fitness

How to Get a Hot Home Body

Forget hefty gym fees, yearlong contracts and lines for machines—you can get a great workout at home.

“You don’t have to go to a gym to get an incredible full-body, strength-training, core and cardiovascular workout,” says Bonnie Matthews, a personal trainer and blogger for health expert Dr. Oz.

Got your attention? Good. Here’s how Matthews says to do it.

First, warm up by doing small jumping jacks to get your blood flowing. Next, jump rope fast and hard for 2 minutes. Then use a sturdy bench or the second lowest step of a stairway to launch into one set of 12 push-ups.

Now, power out one set of core crunches: Sit on a floor mat, balance on your butt with legs bent at knees and arms stretched in front of you. (Keep feet slightly lifted off the mat.) Extend legs and pull them back to chest while holding your arms in front of you; repeat 12 times. Then, stand up and jump rope for 2 minutes.

Next, do one set of 12 standing lunges using 15-pound dumbbells. Stand tall, with a straight back, and hold dumbbells at your side. Suck in your abs, then step forward with the right leg, keeping left foot in place and bending both knees (don’t lean over your right knee). Return to start position; step off with the other leg and repeat the previous movement.

To complete the workout, do two more rounds on the circuit.

Train consistently for best results, Matthews says. She did and lost 130 pounds by simply working out at home. —Cristina González

26,000

THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF HEALTH CLUBS IN THE UNITED STATES. DON’T KID AROUND

Protect your children from sports injuries and avoid health risks.

Every year, more than 3.5 million children ages 14 and younger suffer a sports injury—and that number’s on the rise. But half of these injuries can be prevented, says John Hurley, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Summit Medical Group in New Jersey.

While the type of injury varies depending on the activity, there are general signs that point to a sports injury. “If your child favors one side of the body, has trouble breathing, feels dizzy or suffers from joint stiffness, something may be wrong,” Hurley says.

So what can you do? “Increase conditioning and training, avoid having your kids play for multiple teams simultaneously, and give children three to four months of rest time,” Hurley suggests. But most important, pay attention.

“Trust your instincts,” Hurley says. “You know your child better than anyone. If you think something is wrong, it probably is.”

For more info, visit safekids.org. —CG