Looking for simple exercises to do at home? Find 8 suggestions here.
With summertime and hotter temperatures among us, tis the season where we tend to notice our body and physical fitness status more than usual. Incorporating exercise just a few days a week can help protect you from potential cardiac and other health issues, lose weight, and tone up. Plus, it can improve your mood and help you fight off infections. But what if you don’t have time, money or the desire to join a gym? Luckily, there are many simple exercises you can do at home that can help you firm up and feel better. While you may want to incorporate free weights or bands into some of the following suggestions, many of these are exercises to do at home without equipment. Here are our 8 favorite moves:
- Did you know the average American watches almost five hours of television per day? And, there is often food and/or snack involved in this time frame. Being sedentary for this many hours can bring on a host of health issues but there is a way to combat them while watching your favorite show. Consider alternating leg lifts, squats or crunches while watching that can’t miss Netflix movie.
- Do you have a staircase in your home? Put that incline to good use by seeing how many flights you can climb. Try to increase the amount/repetitions as you get stronger. This is one simple exercise to do at home for beginners that will keep your heart in great shape (not to mention your legs!).
- Is your backyard adequate size for a game of tag with the kids? If you don’t have children, consider planting a garden. It may not seem that strenuous but did you know gardening could burn up to 200 – 400 calories per hour.
- Bored during commercials? Make a commitment to jog in place or do simple jumping jacks while you are waiting for your program to return.
- Get those legs moving by walking in place. One of the most popular exercises for beginners and people of every age is walking a mile without ever leaving your home. Check out Leslie Sasone’s Walk Away the Pounds program where you can walk up to several miles with her as your guide while listening to some energetic music that gets you moving.
- Have some free weights sitting around collecting dust? Try some bicep curls to get sleek, toned arms.
- Get your core rock solid by doing planks in the comfort of your own home. This simple exercise to do at home may be difficult at first, but you can look for modifications for beginners (leaning on your knees rather than your feet).
- Combine basic pushups with those biceps curl for envious, toned arms that you can show off this summer. Again, modify by using your knees if you are a beginner.
These are just a few exercises to do at home without equipment. For more variety, consider using at home workout DVDs or looking up specific styles such as aerobic or yoga moves on YouTube.