Say Goodbye To Gym Membership Fees With These 7 Simple Fitness Hacks

With our busy lives today, it can be tough to work in the time you need to get into the gym, not to mention the cost associated with it. But you don’t need an expensive gym membership in order to properly work out and finding the time is easier when you are already at home. Even though you probably don’t have a bunch of exercise equipment just lying around, you can get a good workout with basic household items.

Here are some exercises you can do while around the house with no extra money spent in order to get a full benefit of a cardio and strength workout. Try doing each for 15 to 20 repetitions, 3 or 4 times.

Stairs

If you are lucky enough to have stairs in your house, you have a ready-made circuit at your feet.

Calf Workout: Stand with your heels hanging off the step so that you are just on the balls of your feet at the edge of the step. Raise up on your toes and then lower yourself down past the stair without moving your feet from the surface. Use the handrail if needed for balance. Repeat this process through all of your reps.

Weight Workout: If you are heading upstairs with a loaded laundry basket use it as weights (you can even throw in the bottle of detergent and fabric softener to make it heavier. Go up and down the steps as many times as you can through your reps. Don’t have a laundry basket? Use gallon jugs of water in each hand – eliminate water if you need to go lighter on the weight.

Walls

Legs and Core: Find yourself an area on any wall in your house that you can lean your body against (without knocking off the picture of grandmother that has been hanging there forever). Stand where your back is against the wall and place your feet about shoulder width apart from one another. Slowly move down the wall until you are in a squat position with your knees out in front of you. Hold somewhere between 30 to 60 seconds (you’ll get stronger as you do these more) and then raise back into a standing position.

Kitchen/Dining Room Table

Arms and Core: On a sturdy table, lace your hands along the edge where your fingers are on the top and your thumb is braced underneath the tabletop with your arms shoulder width apart. Slowly walk your feet back so that your body is leaning on the table with your arms extended. Tighten up your core muscles and keep your back straight as you lower your body and chest against the table. Push yourself back into the original position. This is an easier version of a push-up but it’s at an incline. You don’t have to limit yourself to a table, you can use the back of a large chair, the couch or even the kitchen counter. Want a little more of a challenge? Use a lower stair step for a deeper push-up.

Broom/Mop

Core: grip the stick portion of a broom or mop about shoulder width apart. Lift the stick above your head and then bring it down back behind the base of your neck with your arms bent. Make sure to engage your core and slowly turn your body to the right as far you can with your feet still firmly planted in place. Now repeat to the other side. Do this as one full move for as many reps as you like.

Checkout this workout here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKf1ymY8tkc

Laundry Basket

Weight Workout: Fill that laundry basket back up with various items (use your bathroom scale for the overall weight) and use it to do dead weight lifts. Placing your hands on the handles of both ends of the basket, place it on the floor in front of you. Bend over to pick it up, keeping your knees bent and your back straight, bring it up to hip level and then rest it back onto the ground. Push with your heels as you lift the basket. Repeat the process to work through the number of reps you need.

Kitchen/Dining Room Chair

Arms and Legs: Sit on the edge of the chair and place the heel of your palms on the chair at your sides. Slowly walk out from the chair where your palms are still on the edge of the chair but your hips have now moved in front of it. Slowly lower your hips so that hey dip down and allow your arms to help you stabilize. Move back to the original position. Now take your right leg and raise it so that it is extended outward at your hip level. Repeat with the left leg.

Floor

Core: Start on the floor, with a blanket, or exercise mat, facing down on your knees with your arms in a straight position with your hands flat on the floor shoulder width apart. Keeping your back straight, lower yourself onto your forearms and hold two to three seconds (longer as you get stronger). Move back in to your straight arm position. One full move is considered one rep.

Exercise can be fun when you challenge yourself to new things, even better when it doesn’t cost you anything but your time. Get creative of what you can lift, go for a walk or run and in no time you will start seeing a difference in how you look and feel. Just make sure you always check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.