You’re just getting home from work after a long day. Having just unlocked your front door you place your bag down and finally slip off your semi-fancy, mostly worn down work shoes. You sit on the couch for a few minutes mindlessly going through social media or maybe click the TV on. That’s when your conscience taps your cerebrum and gently reminds you “hey, remember you told yourself you were going to work out after you got home”? Drat. It was an easy thought earlier today when you were caffeinated and motivated, but now even the walk to your car seems like a trek. If only you had access to equipment in the comfort of your home. I’m going to give you some tips and tricks to bring that thought to fruition.
One of the biggest barriers between people and exercising is the very place that most of us workout: the gym. Whether it’s the cost, the commute or feeling self-conscious, there are plenty of valid reasons that might keep you out of a typical gym. While I always recommend trying to find somewhere that is convenient and in your budget, sometimes it’s not enough. Just like I mentioned in the earlier scenario, it’s possible to have every intention to exercise but lack the proper motivation or ability to make it to the gym. Here are some of the best tools to accomplish a workout in the comfort of your own home.
Your body
We often forget that our own body is responsible for most of the major exercises we do and just because we don’t have a dumbbell or barbell lying around, doesn’t mean the tool goes to waste. Here are some great exercises (variations included) that you can do with two arms, two legs, and all that extra bit in the middle connecting them.
- Pushups (standard, close grip pushups, wide grip pushups, shoulder pushups)
- Lunges (lunges in place, reverse lunges, walking lunges, jumping lunges)
- Squats (air squats, jump squats, one-legged squats, pause squats)
- Glute Bridges (two-legged, one-legged, isometric glute bridge)
- Plank (on forearms, on palms, one-leg, two-leg)
Elevated surfaces. I.e Stairs, steps, chairs, your couch, etc.
The reason bodyweight exercises are so challenging is not only a factor of how much our body weighs but how much of an impact gravity has on it. When it comes to exercise we can take advantage of this using any type of elevated surface. Here are some examples of some great exercises using some sort of elevated surface.
- Pushups with toes elevated
- Step-ups
- Box jumps
- Plank walk-up
- Rearfoot elevated squats
Miscellaneous bulky items. I.e Soup cans, water bottles/jugs, etc.
If you don’t have any dumbbells lying around, try filling up a jug of water! It’ll accomplish the same job as a dumbbell when used for a bicep curl. You can also try filling an old backpack with soup cans or bottles of water and use it as a weighted vest when doing lunges, squats or pushups. Dumbbells are only convenient sources of external load, but with a little extra thought, there are tons of easy, common substitutions.
Hopefully, now you realize that it’s entirely possible to get a great workout in the comfort of your own home, you just have to be creative! Plus, you can blast any music you want for your workout at only a slight risk of bothering your family members.