Earlier in the year, I wrote a post called Skip the Gym, Sweat at Home that shared one of the workouts that my hubby and I do at home. The article went viral online. It got over 20 thousand stumbles alone.
This kind of response got me thinking that there are other people out there like me who value their health and want to do what they can to keep it as optimal as possible and not pay a fortune to do so.
Well, today as well as in coming weeks, I will be sharing with you a series of workouts that will cost you nothing and ones that you can do in the comfort of your home. I have said this before and I will say it again; Just like saving money and investing in our financial future, we need to put that same effort into investing in our health. Eating well and being active are the keys to a long healthy life. So without further adieu, get your comfy clothes and you sneakers on and get ready to sweat.
Note: Remember you should always check with your physician before starting a exercise program.
Warm-up – 5-10 minutes
A warm-up needs to move joints and large muscles in preparation for exercise, to help prevent injury and stiffness.
Walk on the spot, pointing your toes to the ground x10
Walk on the spot, raising knees forward to hip height x 10
Walk in the spot, lifting the heel back and up x 10
Repeat the above set 3 times an then do these:
Lateral trunk bends – Stand with feet slightly apart. Side bend to the left, raising the right arm over the head, keeping shoulders square to the front. Hold for count of 3; repeat to other side. Do 3 reps of both sides.
Pelvic circles – Stand with feet slightly apart, hands on waist. Slowly move your hips in a full circle, focusing on a wide range of movement. Do 5 clockwise and 5 counter-clockwise.
Crouch stretches – Crouch down, curling your body into a small ball, hands on the ground. Stand up by uncurling your spine, stretching your arms over your head to feel a full stretch from toes to fingers. Return to starting position. Do 5 repeats.
Crouch jumps – these are the same as a crouch stretch, but you jump into the stretch position and jump back down to the crouch. Do 5 repeats.
For strength and core – 15 minutes
These exercises are to strengthen muscles, including the core.
Wall push-ups – stand facing a wall, feet slightly apart, arms straight, hands flat on the wall with fingertips facing. Lean into the wall, eyes straight ahead, keeping the body straight from heels to head, and bending the elbows out to the side. Do 10; rest for 30 seconds and repeat.
Forward lunges – stand straight, feet a little apart, hands on hips. Take a large step forward with the right leg, into a lunge position with the thigh parallel to the ground. The front knee is over the toes, the back heel comes off the ground and that knee lowers to the ground. Keep the trunk upright and eyes straight ahead. Return to starting position and repeat with left leg. Do 5 with each leg, alternating.
Oblique crunches – Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the ground, hands clasped behind the head. Lift and twist the trunk and touch your left knee with your right elbow. Hold for the count of 3 and relax. Repeat with other side. Do 5 repeats, rest for 30 seconds and repeat.
Triceps dips – depending on your level of fitness and strength, stand with your back to an upright chair or table. Feet are apart and forward of your hips; knees slightly bent. Move your hands backwards and rest the heels of your hand on the chair seat or table. The lower this surface, the more difficult the exercise. Slowly bend your elbows and sink your hips towards the ground till your thighs are parallel to the ground. Return to starting position. Do 5 repeats, rest and repeat.
Cardio – 10 minutes
Cardio exercise strengthens your heart and lungs so you need to maintain an activity that increases both your breathing and heart rate.
Step-ups – stand facing a step. Step up with the right foot, bring the left to meet it, step down with the right foot and then step the left foot down. This is one step-up. Do 25, rest for 30 seconds and repeat. If this number doesn’t leave you breathless, repeat again, until you are.
Knee highs – stand on a level surface and run on the spot, lifting your knees to hip height. Count to 100 steps, rest for 30 seconds and repeat.
Cool down – 5 minutes
Take this time to recover your breathing and heart rate and relax your muscles.
Repeat the 3 ‘walk on the spot’ exercises from the warm-up.
Stand, feet slightly apart, arms out to the side. Keep your hips to the front, swing side to side, allowing your arms to swing freely. Count out 20 turns.
Feet together, knees slightly bent, bend over to touch your toes. Let your body hang there for 5 seconds and then slowly roll each vertebra up to a standing position again. Repeat 3 times.
Well, I hope you find this workout effective and as user friendly as the last one. Trust me, taking care of your health will feel great in the long run. Your body and bank account will thank you.
Home workouts are great to get used to. For me, transitioning into these while on the road means that I stay in reasonable shape despite the inactivity of overseas business travel.
@101 Centavos. i think that is my favourite part too- many of these exercises can be done while traveling. Nothing feels worse then coming home after being away and feeling like you are totally out of shape. It is great to keep up some activity while your away so that you can avoid this. How do you usually work out right now? Home or at a gym?
@Money Reasons. It is a great plan if you can be motivated. Some people need to spend that money to keep themselves motivated to work out. I have found that since I got my hubby as my workout buddy, it has been way easier for me to work out at home and save myself money.
Btw- $90 a month sound expensive. There are places you can work out for $3-400 a year like a local YMCA and such. Try there if you don’t want to work out at home.
@Jackie. Walk on the spot is like marching place. Basically try to lift your knees as high next to your chest as you can- this gets your heart working harder which is good for you. It also helps stretch things out a bit.
I have tried working out at home and it worked for a few days.
But after that I got lazy. So I joined the gym and that working out better for me. I think the whole process of getting ready and going out of the house to work out is working for me.
@Tushar. I hear you. I have a few friends who do much better going to a gym. I used to be that way too. However, now that I have my hubby as my workout buddy, we seem to be able to motivate each other to work out at home. Whether you work out at home or at a gym doesn’t matter; what matters is that you are taking care of your health which it sounds like you are doing so that’s great.
@Aaron. True, you can get distracted with other things at home. What we have found works good is working out before work. We wake up earlier and work out as soon as we get out of bed. No distractions. You can only do so much early in the morning so we aren’t tempted to vear from the plan. We have been doing this for a while now and really like it. We feel much better once we get to work and we are much more consistent with getting exercise. To each their own though.
@Charles. You and half of the planet. I admit there are days when I am tired and I have to push myself but I always feel so much better after. Not only do I keep myself in shape but I find I get such a tension release from working out. I feel more calm and relaxed and I sleep better. If I didn’t work out I wouldn’t get these benefits.
Do you do any type of activity now? What kinds of things do you like to do? Often finding an active activity that you enjoy is all you need to stay in shape. If you enjoy doing a certain activity then you will usually do it often enough to get the benefits.
Mountain climbers and a jump rope can do wonders! The best shape of my life came from circuit training where all I needed was a few dumbbells, a jump rope and something to step/jump on and off. Definitely could be done at home.
@60K. Indeed. I have done workouts similar to what you are referring too and they do work great. If you can get your heart working at a high intensity doing strength and cario, you are getting two birds with one stone. We do a lot planks, squats, jumps, and mountain climbers at home in our workouts. Are you still keeping up that routine?
@Freddie. I used to be a runner. I actually ran my first marathon in Greece. It was an amazing experience. However a year or so later I ended up with a disk herniation and some IT band issues. I have run a few half marathons since but I have found other workouts to cause me less pain. My back is all good now but I still seem to end up with knee pain when I run. I am thinking my running days might be over although I might give it one more shot this spring.
I love home workouts but I might be cheating a bit. I’m fortunate (and very grateful) to have an elliptical and a stationary bike at home. Thankfully I never had to pay for either of them, my mom likes to buy exercise equipment and gives it to me when she gets bored. 🙂 Did I mention I have a super-tiny 2 bedroom apartment? My husband has been trying to convince me to get rid of these for a few years now. No way! Great post Miss T. maybe I’ll try some of these out sometime.
@Jen. Glad you enjoyed the post and that you are going to try the workout sometime. It is good to mix up your exercise routine to keep your body from getting bored and to allow you to still get results. Nice deal on the exercise equipment though- that’s awesome. I say keep them. Not only are they great for you getting exercise right now but you can also move them into a new place if you ever decide to get somewhere bigger. It is way cheaper than buying new again.
I am horrible at workouts like these. I can run 12 miles, but place me in the comforts of my own home and I’m skipping the workout to raid the fridge! Maybe I can incorporate some of these moves at my halfway running point, though!
@Christa. Working at home isn’t for everyone but it can be great for those who are able to motivate themselves at home. Trying these moves mid run would be great. It would be like circuit training on the road. Circuit training is great for getting your heart going and your muscles working. Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it.
Working out at home is a great plan. Hubby and I have done Tae Bo videos/dvds at home for years, as well as wii tennis, and walking in the neighborhood etc.
@Barb. I used to to TaeBo when it was first popular. It definitely got a good sweat going and I remember feeling my butt burn. Tennis hey?! I still haven’t played that too much- it is quite the workout.
We also walk. I love the fresh air; it just helps clear my head after a long day or when I am stressed it calms me. Glad to hear you have an active living routine in place. You will probably live a long fulfilling life because of it.
And I know for my wife and that walks ALOT and she finds the free at-home workouts on youtube. No equipment needed. And let me tell ya, not paying gym fees is a great thing. There’s no need to!
It is true. There is so much out there that is free that you can access. She just needs to make sure she is using good form so she doesn’t hurt herself. Maybe you can be her spotter.
Home workouts are great to get used to. For me, transitioning into these while on the road means that I stay in reasonable shape despite the inactivity of overseas business travel.
@101 Centavos. i think that is my favourite part too- many of these exercises can be done while traveling. Nothing feels worse then coming home after being away and feeling like you are totally out of shape. It is great to keep up some activity while your away so that you can avoid this. How do you usually work out right now? Home or at a gym?
Sounds like a great plan! Beats spending $90 a month for an expensive gym membership!
@Money Reasons. It is a great plan if you can be motivated. Some people need to spend that money to keep themselves motivated to work out. I have found that since I got my hubby as my workout buddy, it has been way easier for me to work out at home and save myself money.
Btw- $90 a month sound expensive. There are places you can work out for $3-400 a year like a local YMCA and such. Try there if you don’t want to work out at home.
No-cost workouts sound good! How do you walk on the spot though? Is that like marching in place?
@Jackie. Walk on the spot is like marching place. Basically try to lift your knees as high next to your chest as you can- this gets your heart working harder which is good for you. It also helps stretch things out a bit.
I have tried working out at home and it worked for a few days.
But after that I got lazy. So I joined the gym and that working out better for me. I think the whole process of getting ready and going out of the house to work out is working for me.
@Tushar. I hear you. I have a few friends who do much better going to a gym. I used to be that way too. However, now that I have my hubby as my workout buddy, we seem to be able to motivate each other to work out at home. Whether you work out at home or at a gym doesn’t matter; what matters is that you are taking care of your health which it sounds like you are doing so that’s great.
I find it very hard to work out at home though, it’s hard to stay motivated and keep going where at the gym, it’s the only thing you can do
@Aaron. True, you can get distracted with other things at home. What we have found works good is working out before work. We wake up earlier and work out as soon as we get out of bed. No distractions. You can only do so much early in the morning so we aren’t tempted to vear from the plan. We have been doing this for a while now and really like it. We feel much better once we get to work and we are much more consistent with getting exercise. To each their own though.
I wish there was a way to work out without really working out.
@Charles. You and half of the planet. I admit there are days when I am tired and I have to push myself but I always feel so much better after. Not only do I keep myself in shape but I find I get such a tension release from working out. I feel more calm and relaxed and I sleep better. If I didn’t work out I wouldn’t get these benefits.
Do you do any type of activity now? What kinds of things do you like to do? Often finding an active activity that you enjoy is all you need to stay in shape. If you enjoy doing a certain activity then you will usually do it often enough to get the benefits.
Mountain climbers and a jump rope can do wonders! The best shape of my life came from circuit training where all I needed was a few dumbbells, a jump rope and something to step/jump on and off. Definitely could be done at home.
@60K. Indeed. I have done workouts similar to what you are referring too and they do work great. If you can get your heart working at a high intensity doing strength and cario, you are getting two birds with one stone. We do a lot planks, squats, jumps, and mountain climbers at home in our workouts. Are you still keeping up that routine?
Got to love getting in shape and spending no money. If people are willing to workout hard at home, they can actually get great results.
I am a runner, so I know you are going to include jobbing in your plans in the future!
@Freddie. I used to be a runner. I actually ran my first marathon in Greece. It was an amazing experience. However a year or so later I ended up with a disk herniation and some IT band issues. I have run a few half marathons since but I have found other workouts to cause me less pain. My back is all good now but I still seem to end up with knee pain when I run. I am thinking my running days might be over although I might give it one more shot this spring.
I have had a home gym for years. Weights, treadmill and stationary bike. My wife and I routinely use it. No excuses because you can fit in in anytime.
@Krantcents. Glad to hear. We have a few sets of dumbells and some bands. We do a circuit training routine with cardio and weights three times a week.
I love home workouts but I might be cheating a bit. I’m fortunate (and very grateful) to have an elliptical and a stationary bike at home. Thankfully I never had to pay for either of them, my mom likes to buy exercise equipment and gives it to me when she gets bored. 🙂 Did I mention I have a super-tiny 2 bedroom apartment? My husband has been trying to convince me to get rid of these for a few years now. No way! Great post Miss T. maybe I’ll try some of these out sometime.
@Jen. Glad you enjoyed the post and that you are going to try the workout sometime. It is good to mix up your exercise routine to keep your body from getting bored and to allow you to still get results. Nice deal on the exercise equipment though- that’s awesome. I say keep them. Not only are they great for you getting exercise right now but you can also move them into a new place if you ever decide to get somewhere bigger. It is way cheaper than buying new again.
I am horrible at workouts like these. I can run 12 miles, but place me in the comforts of my own home and I’m skipping the workout to raid the fridge! Maybe I can incorporate some of these moves at my halfway running point, though!
@Christa. Working at home isn’t for everyone but it can be great for those who are able to motivate themselves at home. Trying these moves mid run would be great. It would be like circuit training on the road. Circuit training is great for getting your heart going and your muscles working. Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it.
Working out at home is a great plan. Hubby and I have done Tae Bo videos/dvds at home for years, as well as wii tennis, and walking in the neighborhood etc.
@Barb. I used to to TaeBo when it was first popular. It definitely got a good sweat going and I remember feeling my butt burn. Tennis hey?! I still haven’t played that too much- it is quite the workout.
We also walk. I love the fresh air; it just helps clear my head after a long day or when I am stressed it calms me. Glad to hear you have an active living routine in place. You will probably live a long fulfilling life because of it.
And I know for my wife and that walks ALOT and she finds the free at-home workouts on youtube. No equipment needed. And let me tell ya, not paying gym fees is a great thing. There’s no need to!
It is true. There is so much out there that is free that you can access. She just needs to make sure she is using good form so she doesn’t hurt herself. Maybe you can be her spotter.