Want to remain fighting trim through the cold weather months? Stay active by starting a new at-home exercise routine that’ll keep you strong, even as holiday treats and warm sugary drinks become the status quo.
Get back to basics with these easy at-home workouts s to improve your strength and flexibility.
Work with What You Have
Ready to get started? Working out from home is all about burning calories when you have limited access to equipment. Instead, you use what you have. Start with these:
- Hit the stairs. One of the best things about exercising in an apartment is having direct access to a great workout booster that’s always at your disposal: The stairs. Run up and down several times, until you’re tired. Record your reps, and build on your previous record each week. Want to increase the burn? Add weights to the exercise, such as soup cans or bags weighed down with groceries.
- Head outside and go running. Even if you don’t have a nature trail or sidewalks nearby, log a few laps around the apartment building. Or tell yourself you’ll run to the corner, and back. Continue to increase the distance as you build endurance.
- Use on-site amenities to your advantage. Head to your communities fitness center for some chin-ups. Or, if you don’t have one on the premises, find the nearest playground or see if it’s feasible to jog to the nearest park. You’ll grab some Vitamin D on the way!
- Switch things up: The television in your fitness center is not just for background noise, use it to take fitness classes from body pump to yoga. Or you can invite a yoga instructor into your home with YouTube. There are plenty of options available to get your burn on. Just get creative, and be consistent.
Gym Class Classics
These simple and familiar exercises are perfect if you can’t make it to the gym. And the best part? You know most of these already. No need to continually check a video tutorial. It’s a great reminder that there’s no magic formula to getting fit. It’s all about using what you have, squeezing it in when you can, and working reps from memory when you only have a few minutes. So pull on the yoga pants and get started here:
- Sit-ups. Although often dreaded, sit-ups are great for toning the abs (as long as you don’t rush your way through them). Try different variations of sit-ups, exploring the bicycle crunch, Russian twist, and to toe touches to dig in deeper.
- Basic plank. Hold a basic plank for increasing intervals for a great burn. Your elbows should be directly beneath your shoulders, while you look straight at the floor.
- Side plank. Once you’ve mastered a basic plank, switch to a side plank to build core stability. The key here is to raise your body in a straight line from the side, with just the outside of your foot and your forearm on the ground.
- Push-up. Form is vitally important in a push-up. Be sure your hands are shoulder-width apart and your core is strong. Not ready for a classic pull-up? Start with a more moderate wall push-up.
- Wall sit. For this one, simply slide your way down a wall until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Be sure your knees are right over your ankles. Keep at it, and build on your time as you grow stronger.
- Lunges. Never underestimate the power of a simple lunge to tone your legs and butt. With a strong core, and gaze fixed straight ahead, step forward into a lunge. Be sure your forward knee is directly over your ankle. Keep your knees bent at a 90-degree angle, and hold.
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