Home Workouts

Long gone are the days when exercising at home meant buying a video and jumping around in front of the television, desperate to see your abs. The latest home workout routines are fun, great for your health, simple enough you can do them on your own, and usually inexpensive, although there are some exceptions. And although you no longer need to pay for expensive, branded tutorials in the latest “it” thing, it is still advisable to go online and look up anything you’re interested in, where you can find a wide array of instructions and advice for adapting your at home workout routine to suit you perfectly.

The advantages to working out at home are many. If you are not very mobile, they give you the opportunity to stay fit without fretting about the energy it takes to get out and to the gym. If you haven’t got the money for a gym membership, home workouts provide you with free options. If you are self-conscious or just prefer to be left alone as you work out, then working out at home is a perfect solution.

We’ll begin with the workouts that are free, or virtually free. For these workouts all you need is a comfortable mat or rug to stand on, and loose-fitting, but not baggy, clothes to exercise comfortably in. Most of us have something of the sort available, but even if you don’t, a basic mat and tracksuit won’t set you back by much.

You can easily practice simple yoga at home for maximum stress relief and extra strength, balance, and flexibility. Look up some basic yoga routines online. Focus on ones that don’t bend your spine much and keep your weight firmly on the ground at first. Practice in an open space on a mat, or with a very sturdy table next-to you for support.

Small spaces Tai Chi is a good solution for people living in flats and other small spaces. This version of Tai Chi allows you to complete the movements in a smaller range than usual, giving you the opportunity to practice this martial art without having to go to a gym or the park, as is traditionally done. Keep the floor around you open, and don’t push yourself too far.

Dance and aerobics are great, fun ways of exercising to boost your heart and lung capacity. Practice one or two moves by following instructions or videos. Then, when you have the hang of them, just put on some music, or your favorite show, and repeat the moves as much as you like. Time really flies when you’re doing this, so try and pace yourself at first by setting a timer.

Next, for these workouts you will need to make a reasonable investment. You may be able to find ex-gym equipment that is very, very cheap compared to brand new, but it will still set you back a couple of hundred. The advantage to these is quite simple: if they are the sort of exercise you want to do, then spending some money on them is no problem at all. Yes, it’s basically a matter of taste.

With treadmills, elliptical, stepping machines and stationary bicycles you don’t need to go outside to enjoy some healthy cardio. Again, set them up in front of the TV, start exercising at a pace that suits you, and listen to some music or watch a show to pass the time.

If weight training is more your style, rather than working with free weights, consider a multigym. Free weights occupy a lot of space, can be dangerous if there is nobody to spot you (make sure you’re doing the movement properly), and a good set actually costs more than a basic multigym. The multigym is small, simple, and lets you do many activities.

Finally, there are a wide range of exercise tools that are brilliant for small space exercisers. Consider getting resistance bands, light dumbbells, grip and wrist trainers, or even a pedometer, to encourage yourself to do some light exercise whenever you get the chance.