If you want to get fitter and are totally against joining a health club because of the distance, the time taken or the cost factor, you don’t need to fret. No one ever said that it is not possible to get fit without going to a gym. After all, people were fit long before these things were invented. You wouldn’t believe it, but you can easily stay fit without having to leave the house.  All you need to understand is that consistency and the fact that you actually do something on a regular basis is the key to staying fit. There are a number of inexpensive things like dumbbells, fit balls, exercise bands and push-up bars that you can use to stay fit at home. But, you should be able to do so even if you don’t have any of these props or machines. Resveralife  discovered that all you need to stay fit is to understand the five basic elements of fitness – warm up, cardiovascular workout, resistance exercises, flexibility moves and cool downs.

All you need for a warm up is a treadmill or an easy walk. For the cardiovascular routine, you can do brisk walking or step aerobics or use a jump rope. The resistance portion is as simple as abdominal crunches, weight bars, squats, small dumbbells, push ups, tubing or bands. You need to increase your body flexibility with things like yoga poses and floor stretches. And the cool down always needs to be similar to the warm up. It is possible to do the strength work and the aerobic work in the same workout, but you need to ensure that you warm up your body and cool it down every time you exercise.

If you’re pressed for time on particular days, all you have to do is to increase the intensity of your fitness routine. For example, instead of the usual 40 minute exercise routine, you can opt for a harder 25 minute routine. You can also step up the pace of your strength workouts by doing compound exercises, exercises that work on multiple muscle groups at the same time.

Getting started with at-home exercises  

If you’re a beginner, try to aim for about 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least 3 times a week. Add 20 – 30 minutes of strength work at least 3 times every week into this equation. This should be more than enough to start off with. Irrespective of your exercise routine or the type of exercise you do, make sure that you start off slowly and increase the intensity and the time gradually. And, always listen to your body. Try to focus on the muscles that need more attention and determine if you feel it there. Working out at home has its obvious advantages, but there are a few obstacles as well. One of the main obstacles of working out at home is those frequent distractions that can derail your routines. Therefore, it always helps to exercise early in the morning because these routines are more likely to stick.

Tips for people who exercise at home

• Try to make things interesting so that you don’t end up getting bored of your routine. Use pictures or videos as a guide for your form and technique.
• Find a partner to exercise with. You are more likely to continue with your workout routines if you have someone to exercise with.
• Have a fixed time for your workouts and put it on your daily schedule.
• Set specific goals that are not too difficult, and not too easy either. They should be things that are within reach, but cannot be achieved immediately.
• Finally, make exercise an integral part of your life. You need to look at exercise as a lifestyle change, a change that needs to become a constant in your everyday life.