Getting fit does not require a gym membership, only a few household items and a little space in your own home. There are many ways to incorporate fitness into your everyday household chores, and to use common household items in place of fancy gym equipment. Working out at home is free, convenient and always available.
Sit-Com Cardio
A fun and effective way to get in a few minutes of cardiovascular exercise is by doing sit-com cardio. The DHHS recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise daily for optimal health, and this 30 minutes may be done in 10 or 15 minute increments. This fun fitness game provides you with 30 minutes of heart-pumping activity and requires nothing more than your couch, your TV and a little space on the floor. Begin this workout by slow-marching during the introduction and the first commercial of the TV show you are watching, approximately five minutes. When the show comes back on, start your first cardio interval, which will last until the next commercial break. Good examples of cardio movements would be; step-touch, twist, free-dance, jog in place, jumping jacks or phantom jump rope. When a commercial comes on, take an active rest by doing something less strenuous, such as sit-ups, push-ups, lunges or couch squats. Continue this pattern until the end of the show, giving you a fun 30-minute workout.
Video Game Fitness
All video game consoles now have fitness oriented games. The Nintendo WII has the most active options, such as Dance-Dance Revolution, WII Fit, WII Sports, Kickboxing, Snowboarding and many other fun games. Other gaming consoles have dance, yoga, personal fitness, kickboxing and even personal-trainer games. The November 18, 2009 "Science Daily" published a study concluding that activity- and sports-related video games may be equivalent to moderately intense exercise. Using a video game console to perform an activity you find interesting and challenging is a motivating and convenient way to get in your daily exercise.
Interval Training
Interval training works the entire body and is an effective strength and cardio exercise. To do interval training at home, ACE Fitness recommends using free weights, bands or just grabbing a few cans of food out of your kitchen cupboard. An easy way to break down your interval strength sections is to work from the top down, giving each major muscle group one exercise consisting of two to three sets and eight to 12 repetitions. In between strength sections, do one to two minutes of intense cardio, such as running in place, jumping rope or jumping jacks. Some good example of strength exercises for interval training are biceps curls, triceps kickbacks, shoulder raises, squats and lunges, all done with a food can in each hand for added weight. Complete the workout by adding a few abdominal crunch exercises.
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