For those of us who don’t have an exercise bike or treadmill at home, it can be very difficult to find ways to keep ourselves moving. That is why we have made a list of ways you can keep healthy and exercise without leaving the comfort of your own home!
Cleaning
Many of us see cleaning as a chore rather than a form of exercise. There are many fitness benefits to cleaning and ways you can make it an actual workout. Some sources even estimate that you can burn up to a few hundred calories whilst doing things like sweeping, mopping and cleaning the windows by making a few tweaks to your routine.
- Side lunges whilst making the bed
- Stepping into lunges when vacuuming
- Balancing on your toes to engage those core muscles
Use items around the house as weights
For all of you who are not used to going to a fully equipped gym there are many substitutes you can use instead. Bags of flour or rice, canned food or even bottled water can serve as great weights. If you want to step up your game a little, fill a bag with a few of these items to serve as something heavier.
Perform resistance exercises around the house
To strengthen your muscles and increase your mobility, take part in resistance exercises. Whereas in the gym you would’ve had a range of equipment, at home you have to get inventive.
You can do:
- Air squats – single leg steps on the stairs
- Lunges – sit-to-stand from a sturdy chair
Gardening
If you have a garden, then maintenance also can be considered a workout. Squatting whilst weeding and planting can help strengthen your core muscles and glutes. Watering cans and other heavier tools can tone your arms. And mowing the lawn is top tier cardio!
YouTube workouts
The number of workouts available online is out of this world! Or, if you want to be really old school, you can buy a fitness DVD! From fat-burning yoga to fat-burning cardio, you name it, YouTube has it. Even if you take just 15 minutes out of your day to do some cardio, your future self will thank you!
Starting to exercise and get into a routine can be difficult but I can assure you, exercising not only benefits your physical wellbeing but also your mental wellbeing. So get started!