If you’re looking for the most convenient, affordable way to reach your fitness goals, you can’t beat at-home workouts. There is a massive selection of home workouts don’t require expensive treadmills or stationary bikes, so you can keep up with your fitness routine with minimal equipment or no equipment at all.
Think it’s time to break out those old dumbbells and resistance bands? Let’s take a look at five easy and effective at-home workouts you can try in the comfort of your living room regardless of fitness level.
Create your own cardio routine
Simple moves are most effective when they’re combined into a single workout circuit. Alternating between moves like jumping jacks, lunges, squats, and push-ups burns fat and tones muscles.
A great option for beginners, creating your own routine allows you to target muscle groups and build stamina slowly. Start with ten repetitions (or reps) of each exercise and work your way up until you’re able to do several sets. You should feel slightly winded, not exhausted, at the end of your workout. Add more reps as you gain strength and stamina to ensure you keep progressing.
Tone your arms
Want strong, sexy arms? All you need is a pair of dumbbells and a chair. Alternate between bicep curls, lateral raises, and tricep dips to strengthen all of the different muscle groups.
Bicep curls are one of the easiest ways to tone your arms. Simply lift and lower the weights, bending your arms at the elbows. If you don’t have dumbbells or resistance bands, you can use canned goods, milk jugs, or any small handheld objects.
For lateral raises, hold your dumbbells in each hand and raise your arms straight out to shoulder height with palms facing down. Repeat your reps slowly, as working too quickly allows momentum to do a lot of the work for you, so your muscles don’t work as hard as they should.
Grab a stationary chair that won’t slide away before you start a round of tricep dips. Facing away from the chair, brace your hands against the seat and lower yourself until your elbows bend at a 90-degree angle, then slowly raise yourself back up.
Don’t forget leg day
Working your hamstrings, glutes, quads, and calves gives you killer calves and strong quads. Don’t worry if you don’t have any gym equipment at home–these exercises only require a chair and a set of dumbbells (or you can try these routines without added weight).
Adding dumbbells to your normal lunge routine works the lower body and improves core strength and stability. You can also use dumbbells while you squat to add resistance and challenge the hips and thighs. The addition of a few pounds to a basic workout turns leg day into a full-body workout, helping you burn extra fat and calories without increasing workout time.
For a more advanced workout, Bulgarian split squats build lean muscle and increase core strength. Facing away from your chair, brace the toe of one foot against the seat while holding a single dumbbell in each hand. Slowly lower your body in a one-legged lunge, then raise yourself back up. You should aim for between six and twelve reps on each leg, gradually increasing your dumbbell’s weight as you improve.
Give HIIT a try
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are a fantastic way to boost your metabolism and improve your cardiovascular health. Working your body at maximum capacity in short, explosive bursts followed by brief periods of rest burns fat without any equipment.
A study conducted by the British Journal of Sports Medicine claims HIIT workouts are more effective at fat-burning than longer, less intense exercise routines. Most HIIT sessions include moves like burpees, mountain climbers, and squat jumps, so you should proceed with caution if you suffer from joint pain. Because HIIT workouts are full of jump training (also called plyometrics), they may be too intense for weak or injured knees, hips, and ankles.
Host a dance party
If you hate working out alone, one of the best ways to stay in shape without leaving your house is to host an online dance party. Just put on your favorite music and dance! Some people have trouble sticking to a routine because they can be too structured or serious, so include dancing into your routine to get your heart rate up while having fun with your friends. You may stream workouts at home if you’re looking for more direction. Zumba and other dance-based fitness classes are available for free on Youtube.
Getting stuck in a workout rut is easy, but it doesn’t have to put a stop to your fitness journey. Working out is only one part of living a healthy lifestyle. If you vary your workouts, include friends, and reward yourself at every milestone, you’ll be much more likely to stick with it.
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