There are several reasons why joining a gym just isn’t that simple: One, you need to be able to afford the recurring monthly fees. Two, you need to actually find a gym that is close to you. And finally, you need to travel to and from the gym on a weekly basis. Many factors come into play and to be honest, depending on your day-to-day life it would be much simpler to exercise at home. I suppose you could read a load of in-depth life fitness ellipticals reviews to find out which elliptical trainer is right for you, but that might also be too time-consuming. So, what if I told you that you don’t need to go to the gym or indeed buy any exercise equipment?
Not only don’t you need any workout equipment to do any of the following exercises, but you can also do them at the most convenient time of the day/week for you in your own home. You could (which would be even better ) invite a friend over so you can motivate each other. Just go through the list one by one and take note on which ones you need to improve next time.
Planks
Planking may be a craze that kids once love to do, but it’s also a great exercise to help “feel the burn”; you burn a lot faster than you thought you would too. Just remember it takes time to build up endurance so you can last longer (that’s what she said). Just like push-ups (coming up on the list soon), planks work your abdominal muscles.
Running
I won’t lie to you, the best place to run is outside. Usually, there is either a Reservoir you can run around or Public Footpath to run on – you could even run up and down your street – but if it’s more convenient for you, you can always run on the spot in your living room while you watch TV (Stationary). You won’t benefit as much as but it’s still beneficial for you.
Dancing
Either pop a music channel on the TV, crank up that radio or dust off your iPod as it’s time to get your groove on. Dancing is extremely easy and it beats running any day. And by the time you know it you have danced the way through your favourite album. To get yourself more entertained and going for longer, try and sing along too.
Jumping Jacks
Jumping Jacks are a great cardio exercise that will bring back your school P.E. memories. This simple exercise gets your heart rate up and will help you burn those calories, as you use so many muscle groups as one, you will start to feel the burn and be fatigue pretty quickly – but don’t worry as that is what burns the fat.
Squats
Are you ready to feel the burn again as you tone and tighten your lower body? You will see not only firmer legs but your buttocks will be working out too. If you want to add more resistance you could always use 2 tins of baked beans or 2 bottles of water.
Push-Ups
You know push-ups were going to be on the list. They are the base of any Rocky or Van Damme film and that’s because they work. Not only will you build upper body strength, but you will also help to tone your upper body too.
Remember: As time goes on the number of push-ups you can do will increase and it’s okay if you can’t do many to start with; even if that means doing knee push-ups. Rocky had to start somewhere, remember!
Jumping
Yes, jumping up and down in a stationary position will get you losing weight in no time. As long as you keep going until your heart rate increase you will be burning calories at a faster rate – usually quicker than you had thought.
Steps
I am sure you have seen them before. You place one foot on the step and then the other (so you are fully on the step). You then take one foot off and then the other (so you aren’t on the step). Dot this at speed and you will soon be raising your cardio. You could always run up and down your stairs a few times. Also, try holding things in your hands that add weight to really feel your legs burn.
Lunges
Lunges are another exercise that allows you to multitask as you sometimes can forget you are even doing them. Heck, get the best mate on the phone and lunge away. Lunges help to isolate your legs more than a squat and is a different variation of a lower body exercise.
Sit-ups/Crunches
Sit-ups are a great fundamental movement to help build and strengthen your abdominal and core muscles. Although you need a low enough fat percentage to see abs, you need to work the muscles themselves to build them and make them more defined.
Remember: Never overwork yourself and although the term “no pain, no gain” works, you should never feel any serious pain while attempting any of these 10 ways to exercise without equipment exercises. You will however usually experience muscle soreness the day after if you are a complete beginner.