Going to the gym is a wonderful option, but if you have young kids at home, exercising out of the house can be next to impossible. Fortunately, there are many great options for exercise that you can do at home that will help you lose weight and require no extra equipment.
Equipment Free Exercise Options at Home
Step 1
Get your heart rate up by running up and down the stairs in your house. You can do this for a quick 15-minute workout session or whenever you have a few spare minutes. Add some extra weight and multitask by carrying baskets of laundry or taking things that need to go upstairs with you while you run.
Step 2
Exercise your leg muscles by doing squats on your stairs. Stand with one leg on the second or third stair and straighten your leg to bring your other leg up to the stair with you. Bend the same leg and lower your other leg down one or two stairs. Do this in sets of 10 reps and switch legs.
Step 3
Exercise your calf muscles by standing with the balls of your feet on the lowest step and slowly lowering your body down and raising it up again. Start with sets of 10 reps a few times a day and work your way up. Hold the stair banister or wall if you need to for extra support.
Step 4
Use large cans of canned food for arm weights. Choose two cans of equal size and hold one can in each hand. Hold your arms out to your side and keep them there while you count to 5. Slowly lower your hands to your side. Add variety by holding your arms in front of your body. Do sets of 10 reps and work up to heavier cans and higher reps. The slower you lower your arms, the more muscle you will build.
Step 5
Simple strength training exercises can be done comfortably on a carpeted floor and will help increase your metabolism by building muscle. Do 10 to 20 situps when you have a few minutes. Do 10 to 20 push ups to strengthen your arms and stomach muscles. Lunges can be done with little floor space and will help strengthen your legs.
Step 6
Encourage your kids to join you in exercising by using them as weights. Slowly lift your baby or toddler into the air and slowly bring him back down. Your child will love the one-on-one attention and you will be building muscle at the same time.
Step 7
Use a sturdy chair to strengthen your arm muscles. Put the chair on a carpeted surface so it won’t slide and stand with your back to the chair. Reach your arms back and place them on the seat of the chair. Stretch your legs out and use your arms to slowly lower your body.
