Exercising at home is a great alternative to traditional gym exercise. Not only does it save you money, but it also saves you time on the trip to the gym. Having more time in your day helps ensure that you will stick to your new fitness program. Even if you already have a gym membership, consider exercising at home on days when you know you won’t make it to your health club; for example, when your babysitter cancels. It is much better than skipping your workout altogether! Here are some great ideas for working out at home.
Run or Walk
Jogging is a great way to get a cardio workout and burn a lot of calories. If you don’t like running alone, you can join a local running club and meet up with other runners in your area. If you are not ready to run yet, you can walk instead. Walking is great exercise, and anyone can do it. If you want to transition from walking to running, you can begin walking and choose two points that are relatively close such as a stop sign or end of the block. Then simply run from A to B, and then walk again. Repeat this as desired throughout your walk. Over time, you will build up your endurance and be able to jog further each time. Take a friend, your kids, spouse, or even your dog. (Dogs are great running partners, too, and they need exercise just like us!) Plus, if you make a commitment with someone, you are less likely to skip your workout.
Create an Inexpensive Home Gym
Buy some inexpensive home equipment, like dumbbells and a jump rope. You can get an entire body workout with dumbbells as well as get great cardio bursts with a jump rope. If you don’t want to buy equipment, you can still do body weight exercises, like pushups, lunges, and squats. All can be done without any equipment at all, and still give you a great workout.
Home Exercise Videos
Purchase some exercise DVDs. Most run for under $20. You can exercise with some of the top trainers like Jackie Warner (from Bravo’s “Workout”), Jillian Michaels, or Bob Harper (from NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”). You will get a great workout in the privacy of your own home. Also, you can find a DVD for almost any style of exercise. Ever wanted to try that kickboxing workout at the gym? Now you can, only at home. Or, check the “On Demand” menu from your cable television provider for fitness videos. Try something new, like cardio, yoga, strength workouts, or hip hop. Most cable providers have a wide variety of videos for you to try. The best part is that most of them are free.
Play with Your Kids (or Pets)
You’d be surprised how many calories you can burn just running around your backyard. Or, organize a game with friends, like tennis, soccer, basketball, or softball. All are great activities that are a lot of fun and burn lots of calories. Besides, nothing beats getting your exercise while spending time with loved ones
About this Author
Jessica Kucinski has been involved in the fitness community for nearly a decade. She began her career as a personal trainer, and soon entered the health care field, working as an exercise specialist for Healthsouth Physical Therapy. Kucinski has completed her graduate degree and is the current owner/head instructor of Montville Adventure Boot Camp for Women.
