Many of us have found success during the past 3 years with home workouts. Since the start of the pandemic gym memberships have greatly reduced. Many people have found that they can just as good of a workout at home as they can in the gym. Throughout the past few years our physical therapists have helped hundreds of individuals set up safe and effective home exercise programs. A physical therapist can help you decide which exercises are best for you, especially if you have been injured in the past. Exercise ideas at home can be challenging to come up with. In fact, that is the largest barrier to people working out at home. They simply don't know what to do. Through this blog we will review some home fitness ideas to get you more consistent and success with your fitness journey.
Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining good health. It can help to control weight, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and improve mental health. However, finding the time and motivation to stay fit can be a challenge. For many people, the home environment is the most convenient place to work out. There are a number of home fitness ideas that can be tailored to suit any schedule or budget. For example, online workout programs offer a cost-effective way to get in shape, and there are many free exercise videos available online. Additionally, home gym equipment has become more affordable in recent years, making it easier than ever to create a personal fitness space. If you have any problems with your form or technique, consider consulting with a physical therapist. They can provide you with guidance on how to maximize your fitness and avoid injury. Ultimately, by taking advantage of home fitness options, you can make staying healthy more convenient and affordable.
Don't Forget to Warm up!
Warming up before a workout is essential in order to avoid injury and make the most of your time exercising. These warm up exercises can be done at home with no equipment needed, making them perfect for those days when you can't make it to the gym. Just remember to warm up slowly and steadily build intensity as you go.
High Knees: Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Drive your right knee up towards your chest, then quickly place your foot back on the ground and repeat with your left leg. Keep alternating legs as fast as you can for 30 seconds.
Butt Kickers: Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Kick your right leg back behind you, driving your heel towards your butt. As your foot connects with your glutes, quickly bring it back to the starting position and repeat with your left leg. Keep alternating legs as fast as you can for 30 seconds.
Skaters: Start standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Hop to the right, landing on your right leg and bringing your left leg behind you. As you land, bend your knees and reach your left arm down towards the ground.Quickly stand back up and repeat the move to the left side. Keep alternating sides for 30 seconds.
Marching High Kicks: Start standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Keeping your core engaged, kick your right leg up as high as you can in front of you. As your foot connects with your hand, quickly lower it back to the ground and repeat with your left leg. Keep alternating legs for 30 seconds
Squats: Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. Lower your body down into a squat, bringing your thighs parallel to the ground. Keep your core engaged and push back up to the starting position.
Once you are all warmed up, you are ready to hit these 6 workout activities at home.
1. Plank
Plank is one of our favorite core exercises. This is because it is very safe for the majority of people. Start in a push-up position with your feet hip-width apart and your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Brace your core and hold this position. For a side plank, start in a push-up position with your feet hip-width apart and your right hand directly beneath your shoulder. Stack your left foot on top of the other foot. Hold this position.
2. Lunges
Lunges are a great way to build strength in the legs. Leg strength is directed correlated with longevity. The stronger your legs are the better you will be able to perform in your daily activities. To do a standard lunge, start standing with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. Step forward with your right leg, lowering your body until your left knee is bent at least 90 degrees. Keep your core engaged and push back up to the starting position. Repeat with your left leg.
There are many variations to the lunge including:
Forward lunge
Reverse lunge
Lateral lunge
Skater lunge
Curtsy lunge
Walking lunge
Static lunge holds
3. Skipping Rope
Start standing with your feet together and a rope behind you. Swing the rope over your head and jump as it passes under your feet. The goal of skipping rope is yo improve your cardiovascular fitness. A great way to structure skipping rope is to perform interval training. We like to do 30 seconds on and 30 seconds of rest. Repeated in sets. Try 5 times at 30 seconds. Then take a larger rest between (2-3 minutes) then repeat. Do as many times as you can for your fitness level.
4. Yoga
Yoga is a great practice for home because of the fact that you need minimal equipment. There are endless yoga poses that you can do at home, so find a few that work for you and string them together into a sequence. Just be sure to listen to your body and don't push yourself too hard. If you want some help there are many YouTube channels we recommend. With over 11 million followers, Yoga with Adriene (https://www.youtube.com/c/yogawithadriene) has been an extremely popular channel for people wanting to start their yoga practice in the privacy of their own home.
Here is our list of the top yoga channels on YouTube.
Body Positive Yoga: https://www.youtube.com/c/bodypositiveyoga
Yoga with Adriene: https://www.youtube.com/c/yogawithadriene
Yoga with Tim: https://www.youtube.com/c/yogawithtim
5. Pilates
Like yoga, there are countless Pilates exercises that can be done at home. Pilates is a great method of improving flexibility and muscles strength. The key to having success with pilates is making sure that you go at your own pace. We find that when people get injured with pilates it happens due to the fact that they are pushing too hard and too fast. There are many great YouTube videos for pilates or you can simply find a few that work for you and string them together into a workout. Remember to focus on your breath and control your movements
6. Use the Stairs
This is a great way to get your heart rate up and tone your legs at the same time. If you have stairs in your home, start by walking up and down them for a few minutes. Once you get comfortable with that, try running or power walking up the stairs. If you don't have stairs, you can use a set of bleachers or even a hill. You can also use the stairs for calf raises, tricep dips, or push-ups. Get creative and have fun with it!
So there you have it – six great exercises to do at home without any equipment. If you’re looking for more ideas, or need help with technique, be sure to check out our other blog posts on workouts or give us a call today to book a physical therapy visit. We can help you get started on the right foot (or paw) and make sure that your routine is safe and effective.