Getting Fit with No Money and No Time

All of us desire to get fit at some point in our life, but not all of us want to join a gym or a health club. Many of us cannot afford a gym membership or perhaps there’s no gym close by; or maybe even you have a gym membership, but are too busy to go; or maybe you’re simply independent in regards to your health and exercise.

Including all of these reasons and maybe others, you might feel that working out at home is the best option for you. It does not take much effort or money to design an effective workout program at home. There are various inexpensive pieces of equipment you can use to create an exercise routine that works on all the major muscle groups in our body. For example, you can use fit balls, exercise bands, dumbbells, or push-up bars to create an exercise routine at home. These can be bought low cost on line or at some stores, like Big 5, Big Lots or Target. 

There are five components of fitness/exercise:

Warm up

A warm-up can include a simple walk outside, or on a treadmill, or a slow pace on a stationary bike.

Cardiovascular/aerobic workout

A cardiovascular or aerobic workout outside of a gym ­­can include a power walk, or pedaling faster if using a stationary bike. Step aerobics with a video, or jump rope are also good ideas for bringing the heart rate up.

Resistance/strength-building exercises

Resistance or strength-building exercises can include doing simple squats, push-ups, and abdominal crunches. Also, working with small dumbbells, a weight bar, bands, or tubing can aid in building strength.

Flexibility moves

Flexibility moves can be achieved by doing yoga poses or floor stretches. Check out You Tube for videos that will help you find what is right for you.

Cooldown

Cooldown can be similar to the warmup or anything else that brings down the heart rate to a resting rate.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Chronic dehydration can give us headaches and make us feel really tired. 

Here are some tips for you to utilize when working out at home:

Schedule your workouts — have a planner (print or online) and write down exercise appointments in advance and reschedule if not able to complete on the scheduled day.

Find an exercise buddy — as you will be less likely to find excuses when you’re committed to work out with a friend.

Use a journal — track your progress and write down any additional things that might help make your workout better such as wearing your favorite pair of workout clothes.

Set goals — make sure your goals are realistic and achievable. For example, if you want to start training for a marathon and have never run before, start slowly and build up to it so as not to injure yourself.

Reward yourself — give yourself mini rewards along the way of achieving your goals such as buying yourself a nutritious drink like a smoothie, a new pair of shoes, new workout tights, etc.

Exercise daily — make exercise a part of your daily life as eating and sleeping.

References:

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/no-gym-required-how-to-get-fit-at-home#1

By Manjeet Kaur