No gym membership? No equipment? No worries! Your home could hold everything you need to boost your fitness this January
Have you put off the idea of exercising because you don’t have the time or the cash for a gym membership or equipment?
Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, specialist women’s health and fitness coach, says: ‘With a little bit of imagination, you can do fast, efficient work-outs using items you already have around your home.’
Try performing each of these resistance exercises for 12-15 repetitions or for 30-45 seconds each, and you should soon see improved muscle tone and strength.
● Household item: Chair
● Instead of: Gym bench
● Exercise: Tricep dips
● Muscles worked: Triceps, at the back of your arms
Place the chair against a wall for stability. Sit on the very front edge of the chair and extend your legs, hip-width apart. Now, gripping the seat with fingers pointing forwards, move your buttocks off the chair, so you’re suspended. Then lower yourself by bending your elbows and bringing your bottom and hips towards the floor. Push yourself back up so your arms are straight, and repeat. To make it easier, bring your feet closer to your body.
● Household item: Laundry detergent bottle
● Instead of: Kettlebells
● Exercise: Kettlebell swing
● Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings, hips and core
Start with the detergent bottle on the floor between your feet, shoulder-width apart. Bending slightly at the knees, pick up the bottle, then stand up. Now, hinging from the hips, drive the kettlebell through your legs to create momentum, then thrust your hips forward, using the power of your glutes and core to drive the kettlebell up to shoulder height. Keep your back straight while repeating the swinging movements.
● Household item: Old pair of tights
● Instead of: Resistance band
● Exercise: Monster walks
● Muscles worked: Glutes, hips and stabilising knee muscles
Tie a pair of tights around your legs, above your knees, so they’re taut when your legs are hip-width apart. Bring your hands out in front of you. Bend your knees into a quarter squat position, shoulders back, core engaged. Then simply take a wide step forward with one foot followed by the other, making sure your knees are pointed outwards (not caving inwards). Keep your steps wide and your body low to activate your glutes.
● Household item: Food cans
● Instead of: Dumbbells
● Exercise: Bicep curls
● Muscles worked: Biceps
Begin by standing tall, feet hip-width apart, shoulders back, core engaged. Hold one food can in each hand. Bring your arms down to your sides, palms facing forwards. Keeping your upper arms stable and shoulders back, drive the food cans up to your shoulders, engaging your bicep muscles. Lower the food cans to the starting position and repeat.
● Household items: Football or basketball
● Instead of: Medicine and Swiss balls
● Exercise: Russian twist
● Muscles worked: Abdominals, obliques
Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor (easier) or feet raised off the floor (harder). Lean back to a 45-degree angle. Hold the ball with both hands directly in front of you. Engaging your core, twist the ball to the right of you, tap on the floor, then drive back across to your left side and repeat, as fast as you can.
● Household item: Garden hose
● Instead of: Battle ropes
● Exercise: Rope whips
● Muscles worked: Shoulders, upper and lower back and arm muscles
Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart, holding the ends of the hose in either hand. Begin to move the hose up and down creating a wave movement. Increase the tempo or fill the hose with water to make it harder.
● Household item: Stairs
● Instead of: Gym floor
● Exercise: Incline push-up
● Muscles worked: Core, chest, shoulders
A push-up off the floor requires a lot of strength. If you’re new to exercise, you can gradually build up your strength by doing the move on the stairs — the higher the step, the easier it will be. Start on the fifth or sixth step, placing hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of the step. Try to form a straight line, head to knee. Bracing your abdomen slightly, lower yourself as far as you can. Then push yourself up to straight arms and repeat. Progress to lower steps as you build up your strength.
● Find Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris at maricarmenfitness.com