Sports & Fitness

Exercise should not be hard work. It should not cost you loads of money and it should not be a struggle. However, that said, it is hard work, when you’re out of shape and if you don’t have some of the basic gear, like good sneakers, it can be a bit costly to start yourself off. But you don’t need fancy gear or an expensive gym membership to get a good workout. Nor do you need to leave the house. You can get all the exercise you require at home.

Sometimes it’s tricky to leave the house to exercise for a whole range of reasons – you may have children, you may be a carer, you may be embarrassed to exercise in public. It doesn’t mean you can’t get your body moving at home.

Here’s how

Hire gym equipment

If you’ve got the money, then hiring a treadmill, bike or elliptical trainer is an easy way to kick-start an exercise regime. Start with short blocks of time and then slowly increase the duration and resistance level.

Borrow workout DVDs

Take a visit to your local library to loan a selection of workout DVDs. You’ll be amazed what you can find – anything from yoga to high impact aerobics. This way you can try out a range of different exercise styles until you find the ones you enjoy. And you can do also do workouts when it suits you best.

Get online for ideas

There are a lot of fabulous online sites to find exercise programs. You can tailor a fitness program to suit your own needs and space restrictions. And if you come across any exercises you’re unsure of, you can always find great “how-to” examples online too. And while you’re looking, you could find some fabulous healthy eating plans and stress-releasing activities.

Use your own body

Squats, push-ups, lunges and sit-ups are just a few simple exercises that can be done anywhere. You can even do them while you’re watching your favourite television program or while your kids are playing in the backyard. There’s a whole range of easy exercises, targeting different parts of your body, that don’t need a lot of space and are quick to do.

Jump around with the kids

If you have children, you may also have a trampoline in the backyard or a skipping rope or basketball hoop. If you don’t already, then now’s the time to get out there with your kids and jump around. Making time to play with your children is a fun way to get some exercise.

Walk around your backyard

Even if your backyard is small, you can walk around it or jog on the spot or walk up and down your stairs for extra fitness. Once you build up strength, then you could take it outside your yard for a walk around your block or local walking track. Start small and then the fitter you get, the braver you’ll get.

With so many options to exercise at home, the only thing stopping you – is you. If you start slowly, make a pact to yourself to get your body moving for 10 minutes a day, then it won’t feel so overwhelming. Every little bit helps. Once you make exercise part of your daily routine, you’ll feel a lot healthier and happier.

Have you got any exercises that are great to do at home?