(ThyBlackMan.com) Don’t just work from home, when you can workout from home now!!!
Working out and getting in shape is a priority for many. But in these uncertain times of lockdown and quarantine, where the gyms are closed, the situation is proving to be something even worse than the gym buffs had imagined. Finding the workout motivation is an exercise in itself. Furthermore, with the cold outside and hours lost to work from home, people simply don’t have the time to go to the gym.
However, if you need to be productive, you need not just work from home, but also workout from home, at least occasionally. A lot of people wish to workout from home, even if the whole world is beyond control. But they do not have the required resources at home.
So, do you belong to this category of people who don’t wanna miss your fitness regime, but you don’t have those pretty weights, bars, dumbbells, etc at home?
Does it mean you need to enroll yourself in exorbitant gym memberships? Or does it mean you need to spend money to buy all those stuff?
NO. WHY SHOULD YOU?
Now, you can have a rad workout at home without purchasing any fancy gym equipment. Thankfully, plenty of objects at home can help you in getting fit at home, show off your biceps to the world, and shout out to the world that you work out consistently, irrespective of the situation.
In fact, you are surrounded by a lot of household items that you can use to workout. All you need to know is where to look and how to use them for your workout, with the full effectiveness of a professional workout.
If you look around, you might find that you have unexpected fitness equipment at home that can double as fitness instruments.
To help you out, We’re going to push through some common household items that double as exercise equipment to help carry out your at-home fitness routine and keep you in shape even during this quarantine.
Chair
Any sturdy chair (without wheels) you have got, can make an excellent addition to your workout routine. You can use your chair for dips, incline pushups, decline pushups, squats, or practice some leg raises. For performing dips, place your palms behind your hip on the edge of the seat with shoulder-width apart, stretch your legs, bend your elbows to lower your body downward, then extend your arms to raise your body upward. Doing dips are great for the triceps.
Stairs
Why invest in a treadmill when you have got a perfect flight of stairs at home? Walking or running the stairs is a sure-fire way to get your cardio workout, burn fat, and strengthen your legs – without spending a cent. You can also carry any heavy objects while you do to add weight resistance.
Wall
Every home has got at least four of these. Walls are great to do pushups and can build a basis of strength while you prepare for other challenging workouts. Face the wall, keep your arms at shoulder level, place your hands against the wall (broader than your shoulder-width). Bend your arms and push yourself inward, and again straighten them to push yourself outward.
You can also perform wall squats to tone your legs and your core.
Bath Towels
A simple bath towel can help with stretching or rows or sliders. For performing rows, wrap a towel around a pole or door handle, grab onto each end with a hand, place your feet at the base of the door, incline back so your arms are straight, pull yourself forward with your arms to the door, pause when your hands hit your chest, then slowly lower yourself back down.
For leg stretching – on a smooth floor, take the plank position with each of your feet resting on a small towel. Then, try gliding your legs apart and then back together again. For sliders – in the same position, you need to slide your feet forward, so your body raises into a pike, and then back again.
Kids
Do you know that little humans in your house can help you in your workout? Swinging your kid around is both fun as well as a great workout. You can lay on the ground and use your toddler as weights for bench press. You can make your kid sit on your shoulder and get in a good squat position. You can also have your kid on the back while you do pushups.
Paint cans, water gallons, and laundry detergent
You can treat any of these household items like hand weights or dumbbells. One gallon of water approximately weighs eight pounds, and you can substitute two gallons of water for dumbbell exercise. The handles of the water gallons make it easy to hold, curl, or swing.
You can also fill the empty paint can or laundry detergent containers with sand or rocks and use them for squats or kettlebell swings. Or you can also use them as weight as you walk or jog up and down the stairs. All this can give your arms a major workout.
Paper Plates
If you’re looking to increase muscle engagement while doing standard bodyweight exercises, then paper plates are your go-to option. A paper plate is perfect for your lunges. Stand on a hardwood floor, placing your left foot on a paper plate. Slide your left leg back to take a lunge position, bend your left knee until your right knee bends to a 90-degree angle. Then pull the paper plate back to a standing position as you come off the lunge. Performing these lunges is challenging, so be slow and steady.
Do not worry if you can’t afford a gym membership or do not have access to traditional gym equipment. That should not stop you from getting your sweat on. At the end of the day, workouts don’t require any fancy equipment. It requires your willingness to put in some sweat to find those hidden household pieces of equipment around you.
As long as you have a few simple household items on hand, you can construct a full-body routine that matches your professional gym-based workout.
Staff Writer; Charlotte Johnson
Health guru at heart, yet able to touch base on many topics… Feel free to hit me up at; CharlotteJ@ThyBlackMan.com.