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Create a Home gym out of Common Household Items
14 October 2021 | Author: Taran M. | Reviewed by Nirmal Sahota, BSc. Kinesiology & Exercise Science (SFU)
2020 was the year that changed much of our world, and this also applies to our regular exercise routines. And its possible that these changes will be in a position to affect your lifestyle permanently.
The positive side of it is that you do not have to feel obligated to go to the gym if you don’t want to. In fact, you don't even have to leave your house to work up a good sweat. You've probably been collecting various free weights at the grocery store without even realizing it, which might help add some punch to your bodyweight exercises—there are plenty of home items to use as fitness equipment if you apply your creativity.
Use a Hand Towel as A Slider
Take two small hand towels from the linen cupboard and put them in your bag. Arrange the towels under your hands or feet on a wood or tiled floor to make standard abs routines like mountain climbers, knee tucks, and pikes more difficult.
Laundry Detergent
As long as they have a handle, laundry detergent, milk or juice jugs and other bottles can be used as hand-held weights. Even an empty one would suffice—just fill it with water and you'll have the right weight for a bent-over row to strengthen your back and biceps.
Bent-over Rows: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent, then lean over until your upper body is nearly parallel to the floor. Raise the detergent bottle in one hand (if you have two, you may work out both sides at once) until your elbow is in line with your hip, then lower it back down. Perform three sets of 15-20 repetitions.
Backpack
Fill a backpack with cans and bottles to add some extra poundage to your bodyweight moves. Wear it anytime you're doing squats, lunges, push ups, or racing up and down the stairs.
Begin by taking a short walk around the neighborhood or a hike on nearby trails. Use a bathroom scale to weigh the bag so you know how much you're working with and gradually increase as your strength improves.
Stairs
Do you want to provide your lower body with a great workout while still getting in some cardio? Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Climbing the stairs for one hour burns over 1,000 calories! That's a lot but it can grow boring after a while. Turn it into an HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout by walking the stairs two at a time or at a quicker rate for 30 seconds, then pausing for 10 seconds between laps.
Use your Walls!
We've been seeing a lot of them recently, but you may not understand how beneficial they are for fitness. To integrate wall sits, a demanding glute and quad exercise, into your at-home workout, clear a space of about three feet.
Standing with your back against the wall, carefully lower yourself into a sitting position with your knees at a ninety-degree angle and your back against the wall. Do three sets of one-minute holds each.
Exercise your body & your brain
The options to stay fit at home are limited only by your creativity. We have given you some ideas to get started. If you need extra motivation there are many classes online that can be attended from home – yoga, rowing, aerobic, to name a few. Traditional handstands, sit-ups and push ups should not be discounted…or grab a rope and skip. Healthy body. Healthy mind.