Now that it’s spring, the weather changes on the daily. One day it’s bright, sunny, and beautiful, then another it’s snowy, drizzly, and grey. On days like the former, the thought of walking to the gym is awful. Instead of putting yourself through that, work out at home instead. At-home workout DVD’s like Insanity or P-90x will definitely kick you into gear, but there are other ways of getting in shape without spending a lot of money on programs or equipment. Over the course of the next few weeks, I’m going to show you different ways to work on the different parts of your body, all from the comfort of your own home (or dorm room!)
Cardio
It’s pretty easy to do crunches or push ups in your room and get a little toned, but unless you have a treadmill or elliptical, it’s hard to come up with creative ways to get in a cardio workout. There are many ideas for this on Pinterest under the fitness section, but I’m going to show you some right here. Combine these moves for a great cardio workout, and you can alternate moves or do them for as long as you want. Remember that you want to be breathing heavily, so it’s difficult to talk while doing these moves—that way you know you’re really working.
- Jumping Jack/Touch Down: Do a jumping jack then bend down and touch the ground. Make sure to bend your knees and bring your whole body down so your butt is touching your heels. You don’t want to just bend over forward, or your thighs won’t get as good of a workout!
- High Knees and Butt Kicks: Jog in place, but instead of doing a normal jog, pick your knees up really high. Another easy move is butt kicks, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Bring your feet behind you and kick your butt as you jog. Move fast enough that it is hard work, but go at your own pace.
- Squat Jumps: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and do a squat. Make sure that your knees do not go over toes. If this is happening, flatten out your back, and stick your butt out more. As you come up from the squat, push off the ground, and jump. If you’re really feeling motivated, click your heels together during each jump.
- Burpees: Begin in a standing position with your feet close together, and jump into the air with your arms raised. Drop into a squat position, then kick your feet out so you’re now in a push-up position. Quickly bring your feet back into the squat position, and jump back up. Repeat!
- Jump Rope: I know I said no equipment required, but jump ropes are inexpensive, and give you such a good workout. If you don’t have one, and don’t want to buy one, just go through the motion of jump roping. You may feel silly, but the constant jumping up and down is great cardio!
So now you have some moves, all you have to do is put them together. One at-home cardio workout that I have found to be extremely effective is one such as this:
00:00 Squat Thrust
00:20 Rest
00:30 Mountain Climbers
00:50 Rest
01:00 High Knees
01:20 Rest
01:30 Jumping Jacks
01:50 Rest
02:00 Squat Thrust
02:20 Rest
02:30 Mountain Climbers
02:50 Rest
03:00 High Knees
03:20 Rest
03:30 Jumping Jacks
03:50 Rest
04:00 Done!
As you can see, there are only four exercises included in this workout, but they’re put together in a way that works like an aerobic class. You can use any of the exercises I showed you in this workout, and you can repeat as many times as you feel necessary. Make sure you rest when you need to and drink a lot of water!