Do you have goals for your body, health, and fitness this winter?
Do you know how important exercise is to your mental health and productivity for the day?
But, does a run outside or even getting out in the cold to drive to the gym seem unbearable?
An at home work out can be a perfect solution during the cold winter months. You don’t need a treadmill or cross fit garage set up either. You don’t even need an expensive DVD program or subscription (however, they can be motivating and provide structure to keep you on track and progressing). With some determination and resourcefulness, a great (and often quicker) work out is possible.
Here are 5 solutions that are either free or super low cost if you are struggling to find an at home work out:
1. Body weight workouts
A body weight workout requires no extra equipment and can be done virtually anywhere.
The concept is that you are improving your strength and fitness by moving your own body weight as resistance. Great body weight exercises include push ups, squats, triceps dips, lunges, and planks.
2. Strength Train with Exercise Bands
Exercise bands are an inexpensive way to strength training at home. They are easy to store and to travel with as well. With bands, you need to incorporate movements that push, pull, and squat.
Pushing could be overhead or forward away from your body like a chest press. Pulling could be down from a door frame or up in a lateral shoulder raise.
A squat for lower body muscles includes lowering your body with bent knees toward the ground and pushing yourself back up.
Variations of these basic moves are key to improving your strength and fitness.
3. Core workout with Swiss Ball
A Swiss or thera ball is a great investment for at home workouts. It is ideal for core stabilizing exercises, but also can incorporate upper body and lower body strengthening as well. Exercises using a ball can be anywhere from gentle hip circles to plyometrics, but generally are all low impact on the joints.
4. No equipment cardio
There are many cardiovascular exercises you can do at home without a treadmill or stationary bike.
High intensity interval training is perfect for this. Do an exercise (nearly anything that gets your body moving and heart rate up) for say 45 seconds, then rest 15 seconds. Do a set of about 5 exercises then give yourself a longer 1 minute rest before repeating the sequence again. Exercises could include jumping jacks, high knees, frog jumps, lunges, burpees, jumprope. . . and many others.
5. You Tube Yoga
Yoga, pilates, barre, and stretching routines are great at home workouts, especially if you are worried about looking foolish in a class when you are just starting out. There are many you can try for free on You Tube, search on Pinterest, and we even have them on our Amazon Prime TV. Be sure to modify according to your comfort and ability since the instructor obviously can’t adjust to your needs and give you feedback.
Cold weather and heavy sweaters will not be here for long. Stay active and moving throughout the winter to fight off illness, maintain your wellness, and prevent Spring injuries.
If you need help or accommodations to an exercise routine due to illness or injury, call us and inquire about having one of our physical therapists work with you on a customized home program.
Request a call on our website today. .
