Summer will be here before you know it. After trying on your swimsuit, it’s obvious something has to be done. Finding time to get to the gym will be difficult, but there’s no rule that says you can’t work out at home. With a little planning, you can begin to shed the pounds you picked up over the winter and tone those muscles. Here are five suggestions for home workouts that will help you get started.
Morning or Evening Walks
One of the simplest ways to get back into the habit of exercising is to commit to a daily walk. Plan on the walk taking at least a half-hour. Your goal is to walk at a brisk pace that’s slightly challenging but does not leave you collapsing into the nearest chair when you return home. After having your walk for a few days in a row, you’ll notice a difference in how you feel and in your general level of stamina.
If mornings are too hectic, remember you can always go for a walk after the evening meal. Plan out more than one route and alternate them so you don’t grow tired of the view. Feel free to take along ear buds to plug into your phone and enjoy some soothing music as you walk. If you do walk at night, stick to streets with sidewalks and plenty of lighting.
You can get a little more from those walks by employing a time-honored strategy known as rucking. This basically means you will fill a backpack and wear it for the duration of the walk. The added weight provides more of a cardiovascular workout and helps you to build endurance. Don’t forget to invest in gym products like footwear with good arch support, and maybe even some wrist weights that will help tone the arms as you swing them during the walks. These elements will come in handy for other parts of your home workout as well as the walks.
Riding a Bike
A little variety to your routine never hurts. That’s why you may want to think about riding your bike around the neighborhood in addition to walking. Consider alternating the activities as a way to keep things interesting. You will need to make sure you bike for at least a half-hour, which means you will cover more territory than when you walk. Since biking will work the leg muscles, the abdominals, and also provide a nice cardio workout, investing in a decent bicycle makes a lot of sense.
Remember that rucking also works with biking. Load up the backpack and wear it as you make your way around the neighborhood. As time passes and your endurance increases, remember to add some additional weight to the backpack. You’ll be surprised at how it helps you get in shape a little faster.
Simple Home Exercises Like Push Ups and Sit Ups
At home, consider setting up a routine that incorporates a lot of the exercises you used to do in school. Simple exercises like push ups do quite a bit for the arms, shoulders, and upper body. You can enhance the effect by investing in push up bars that help to add more resistance as you push up and down.
A pull up bar mounted in a door frame is also a good idea. These exercises will also help to build upper body strength and tone those muscles. The impact on your heart is also something to consider. More resistance translates into a more effective cardiovascular workout.
Remember that sit ups are also a great way to work out without needing a lot of equipment. An exercise mat will do fine. If you don’t want to invest in any type of bench, remember that you can slide your toes under the sofa to hold them in place while you perform each round. There’s also no reason why you can’t keep your legs straight and simply reach for your toes instead of bending the knees. Either approach will tone your abdominal muscles among other benefits. push up bars
Treadmills
There will be times when the weather is not cooperative and you would prefer to put off a bike ride or walk. That’s when having a treadmill will come in handy. You can find a high-quality one by being on the lookout for gym equipment for sale. There are models that don’t take up a lot of room and are easy to operate.
Make sure you have something to entertain yourself while you walk or run on the treadmill. For example, you can commit to walking or running while you watch your favorite half-hour television program. There’s also the option of programming enough music to cover a half-hour on the treadmill. Listening to music or watching television while working out will help the time pass. In fact, you may find that the time on the treadmill passes faster than you expected.
Lifting Free Weights
It never hurts to have some free weights on hand. Dumbbells are great for all sorts of applications. You can hold them while performing squats, do arm curls as you cool down, or hold them as you do sit ups. This type of versatile weight lift equipment also takes up little space and will go a long way toward toning all sort of muscles in the midriff as well as the arms and upper body.
These are only a few of the ways you can work out at home and be in better shape by the time summer arrives. Consider adding things like jumping rope, performing straddle hops, and even using bands for workouts as a way to add variety and work more muscle groups. Remember to be diligent and consistent with the timing and duration of your workouts. Before you realize it, those workouts will be a part of the day you look forward to and will help you get in the best shape of your life.
