Great Ideas for Home Work Outs Using Basic Equipment

 Great Ideas for Home Work Outs Using Basic Equipment

 

Warm up for 5 minutes with 5 minutes of light cardio or warm up exercises (your exercise DVD usually has a great warm up activity). Then try out these great activities that work your arms and thighs. Do each activity 15 times and repeat them 3 times each to create a workout circuit

 

1. Biceps Hammer Curls

 

Take a medium to heavy dumbbell in each hand and hold your palms upwards curled around the dumbbell held tightly length ways in the palm of your hand. Keep your shoulders tucked in close to your chest. Slowly bend your arms at the elbow, bringing your arms towards your chest. Stop just before you touch your chest and slowly straighten out your arm again, so that just your forearm is moving and your upper arm stays firm against your chest wall.

Challenge yourself by balancing on one leg and switching legs to engage your core muscles and increase the resistance and level of difficulty of the exercise.

 

2. Lateral Shoulder Raises

 

Stand with feet slightly apart and knees held loose. Take a medium to heavy dumb bell in each hand and hold them by the side of your body. Slowly lift your arms keeping them straight to shoulder height, then lower them slowly again.

 

3. Bicycles for Abdominal Workouts

 

Lie on your back on a mat and curl your knees under your close to your chest. Extend one leg out and lower it keeping it straight. Hold the position then pull the leg in close to your body again and repeat with the other leg.

 

 

 

Working Out and House Work: A Mean Team

Housework actually burns a lot of calories making it great for working out. An hour of floor washing or vacuuming is more effective than running on a treadmill for an hour. This is because when doing housework, you are engaging all of your muscles, particularly the larger muscles in your chest, abdomen, buttocks and thighs. Of course, you are also giving your arms and lower legs a great work out at the same time.

There are other ways you can turn even dusting or washing the dishes into a great fat burning exercise and sculpt your body at the same time. Look at these highly effective, yet fun workouts for busy mums.

 

1. Wash the Windows and Build the Biceps

 

With a sponge in each hand, stand with your legs slightly apart, extend your arms in front of you, and move the sponge over the windows in circular movements. Gradually bring your arms in closer to the side of your body. Change direction to clean the windows up and down. Add a stretch by moving from the top of the window to the bottom and to add some cardio to it, try and do at least 4 minutes of continuous cleaning in each of the mentioned activities. Add some music to increase the fun.

 

 

 

 

2. Hanging Out the Washing Pilates

 

If you love Pilates, you can turn hanging out the washing into a super Pilates session combined with some stretching. Keep the basket low on the ground and remember good posture by bending your knees when you move to pick up the next item to hang on the line, but the twist with this exercise is that instead of just bending your knees squat into a Pilate and pick up the item while in the Pilate and then move into a stretch by keeping the clothes line a little higher than you intend it to be. This creates a great Pilate and then a stretch. Don’t forget to inhale and exhale as you peg out each item.

 

3. Pram Push

 

If you have a baby or a young child, pushing them in a pusher up a steep hill is the one of the best workouts for your body. Remember, it is not a stroll in the park we mean, but a full on fast pace walk up the hill. This is a great cardio workout combined with resistance and strength training and highly successful as a means of losing weight and getting fit after your baby is born.

 

In this third installment of our chapter on workout techniques for business people, we are going to go a bit more professional. We spoke about methods in which you can plan out workouts at your home and office in the previous two chapters, but here we are going to be a bit more specific.

 

We are going to talk about planks, lunges, and extensions, methods that are recommended by professional trainers themselves. Most workout DVDs that you can buy from the stores will have a lot of these techniques explained in detail; I have mentioned those very same techniques here.

The best part about them is that they are highly concentrated techniques. That means, you do not need to spend a lot of time performing these techniques, but they can give you a very high effect at your muscle and overall body improvement.

 

More workout techniques for you.

 

Use work breaks to work out successfully. A few items of easily bought equipment is all you need to turn a lunch break into a very successful workout opportunity, will help you get fit and stay alert long into the afternoon.

The objective in any work out is to raise the heart rate and to use as many muscle groups as possible. These short but proven exercises will help you lose weight and increase productivity.

 

1. Plank and Lunge

 

i.                    The lunge is a simple but effective exercise. Trainers suggest this is the most effective exercise to work the muscles in your hips, buttocks and thighs. They are a multi joint movement that strengthen your lower body muscles, whilst improving strength and balance. Simply stand with your feet about a shoulder width apart. Either place your hands on your hips or hold a set of medium weight dumbbells in each hand. Holding your hands still, lunge forward on one leg, making sure you put your heel down before you put your toes on the floor. This ensures your body weight is placed on the heel of your foot and not the front of it. Lunge as deep as you can, without allowing your back leg to touch the floor. Keep your back foot forward facing. Straighten up and lunge again, repeating 15 times before changing to the other side, repeating the lunge technique 15 times.

 

 

ii.                  The plank is the most effective exercise to stabilize and strengthen your core muscles. This muscle group is found deep inside your abdominal region and is essential muscles to strengthen regularly to lose fat around your waist, but also to help ensure safe and efficient body movements as you are working around the home and workplace. To complete the Plank, lie flat on your stomach on your gym mat. Place your arms and hands on the floor so your elbows are lined below your shoulders. Raise your hips from the floor, form a fist with each hand keeping it on the ground and push up on your toes slightly curling them backwards. The fists and pads of your feet should be the only part of your body on the floor. Keeping your back straight, hold this position for a count of 30. Then slowly relax to the floor before rising again. Repeat once or twice.

 

 

2. Stability Ball Hip Extension

 

A great work out for the legs, thighs and buttocks. With your back on the stability ball, keep your feet flat on the floor and make a bridge with your body. Gently use your legs to roll the ball backwards until your body forms a bridge shape with the floor. Lower your hips almost to the floor then raise them again. Repeat this exercise 15 times. Ensure you contract the muscles in your buttocks as you raise your hips.

These exercises produce little sweat while delivering great results. They are perfect for the workplace.

 

Spicing it up!!!

 

On those days when you want a fast and furious work out but don’t have time to go to the gym, try these at home ideas to really get your heart pumping and the fat metabolizing.

 

1. Skipping for Life

 

There was time when everyone skipped, but in recent times, it has lost its appeal. If you are wanting an excellent, fast paced cardio work out that really works you hard and focuses on all your major muscle groups you can’t go better than a regular skipping work out. You should aim to jump the rope around 120 times a minute to make this a high impact cardio activity. Keep this up for around 20 minutes and you have achieved an excellent cardio workout. Allow time for your heart rate to reduce by slowing you are skipping or alternating with resistance exercises.

 

2. Squats to Perfection

 

Follow a session of cardio with some compound muscle exercises such as squats. These help your heart rate to recover. Perform a safe squat by standing with your feet a shoulder length apart. Tilt your hips backwards and bend your knees as if you are sitting backwards into a chair. Stand up and repeat 15 times, keeping your core muscles pulled in and your chest high as you perform the squat. Do not forget to keep your back straight.

 

3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

 

Sit in a chair with your dumb bells in your hand. Hold them close to your body at shoulder level with your palms facing inwards. Rotate your arms outwards to form a 90-degree angle and lift them at the same time to form a lifting circular motion that finishes with your arms lifted straight, elbow loose and held the dumb bells above your head. Turn your arms so that your palms are facing away from you above your head. Keep your elbows against your body as you pull straight down and then repeat the action 15 times.

It is important to remember that resistance partially relies on gravity for success and these activities should not be done fast but slow and steady to take advantage of gravitational pull as a resistance aid. Increase the weights you are lifting to add extra momentum or try to squat as low as you can. Ensure you focus on technique as well as the activity itself.

 

4. Stairs and Steps

 

Running up and down stairs are the perfect cardio workout for busy people. Use the steps at work, or the railway station or any easily accessible location and allow yourself enough time to run up and down them keeping your back straight and if you like, add some wrist or ankle weights to add to the resistance. If you don’t have access to stairs, buy an exercise step and alternate feet climbing on the step, off again leading with one leg then alternate, and swap sides. This is a highly effective cardio and sculpting activity.

 

Tips to Make Workouts Interesting

 

No matter how long you have been regularly exercising, there usually comes a time in most people’s lives where they begin to get bored with the exercises they are doing. This is normal and there are some very effective ways to add spice to your workouts. Try these simple but effective ideas.

 

1. Change Your Exercise Routines Regularly

 

Do not allow yourself to get bored. This is preventative action and it is essential for your health that boredom does not stop you from continuing with exercise. Research and find free ideas online. There are many free podcasts and downloadable routines that you can put on to a personal device that will enable you to vary you’re at-home routines regularly. This has a double advantage in that it provides challenge to your body and works different muscle groups in different ways regularly.

 

2. Seek the Help of a Personal Trainer at the Gym or Privately

 

If you have never used a Trainer to help you exercise, consider booking a session or a series of sessions with a Trainer to seek help creating new programs. You can follow these programs independent of the Trainer, but this enables you to have expert help in setting yourself a challenge that is safe and will be effective. One size does not fit all when it comes to exercise routines and thought there are plenty of resources available free, for added benefit, the Trainer will provide you with a personalized approach helping you select the best exercise routines for your specific requirements.

 

3. Change Music on Your iPod Regularly and Think About Adding Audio Books

 

If you are finding it difficult to squeeze time in for your work outs, chances are you are also finding it a challenge to take time to read a book or watch your favorite television show. Audio Books and Pod casts are a great way to “read a novel” whilst you work out or catch up on the latest episode of a television show you missed that is available on podcast.

 

 

 

4. Look Outside the Box for Exercise Options

 

Gyms, home workouts and exercise DVDs are all great options for working out. However, there are so many ways to work out that combine socialization and fun with serious workouts. Consider dance lessons with a spouse, or join a kickboxing class. If you enjoy swimming, consider a water aerobics class. Remember back to your favorite child hood sport and look for a local sporting group that is looking for team members. This socializing aspect could be just what you need to increase the interest and fun in your workouts.

 

5. Join a Walking Group or Outdoor Hiking Group

 

Whether or not walking has been part of your regular exercise routine, consider joining a serious walking group or hiking group. Both of these activities will provide fun, challenge and difficulty to your walking walkouts. Why not join with your spouse and enjoy the workouts together.

 

6. Buy the Right Gear

 

This matters for a lot of people as well. When you are planning to start with an exercise program, go shopping. Buy a nice sweatshirt and a pair of gym shorts that you will find comfortable to work out in, and will enjoy to wear as well. Get a very nice pair of shoes, because these will really be necessary. Probably get a watch with a timer or an iPod if you do not have one already. Get a sipper where you can store water or other fluids to keep you hydrated when you are exercising. These things are good for you; they put you in the groove of exercising. Keep changing these things often too. Do that even if you are working out at home. The whole feeling of getting into your ‘workout’ clothes will mean a lot and it will make your workouts all the more exciting.

 

7. Go Out in the Mornings

 

If your workday mostly begins in the midmorning, then probably you are missing out on all the beautiful sights of the early morning. You don’t get to see how the world transform when night changes into day, when the sun is just rising. All this could be exciting for you. From tomorrow, plan a new routine. Set your alarm clock to wake you up early in the morning, before the sun rises, and head out into the park. You will feel a whole new energy surging within you. You will automatically exercise so much more. If you do this for a week, it will become a habit and you won’t want to break it.

 

8. Set a Goal

 

A lot of people work out much better if they have the right motivation. Maybe that is what is lacking with you as well. You may try to set a goal for yourself. It does not need to be a lofty incentive; something small and easily attainable can do. If you have excessive body weight, then maybe you could buy a pair of expensive jeans that is slightly smaller than what you wear right now. Buy the sexiest pair that you can get, and hang it prominently in your wardrobe. Every day, your motivation will be get into those jeans. You will work out harder just because of that—try this out if you do not believe it, and make sure you buy the most expensive pair of jeans you can find and very soon you will find that you are actually able to fit into those jeans!

 

Here is a tip you should know about. Psychologists speak about the extreme flexibility of our body as well as our mind. These are not rigid. We can tune them into different ways, into ways that we want them to behave. Especially, if we do something repeatedly, they are embossed into our mind and then that thing becomes a habit. We need to realize this tendency of our body and use it to build constructive habits in it all the time.

For example, if you go out for a jog early in the morning for a few days at a stretch, then it will soon become a habit that you will not be able to shake out of. This could become a habit for life, and you can see how constructive that habit could be. Maybe you need to plan your life out that way.

For most exercising habits, 3 weeks is ample time. If you do something repeatedly over a period of 3 weeks or give it a month if you want to make sure then you will be able to convert it into a habit, and then you won’t be able to break out of that habit!

Try it out… this is something that really needs to be tried out.

 

We hope we will achieve our objectives!

All the best to you!