How to be healthy all over – without a gym
You don't have to belong to a gym or own a lot of equipment to improve your health and fitness. In fact, it's easy to develop cardiovascular conditioning and build muscular strength and endurance with simple things you can find at home – without space-consuming equipment or expensive membership fees.
Tips to remember before starting
- Any activity is better than none. Performing just a few exercises can have positive health benefits and burn calories.
- Remember to vary your routines. This will actually help your body work even harder, and it will help keep you from getting bored or injured.
- Repeat each exercise until you feel fatigue in the muscles being worked.
- Strive for at least 30 minutes of activity on most days of the week.
- Always begin your activity gradually to warm up the body, and stretch when you're finished. Yoga videos can often provide good examples of stretches.
- Exercise with a friend to make it more enjoyable and to help you stick with it.
- Perform the exercises slowly and in a controlled manner. If you're new to exercise or strength training, ask a friend who's knowledgeable to make sure your form is correct.
Activities and exercises to work your entire body:
- Choose a favourite aerobic activity you can do outdoors. Examples may include walking, hiking, biking, inline skating, soccer or tennis.
- Do some push-ups. Depending on your fitness level, you can do them standing and facing a wall, lying on your stomach with your knees bent, or on your stomach with your legs straight and toes touching the ground.
- Get some dumbbells or makeshift weights such as water-filled milk jugs, soup cans, water bottles, filled plastic or cloth grocery bags, or a backpack filled with books, clothing or a bag of flour – whatever you have to put in to add weight. A set of hand weights is also an option.
- Organize a game of flag football, kickball, ultimate frisbee, soccer or any group sport you enjoy.
- Try seated rows: Sitting on the floor with your legs straight, wrap an old T-shirt or stretchy exercise band behind the soles of your feet. With one end in each hand, squeeze your shoulder blades together by bringing your elbows behind you while stretching the T-shirt or band. Return to the starting position.
- Do some squats: Stand in front of a chair or bench with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees as though you're sitting on the chair, keeping your weight on your heels. When your legs are parallel with the seat of the chair, slowly rise to your original standing position.
- Mow the lawn with a push mower, vacuum the carpet, shovel snow, carry groceries or a filled laundry basket up a flight of stairs – these are ways to incorporate activity while checking off chores on your to-do list.
- Work your arms with dips: With the palms of your hands on a chair or bench and your feet on the floor, scoot your rear end off the end of the chair. Bend your elbows, lowering your body, then straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
- Do some wall sits: With your back touching the wall, move your feet away from the wall so that the wall is supporting you. Bend your knees so that your legs form a 90-degree angle. Hold for as long as you can.
- Go for a lunge: With your arms by your side, take a giant step forward with your right leg so your thigh becomes parallel with the floor. Pushing backward off the same leg, return to your starting position. Repeat with your left leg.
- Shrug with shoulder raises: With or without weights in your hands, raise your shoulders up toward your ears, hold, then relax.
- Jumping rope is an inexpensive way to get a really good cardiovascular workout.
- Try the shoulder press: With a weight in each hand, bring your hands up to ear level with your arms forming 90-degree angles for the starting position. Straighten your arms above your head. Return your hands to their starting position.
- Do some lateral raises: Holding weights by your side, raise both arms out to the side no higher than shoulder height. Slowly lower.
- Try some calf raises: Stand on a set of stairs with your heels off the edge of a step. Holding onto the railing, lift your heels, then lower.
- Be creative with bicep curls: Holding a filled grocery bag in each hand, arms and elbows tucked in by your sides, bend your elbows, bringing your hands up toward your shoulders with your palms facing you. Slowly return your hands down by your sides.
- Include toe raises in your regime: Sitting in a chair or standing, lift and lower your toes while keeping your heels on the ground, or walk around on the heels of your feet.
- Get down with crunches: Lying on your back with your knees bent, reach for your knees, hold for two counts, then return to the floor.
Warnings:
Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning an exercise program, especially if you have any back, neck, shoulder, knee or other orthopedic concerns.
Be sure to follow proper lifting technique.
Don't hold your breath while lifting weights or performing exercises. Remember to breathe out as you lift the weight or when you exert yourself.
If at any time an exercise doesn't feel right, stop immediately.
