Home is where the heart is, and for some people, it’s also where the cardio is. Millions of Americans work out in their homes, so if you’ve been thinking about quitting your gym membership, or if you’re just looking for some easy exercises that you can do inside on a rainy day, you’re in luck. Working out at home can be just as effective as going to the gym.
Save time and money, exercise at home
You probably don’t have a treadmill or a bunch of weights lying around your living room, but that’s kind of the point of at-home exercise: it’s simple and convenient. With this in mind, here are some at-home exercises you can do that will help your body while saving you the commute to the gym.
Warm-up
A good warm-up heats up your body and loosens your muscles. Try jogging in place for five minutes, and then do some dynamic stretching for the last five. Dynamic stretches can be walking lunges, high knees, or hip circles. The key with dynamic stretching is to keep your body moving, not to stay in place.
Cardio
Contrary to what you might believe, you don’t need a treadmill or an open road to give your heart some exercise. Cardiovascular exercise can be as basic as doing high knees, jumping jacks, front kicks, and running in place. Try doing a few minutes of cardio, alternated with reps of different strength training exercises.
Strength training
What did people do before they had weight machines at the gym? Well, they definitely did a lot of push-ups, which are incredibly good for your body and help strengthen your triceps, shoulders, and chest. You can do front or side planks to engage different parts of your core. Don’t forget squats or squat jumps, which engage your core, quadriceps, and glutes.
Cool down
Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you can neglect a cool down. Doing a sequence of yoga poses can help you cool down, while stretching parts of your body that might normally get neglected. Downward-facing dog is a great way to limber up your calves, cat-cow pose stretches out your back, and a standing forward bend loosens your hamstrings. Pick and choose some poses that you feel work well with your body, and end your at-home workout with some deep, relaxing stretches.
If all fails, try some workout videos
Although workout VHS tapes are quite possibly a thing of the past, people are still recording instructional exercise programs, and there are lots of ways to stream these programs for at-home workouts. If you search online or on a streaming service that you already have, you’ll most likely be able to find free programs that give you a heart-happy run for none of your money.
