What are the benefits to exercising at home?

There are many benefits to exercising at home instead of at a gym or health club:

• You don’t have to wait for someone to finish on a piece of equipment.
• You can exercise whenever you want.
• You don’t have to go out in bad weather or fight traffic before you can exercise.
• You may save money.

How can I keep costs low?

There are some great ways to exercise at home, while keeping cost low:

Strength Training

• Lift canned goods instead of using dumbbell weights to build strength.
• Buy simple rubber tubing, also called resistance bands. You can use the tubing for strength exercises. Rubber tubing can be found at sports stores or physical therapy clinics.
• Some of the best exercises are bodyweight exercises. You don’t need any equipment other than your body. Here are some examples of bodyweight exercises:
  • Upper body:

    Push-ups

    Chair dips

  • Lower body:

    Squats

    Lunges

    Calf raises

  • Core training:

    Abdominal crunches

    Leg lifts

    Planks

    Side planks

Cardiovascular training

• A jump rope is a low budget option that also helps agility and speed.
• You can walk or jog up and down stairs in your home.
• If you have a video player you can swap videos with friends, or buy a variety of home exercise routines such as:
  • Pilates
  • Yoga
  • Dance
  • Aerobics

What other items around the house could I use for exercising?

• A broomstick can be used as a light barbell for upper and lower body exercises.
• After you have built up strength, you can lift heavier objects such as bricks, cement blocks, or large rocks.

Always make sure you talk to your healthcare provider before starting any new fitness program.