Bring the Gym to You! Every new health scare that doctors uncover seems to come with the standard, “…keep fit, lose weight and eat healthy foods to minimise the risk…” statement. We know it’s true but finding time to get to the gym is difficult when our lives are so busy. So why not bring the gym to your home? If you have an area that’s big enough for you to lie down in, with your arms stretched out to either side, with a few extra inches for good measure you’ve got enough space to do a workout at home. No matter what your initial fitness level, aims and budget are, you can start to exercise in the comfort of your own home.
Basic Fitness If you’re after basic fitness you can try a home HIIT session. All you need is a timer or smartphone app and a workout program - there are loads of videos on YouTube for every fitness level. HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training works on short bursts of exercise, up to about one minute, with rests of maybe 30 seconds in between. It gets your heart rate up and gives you a great workout in a very short space of time. Exercises range from simple marching on the spot, squats, and leg raises right through to advanced press-ups and handstands, but all doable in the space we mentioned earlier. An exercise mat might help for any lying-down exercises and a resistance band or small set of weights is a useful addition, but that’s about all you’ll need. Three, 20-minute sessions per week and you’ll really start to see some results. Do it in the morning before breakfast for maximum fat-burning efficiency, and to set you up for the day.
Strength Building your strength can also be done at home. Calisthenics is a form of training that uses your body weight instead of free weights. Each exercise has a series of progressions from easy to very hard. Take the simple press up as an example. Start doing them whilst standing and leaning against a wall. As you move your feet further from the wall it gets harder.
Eventually you’ll be able to do a full press up on the ground. Then try positioning your hands closer to your waistline so you are leaning forwards as you press up - it’s getting harder now. Then try leaning so far forwards your feet leave the floor - not for the faint hearted! Other calisthenics exercises need some basic equipment. Dips will need a set of dip bars. Pull ups will need some pull up bars. But all of these are relatively cheap to purchase and take up minimal space when not in use.
What about exercise machines? If you’re starting out, my advice is to avoid machines until you know what you like. You’ll probably only have enough space and cash for one, and they are not portable so once you’ve got something, you’re stuck with it. Build up your basic fitness and strength first and then decide what you want to do. Once your body starts to show some results you might even be tempted to venture down to the gym to take advantage of a wider range of equipment!
Be sensible Always be careful with your body. Seek professional advice before starting any exercise regime. Make sure you’re working safely and within your capabilities. Start easy and work up to the harder progressions. If you have any signs of pain or discomfort, STOP! Rest, recover and assess the situation. Above all have fun getting fit and staying healthy.
