Skip the Gym, Sweat at Home 3

*This is a continuation of a series of workouts you can do at home. *

As I mentioned previously, 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          

Hallway Warm-up – you need a long hallway for this warm-up.

    1. Face the wall at one end of the hallway and perform 5 wall pushups, keeping body in a straight line.
    2. Side-step to the other end of the hallway and repeat wall pushups. Repeat the whole 4 times.
    3. Lunge stepping – take a long step into the forward lunge position till your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Lunge step with the other leg and repeat to the end of the hallway.
    4. Walk backwards to the end of the hallway twice. Repeat at a slow jog.

For strength and core – 15 minutes 

  • Squats – stand feet apart, toes slightly turned out. Keeping your back straight and eyes ahead, Lower your body into a squat, as though you were sitting down on a chair. Raise arms to the front as you squat and lower them as you return. Aim to have your thighs parallel to the ground in the squat. Start with 10 squats and gradually increase to 50.
  • Knee Push-ups – kneel on hands and knees, then walk your hands forwards until your body is in a straight line from knees to head, hands underneath shoulders. Bend you arms to lower your chest towards the ground and straighten again. Go as low as you can, hold for one second and straighten again. Do 5, rest for 10 seconds and repeat. Do a total of 4 repeats.
  • Biceps curls – use hand weights if you have them or fill milk or juice containers with water as a substitute. Stand with a weight in each hand, arms down by your sides. Slowly bend your elbows to raise the weights forward towards your shoulders. Slowly lower. Do 5 repeats, rest for 10 seconds and repeat. Do 4 repeats.
  • Side lunge – stand with feet slightly apart, arms by side. Step right leg wide to the side into a lunge position, toes turned out and the thigh parallel to the ground. Using your legs, push off from this position to return to the start. Do 5 on the right leg and then 5 on the left. Repeat 2 times.

Cardio – 10 minutes

  • Star jumps – stand with feet together. Jump the feet to the astride position, and raise your arms to the side above shoulder height at the same time (to form a star). Jump back to start position and lower arms. Do 20 star jumps, rest for 10 seconds and repeat. Do 5 full reps.
  • Burpees – start standing. Jump to land in crouch, hands on the ground. Lean on hands and jump your feet backwards so your body is in a push-up position. Jump feet back to crouch. Jump up, raising arms above head, to a standing position again. These 4 steps form one burpee. Do 5, rest for 5 seconds and repeat 4 times.
  • Side jumps – you need a straight a line to jump over. Stand side-on to the line, arms by sides. Jump over the line sideways, on landing lowering your heels and bending your knees. Keep your body erect and at right angles to the line. Repeat back across the line. Repeat 20 times.

Cool down – 5 minutes

  • Jog gently on the spot, keeping your toes in contact with the ground, extending your ankles. Continue for a count of 100.
  • Side-bends – stand with feet hip-width apart, arms to the side at shoulder-height. Keeping knees straight, bend the body to the left, running the left hand down the side of the leg and raising the right arm above your head. Return to starting position. Repeat to the right side. Do a total of 5 each side.
  • Cat curls – kneel hands and knees, hands under your shoulders and knees under hips. Take a deep breath and arch your spine by pulling your abs in, tucking in your tail-bone and dropping your head between your arms. Breathe out as you lift your head, tilt your pelvis and reverse the arch in your back. Repeat 10 times.

Well, I hope you find this workout effective and as user friendly as the last couole. Trust me, taking care of your health will feel great in the long run. Your body and bank account will thank you.

If you are interested in previous workouts I have put together, they are listed below:

Skip the Gym, Sweat at Home 1

Skip the Gym, Sweat at Home 2

 


Comments

Skip the Gym, Sweat at Home 3 — 14 Comments

  1. I don’t know how I missed workout 1 and 2 in this series. Great idea! You’re so creative. I probably need to work on that a bit. Unfortunately, my exercise is at a minimum for the next two months. Not good, I know, but life gets busy sometimes. 🙂

    • @20’s. Yes, life does get busy. I have been there myself. What I find helpful is to keep a bare minimum. If you are going to be really busy for the next two months, aim to get some exercise 2 days a week. Out of 7 that is not so bad. Trust me, you will feel better and have more energy which will help with keeping up with your to do’s. And remember, you don’t have to commit to hours at the gym, just 30 minutes. I am sure you could find an hour a week.

  2. Great series! There are so many ways to work-out outside of purchasing a gym membership. I pulled my son out of his swim squad because we couldn’t afford the $1,000 annual fee for the gym access. Such a scam.

    • @Hunter. I totally agree. You just have to open your eyes to see them.

      Swimming is so expensive. I have never understood how they get away with charging parents so much,. It is one of the most expensive sports. I am glad you have found new ways to get exercise with your kids that don’t’ cost a ton.

    • @RB40. Glad you like workout. It is very portable. As far as the bicep curls go, they are actually harder then you think. If you go slow enough and concentrate on creating your own resistance, you can actually feel yourself working. But, if you skip that one piece and do the rest of the workout, you will still get great benefits.

  3. i tried to do beachbody insanity at home and hurt my back. i agitated my herniated disc. I wish i could exercise more but with my back condition, it really restricts me 🙁

    • @Charles. Sorry to hear you got injured. One thing about working out on your own is making sure to have good form. It is better to go slow with good form than fast with bad form. It is also good to modify when you need too.

      I had a disk herniation a few years ago. I can relate how much it sucks. I hated feeling so immobilized. One thing my physician recommended which seemed to work well is swimming. I would swim laps every morning before work. It kept me in shape without causing strain on my back. It was good for stretching, toning, and cardio. You should try it.

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