Cheap, Effective Workouts That Can Be Done From Home

You can engage in a number of different types of activities in the comfort of your home without the need to purchase any equipment at all. If you have a flight of stairs, run or walk up and down the stairs to elevate your heart rate. Even walking or running in place is an option for getting valuable exercise if your home does not have stairs. Some people like to engage in a circuit of various cardio moves to elevate the heart rate. Alternating lunges, hops, and squats performed in succession can be an effective workout. For strength training without equipment, body-weight workouts are ideal. Any of the many plank variations, pushups, situps, crunches, calf raises, handstand pushups, and tricep dips are just a few exercises that can build muscles without the use of anything other than your own body weight. For strength training with more than just your own weight, you might use cans of soup or even fill old milk jugs with water for cheap and effective weights.

If budget and space allows, you could also purchase equipment to use for home workouts. Some equipment is very affordable, helps you work out effectively, and takes up little room. For example, jumping rope will elevate your heart rate effectively, and a jump rope stores easily on a hook or in a drawer. A high-quality jump rope might cost $20, and you can jump rope virtually anywhere. Resistance bands are stretchy, flexible bands of synthetic material. You can use resistance bands for strength-training exercises, and they fold up neatly for storage. Purchasing a set of resistance bands should cost approximately $30. You have several options when purchasing weights for strength training. Dumbbells are standard equipment, and you can purchase just a few or an entire set of different weights depending on your needs. One pair of dumbbells might cost about $10. Newer strength-training innovations include medicine balls and kettlebells. Medicine balls are weighted balls that come in a variety of sizes and weights and are useful for both cardio and strength-training. Medicine balls vary in price but range between $20 and $45 for one ball. Kettlebells are weighted balls with handles, making it easy to hold them while exercising. Kettlebells generally cost up to $3 per pound.

People with more room might purchase additional equipment for home workouts. An exercise bicycle can be an affordable workout option, easily fitting into a corner of a family room. Exercise bicycles are available in a variety of price ranges depending on their features. You might even explore the possibility of purchasing a used model. A step is a platform that might be about six inches high and 36 or 48 inches long. You can use a step for strength-training exercises and cardiovascular stepping and jumping. A step platform might cost about $100 for a high-quality model. A weight-training machine is a versatile piece of equipment that generally fits into a corner of the room. While higher-end machines can be quite expensive, you might purchase a more affordable used machine or a model with fewer features.

Learn more about home workouts and fitness in general by visiting the following resources:

• Getting Fit at Home
• Tips for Choosing the Right Exercise Equipment
• Safe and Low-Cost Exercise Year-Round
• What’s the Best Way to Start an Exercise Program?
• Overview of Exercise
• 10 Forms of Resistance Training That Strengthen Your Muscles
• Exercising at Home May Solve Women’s Workout Woes
• Staying Active
• Exercise Tips for Busy People (PDF)
• Home Gym Tips So You Don’t Over-Exercise Your Wallet
• Five Workout Tips for Busy People
• Physical Activity at Home, Work, and Play (PDF)
• The Exercise Habit
• Want to Get Fit Without Hitting the Gym? Follow These Tips
• Tips for Maintaining an Exercise Routine in the Winter
• Stay Active, Stay Cool: Summer Workout Tips
• Overcoming Barriers to Physical Activity