Many women are surprised to learn just how easy it is to get a really great and beneficial workout without even leaving your home. In fact, all you need is a room the size of your living room. It’s so easy that there really are no excuses for exercising once you discover home workouts. This type of exercise is perfect if you are really busy and don’t have time to hit the gym, or if you can’t leave the house for long periods of time. Here, we walk you through some easy to follow but highly effective home workouts.
The cardio workout
If you are looking to burn extra calories and keep your heart in great condition, a cardio workout will be perfect. Why not start with this:
- Star jumps (three minutes)
- Jump rope skipping (three minutes)
- Stepping up and down from a box/bench (three minutes)
Repeat these three exercises a total of three times, leaving a break of one minute in between each set. If your house has stairs and you would prefer to use these, you can substitute any of the above exercises for three minutes of walking briskly up and down the stairs.
The weights workout
Using weights helps you not only build muscle mass and boost your metabolism, but it can also do wonders for your flexibility and balance. For a simple introduction into the world of weights, try these workout moves:
Lunges: Step forward with one leg so that your feet are a moderate distance apart and your spine and back is straight. Then bend your front knee to a 90 degree angle while gently and slowly lowering your back knee to the ground. Hold the position for a few seconds, and perform in sets of ten.
Squats: Keep your back straight against a wall, and have your feet shoulder width apart. Lower your rear by bending your knees, as though you were sitting down into a chair. Hold the position for a few seconds, and perform in sets of ten.
Push ups: These are ideal if you are looking for an upper body workout. Ensuring that your hands are shoulder width apart, place them on the ground and use your arms to push your body up and down. To begin with, perform push ups while you have your knees on the ground, and as you get better at this and build strength you can try the more advanced style where your knees are off the ground. Once more, repeat the exercise ten times.
For the most effective work out, repeat each of these three groups of exercises a total of three times.
The combination workout
One of the most effective ways of working out is to do weight training once you have already increased your heart rate. By increasing your heart rate first, you will ensure that blood is being pumped to the muscles that you are working, which gives you more effective results. When your heart rate is high, commence your weights routine. This is an example of a combination workout:
- Jump rope skipping for three minutes
- Ten squats
- Ten push ups
- Ten lunges
- Repeat the squats, push ups and lunges a total of three times
To end the workout, do two more minutes of jump rope skipping, or two minutes of star jumps.
Over time, and with practice, you will gradually become more familiar and increase your confidence in performing these workouts, as well as your strength and endurance. At this time you will be able to take on more challenging exercises, though make sure you stop if you are doing anything that is causing you to feel dizzy or faint, or if any part of your body hurts. As long as you develop a workout routine you can stick to, you should see great results within a few weeks.
Next: Home Workout Routines for After pregnancy
My weight loss plan using Meal Replacement Shakes
15 Meal Replacement Shakes Recipes
Available in 2 Formats: PDF and iBooks
One email per week, exclusive content, no ads, and, of course, you can unsubscribe anytime you want.
