BUILD REAL MUSCLE AT HOME (NO GYM NEEDED)
You want to get fit. But you don't want to join a health club -- it's too expensive, there's no gym convenient to you, or maybe you're just the independent type. Or perhaps you're already a gym member, but your schedule has been too manic for you to get away.
That leaves working out at home. But can you really get a great workout without leaving the house?
Absolutely, says Kevin Steele, PhD, exercise physiologist and vice president of 24 Hour Fitness Centers.
"In today's world, the reality of it is people don't have time to go to a facility every day anyway," he says. "And consistency is key."
Believe it or not, Steele says, at 24 Hour Fitness, they encourage folks to exercise at home as much as at the gym. This way, they are more apt to adopt fitness as a lifestyle. "The key thing is that you do something, somewhere, sometime," he says.
Steele and other fitness experts say it doesn't take much effort or money to design an effective workout program at home. Things like fit balls, dumbbells, exercise bands or tubing, and push-up bars are an inexpensive way to create a routine that works all the major muscle groups.
But even with no props or machines, you can build muscles and burn calories.
"If someone wants to get started, they could take a brisk walk, then do abdominal exercises and push-ups," says Richard Weil, MEd, CDE an exercise physiologist and WebMD Weight Loss clinic consultant.
The 5 Elements of Fitness
According to Steele, an effective fitness program has five components, all of which you can do at home:
- A warmup.
- A cardiovascular (aerobic) workout.
- Resistance (strength-building) exercises.
- Flexibility moves.
- A cooldown
A warm-up could be an easy walk outside or on a treadmill, or a slow pace on a stationary bike. For the cardiovascular portion, walk or pedal faster, do step aerobics with a video, or jump rope -- whatever you enjoy that gets your heart rate up.
The resistance portion can be as simple as squats, push-ups and abdominal crunches. Or you could work with small dumbbells, a weight bar, bands or tubing.