Home Exercises

Most people agree that physical exercises at home are better and more important than some of those in the gym. The gym workouts require sufficient time and money in membership fees. If you are at home doing your workouts, you are spared of the problem leaving your premises. You also avoid the cost of expensive equipment as your exercises will use only what are available for your workout at home. If, however, your home exercises inevitably need certain equipment to help you do them well as if in a gym, you can acquire the items like those for bodyweight movements, at inexpensive prices. These include exercise balls, exercise bands, dumbbells, and the indoor chin-up bar.

Before you start your own workout at home, be sure that you have chosen a training program that fits your goal. Is it for losing weight and toning up? Or is it for building muscles to get you stronger?

Planning your own exercise is necessary because it will make you understand the different elements of a good exercise routine such as endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. Endurance can be improved by ding such simple exercises as walking, running, cycling and swimming. You can have strength by also doing simple things included in your fitness plan that covers basic strengthening elements. Maintaining balance is important especially for people 55 years old and over, and must be included in a program of regular exercise. Good levels of flexibility can be maintained by stretching regularly at the end of your workout.

Exercises at home can be done without equipment but can be made more fun with music or while you are watching a TV program. These exercises include walking, jumping jack, pushups, leg lifts, crunches, jogging in place, squats, lightweight lifting, dancing and step exercise.

Walking tones up the legs and can be done outdoors if the weather is fine, otherwise, it should be done indoors, by going up and down the flight of stairs or walking around your house for a number of times. The jumping jack is a great conditioning and cardio exercise performed from a standing position by jumping to a position with spread legs and hands touching overhead, and then returning to the original position. Push-ups build your arm strength and work the muscle in your chest area while a leg lift builds strength and muscles in your legs. For building and strengthening your abdominal muscles or abs, crunches are the best exercise.

While jogging in place can be great for your heart, it can also be fun by listening to music at the same time or watching TV. Squats can be performed by sitting and standing repeatedly from a regular chair, that can be a good exercise for the legs and buttocks. Lightweight lifting also helps build muscles by using any weight available at home, such as laundry detergent bottles, milk jugs and even water jugs. Dancing is not only a wonderful exercise for the heart, but it also lifts up your spirits and boosts your overall feeling of wellness. For your step exercise, you can use the steps in your home, if any, with repetitions if you want to further tone your leg muscles.