Not everyone can afford a home gym, not even with all the new fitness gadgets.
Look at it this way: Free weights and machines that mimic everyday activities (like chopping or swinging an ax) will provide more variety and challenge your stabilizer muscles like no other workout equipment. Free weights also reduce the risk of injury because you control how heavy they are, and you can add or reduce the weights in small increments.
How to work out without leaving your house?
If you don't have a gym membership, here are 10 ways to work out without ever leaving your house:
1. Work out in front of the TV.
Watching TV is one of the most sedentary activities we can do, but it doesn't mean we can't make it a workout.
You can use the remote as your dumbbell and do bicep curls while also catching up on "American Idol." Or try crunches with your abdominal muscles; always contract them as hard as you can when you're watching TV.
2. Skip rope at your desk.
You don't have to join a boxing gym to learn how to skip rope. Stand about an arm's length away from a wall and position your feet shoulder-width apart, squat down a little, hold the ends of the rope with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, and jump as you spin it behind you and then in front of you.
Aim for 10 half-minute rounds with a minute break in between to avoid dizziness and keep your heart rate up.
3. Add an incline to your treadmill workout.
If you have a treadmill at home, adjust the incline to a 5 percent decline from its maximum elevation and walk or run at 3 mph for 30 minutes. This is similar to walking uphill on dirt trails, which provides more cardiovascular benefits than walking on flat terrain because it's not as easy—and will force you to work harder.
4. Do calisthenics anywhere there's floor space.
You don't need any equipment or even a fully equipped gym to get toned, just go wherever you have some room and do as many exercises as you can.
Push-ups, crunches, and squats will work the muscles in your upper and lower body.
5. Do lunges with weights at home or on the road.
If you have something heavy that you can hold in your hands—even if it's just a gallon of water—you can do lunges anywhere to strengthen your legs, butt, and abs without any equipment.
Just stand about two feet away from a wall so that when you lunge forward your front knee is touching the wall, then return to starting position by pushing off your front heel to stand back up straight so there's no strain on your knee joint.
If this hurts, keep practicing until it becomes easier before gradually adding weight each week until you can hold a gallon of water in each hand.
6. Build muscle with "functional" workouts at home.
Functional workouts mimic the movements we do every day, so they're good for strengthening muscles while also preventing injuries.
Try replacing some dumbbell curls withstanding hammer curls using a briefcase or something similar, and replace back squats with split squats to get more from your glutes and quads without straining your knees.
7. Increase strength with pull-ups, chin-ups, or dips on a kitchen countertop bar.
This is the closest thing to exercising outside because it's free and adds variety to your program by working different muscles than push-ups would for example—in this case, your biceps, abs, and back muscles.
8. Total at-home plank workout
Do a plank for as long as you can, then switch to a side plank for 30 seconds each for up to six rounds of these advanced ab exercises.
Planks are not only great for building strength in your core, they also work out the legs by stabilizing them.
Once you've got those down you can move on to side planks which will strengthen your obliques and the sides of your stomach which give you that "six-pack" look.
9. Improve balance with a handstand or one-legged squats against a wall.
Balance is an overlooked part of training because it's difficult to measure until there's been a problem, but using balance boards and working on standing on one leg are good ways to make sure you can handle any athletic situation safely.
If handstands are too difficult, do them against a wall so you have something to hold onto and slowly work your way up until you don't need it anymore.
10. Treat yourself every day.
Brush your teeth while doing knee squats, eat dinner on the treadmill or try crunching numbers at your desk while balancing on one foot: Do whatever it takes for some extra exercise during your daily activities that don't get in the way of what you're actually trying to accomplish.
One of the best parts about exercising is finding new ways to trick yourself into doing it every day, so get creative!
Working Out Indoors FAQs.
You've probably got a lot of questions about working out indoors. Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions.
How can I make working out at home more fun?
One way to make working out at home more fun is to turn up the music and make it a dance party! You can also try working out with a friend via video chat or streaming a workout class.
What are some effective exercises I can do at home?
There are tons of effective exercises you can do at home with or without equipment. Some bodyweight exercises include push-ups, squats, lunges, and sit-ups.
If you have dumbbells, kettlebells, or a resistance band, you can use those to add more variety and challenge to your workout.
What are some tips for staying motivated to work out at home?
It can be tough to stay motivated to work out at home, but there are a few things you can do to make it easier.
First, set yourself some goals and write them down. Having something to work towards will help you stay on track. You can also try working out with a friend or family member, or finding an online community of people with similar fitness goals. Finally, make sure to mix up your workouts so you don't get bored!
I don't have any equipment at home. Can I still work out?
Yes! There are plenty of exercises you can do without any equipment. Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and sit-ups are all great options.
If you have a resistance band, that can add some variety to your workout, too.
Conclusion
As you can see, the article covers many exercises that are easy to do at home, around the neighborhood, or basically anywhere. There are other forms of working out that require the use of various types of equipment, and those are also included in this article.
I really hope this helps <3
