How to exercise with no equipment
If you’ve been told you need to join a gym to get fit you’ve been misinformed. While gyms are great places to exercise, you can easily work out in your own home without the need for fancy equipment. This also saves you a commute, the need to pack a gym bag and gives you the flexibility to workout at a time convenient to you.
What exercise can I do?
The easiest form of exercise you can do from home is to go for a run. If you are new to running you might want to start off with fast walking and build up to alternating periods of jogging and walking. If you are more experienced, you could try interval training where you run quicker than normal for short periods during your run. This will build endurance while also boosting your metabolism.
If you opt to stay inside the house, you can easily create a workout that will give you the same results as the gym.
Is there a quick and easy exercise I can do without equipment?
The easiest exercises to perform at home are those that just require your bodyweight. Try squats and lunges to tone your legs, press-ups to work your upper body and planks to improve your core strength. You can also add in sit-ups and bicycle crunches to target your abs.
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) has risen in popularity over the last few years. This is where you perform an exercise at maximum intensity for a short period, followed by a short rest.
Exercises that work well for HIIT training include high knees, star jumps, press-ups and mountain climbers. Try doing 30 seconds of exercise followed by 30 seconds of rest. Repeat three to five times and you should be feeling it. Your metabolism will also be on fire all day.
Try to improvise
If you want to add a big of resistance to your routine, look around for inspiration. You’ll be surprised what items work well as weights. Some of my favourites are books, tin cans, and water bottles. Chairs are great for tricep dips or incline push ups, while pillows can give support to your back or neck when doing floor-based exercises.
Go on, grab a tin of beans and give a home workout a go.
