There are loads of reasons why you may not be able to make it to the gym or your group exercise class for your work outs. Maybe you haven’t got time, maybe you’re not feeling great, maybe the weather doesn’t look too clever. That’s why we’ve come up with 10 fantastic home workouts you can try. You won’t need any fancy or expensive equipment, either, just what you might find round the house anyway.
Don’t Forget to Warm up!
Regardless of whether you’re working out at home or at the gym, it’s always important to warm up properly. Warming up will help you avoid injury and get you ready to work out, meaning you’ll get more from each exercise you do. Start off with some stretches to loosen yourself up.
You can follow these up with some low-intensity dynamic movements to raise your heart rate and blood pressure a little. These can include some high knee marches, jumping jacks or even just a quick lap around the living room. Anything to get the blood pumping and the muscles warm.
1. The Plank
Is there a simpler exercise to try than the plank? We don’t think so. Not only is it simple to do, however, but it’s also a fantastic core workout you can do at home. It may look simple and doesn’t require any equipment, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to do.
Start in a push up position, on your toes, back and legs forming a straight line all the way to your shoulders. Engage your abs and your glutes and try holding this position – arms straight – for around 30 seconds. As you get stronger, try adding 10 seconds on to the time you hold the plank for each day.
2. Give Dancing a go!
We all like to throw the occasional shape, so why not do so in the noble pursuit of getting fitter and healthier? Dancing is a fantastic home workout as it can incorporate intense cardio exercise, as well as being great fun. Plus, as you’re in the privacy of your own home, you quite literally can dance like no-one is watching! Whatever music you like, whatever form of dancing you prefer, throw yourself around the living room and have fun.
3. Lunges
Another simple home exercise that doesn’t require any special equipment. Just a few square metres of space! You can even do them as you’re going from room to room in your house. To complete a lunge, simply take a step forward and keep bending your front knee until you’ve got your back knee as low as it will go. Try and reach the floor with it if you can. Lunges are a very simple element to add to your home workout.
4. Use the Stairs
Ever get out of breath going up and down the stairs at home? Well, why not incorporate that effect into your home workout? The extra resistance you get from gravity means the stairs in your home are the ideal accessory to any cardio workout.
You can use just one as part of a step aerobics workout at home, or just run up and down them. This will boost your cardiovascular fitness as well as improving leg strength.
5. Skipping Rope
These aren’t just kids’ toys. No, they’re actually a very effective – and affordable – home workout accessory. Once you’ve got the hang of the technique, you’ll find that you’ll soon be out of breath and that you’ll be feeling a bit of burn in your calf muscles. As well as these benefits, it’s also great for improving balance and co-ordination. Why not give it a go?
6. Yoga
Yoga is one of the best workouts you can add to your home exercise regime. All you need is a mat and some comfy clothes and you’re ready to go. By practicing Yoga at home you can build strength and stability throughout your entire body, as well as building on your flexibility and range of movement.
7. Pilates
Similarly with Yoga, Pilates doesn’t require much equipment and is easy to incorporate into your home workout regime. Pilates is great for improving your core strength, and is a fantastic whole-body workout too. Furthermore, it also helps improve flexibility, joint strength and range of movement, too. Also, although it’s not an intense cardio workout, Pilates can help boost stamina, while it’s also proven to have a positive effect on your mental health too.
8. Dumbbells with a Difference
If you want to include some weight training into your home workout routine but don’t own any dumbbells, then don’t despair! With just a little bit of ingenuity, you can make your own at home. Use empty plastic bottles and fill them with water to replace actual dumbbells.
One litre of water weighs exactly 1kg, so you’ll be able to keep track of how much you’re lifting. If you want to lift multiple bottles in one arm, put them in shopping bags and lift that way. Use these replacement weights and you’ll have rippling muscles in no time!
9. Sit Ups
An absolutely superb core workout, the humble sit up is a sure-fire route to rock-hard abs. Easy to incorporate into any home workout routine, you can do your sit ups anywhere, any time. Just lie flat on the floor and bend your knees, keeping the soles of your feet flat on the floor. Then, bend at the hips with your hands behind your head. If you want to add an extra element of difficulty, at the top of each rep, twist to one side, alternating the side with each one.