, this set of equipment can be used to perform a variety of bodyweight exercises and has been developed by Navy SEALS.

The TRX system combines both stability and strength exercises especially for core training.

Bio
Ryno is the content coordinator for GetSavvi Health medical insurance. He regularly writes about health and lifestyle topics and manages GetSavvi Health’s social media pages. A Journalism graduate from the University of Pretoria, he worked as a hard news journalist before making his way to marketing. He loves his two beautiful Labradors, and when he is not walking them on the beach, he’s probably trying to follow his own health and lifestyle advice by trading in the take-aways for a healthy, home-cooked meal.