This has been a cold, cold winter. In my city, it seems like cold records are shattered monthly. The drop in temperature can surely limit motivation to go outside!
Refusing to go outside, whether for a walk or to make it to the gym, can impact your health. After all, exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle and is proven to help with a number of conditions like weight loss, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer recovery-to name a few.
If you can't make it to the gym or go outside for some exercise every day, don't worry; you can stay fit without ever leaving the comfort of your home! All you have to do is stay committed and realize the space around you can contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
Concerned that there is nothing healthy about watching T.V., because you're just sitting there staring, completely inactive. But that can all change by using commercial breaks to squeeze-in brief workouts. By putting together a simple circuit consisting of body-weight strength exercises like squats, lunges, sit-ups and push-ups, you can work your muscles during commercial breaks.
What's great about this type of short-burst interval training is that's it's proven to greatly promote fat-loss and cardiovascular output. Come up with a number of repetitions of each exercise to perform-say five to 10-and repeat until the show comes back. Do it again over the next commercial break. Over the course of a half-hour show, you're likely to get eight to 10 minutes of exercise time, so be sure to keep the intensity up!
When people think of doing cardio they assume they need all kinds of space. They need to be outside where they can walk or run, at the gym to use the treadmill, stair-climber or elliptical, or take up a chunk of the living room with a large, unsightly piece of equipment. But this simply isn't true. Cardio has nothing to do with space or equipment, but rather with getting your heart beating.
In fact, most houses, apartments, condominiums and hotels are constructed with a great cardio system: the stairs. Walking up and down stairs is a great workout, so start with 10 minutes or so and see how it feels. You don't need to go fast because it's surprisingly difficult work.
Jumping jacks or running on the spot is also a great way to do cardio. Boxer Mike Tyson, for example, kept in shape while in prison by running on the spot in his cell. Doing some jumping jacks in the morning or when you get home from work is also an easy way to do cardio in the comfort of your home.
If your intensity is high enough, the strength-training circuit you perform during commercials can get your heart rate up, making it a cardiovascular activity too.
Dumbbells and barbells are found in large supply at the gym, but not so much around North American homes. However, that doesn't really matter. If you think about it, barbell and dumbbells are just weight to offer resistance. If you want to add resistance to your squat at home, just find something to hold. A milk jug, bag of ice, books, etc. can easily substitute for weights at the gym. Look for what you've got lying around to use as resistance for a workout. However, remember to stretch before and after you exercise to avoid injury.
So again, you don't have to feel guilty about not being able to make it to the gym for a workout because you've got one at home! Try these easy techniques and get your weekly exercise in without leaving the warmth and comfort of your home to maintain a healthy life-style!
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