Going to the gym for a daily workout can be expensive and time-consuming. While most people cannot afford a home gym, a few simple pieces of equipment allow you to exercise from home. Incorporate both cardiovascular activities and strength training into your workout for maximal health benefits. Create an uncluttered, dedicated workout space for yourself to stay motivated.
Guidelines
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adult women exercise for 30 minutes on five days per week or for 20 minutes on three days per week. Exercising from home allows you to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. If your schedule is too busy to accomodate a full 30-minute block of time, exercise throughout the day for 10 minutes at a time. Vary your routine throughout the week to work different muscle groups.
Types
Women should engage in both aerobic exercise and strength training. Aerobic exercise benefits your cardiovascular system by increasing your heart rate for an extended period of time. Resistance training increases muscle mass and boosts overall strength. The American Academy of Sports Medicine recommends performing strength training exercises on two nonconsecutive days per week.
Features
Begin your workout by stretching for 5 to 10 minutes to warm up your muscles. Perform aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, dancing, jogging, riding a stationary bike, jumping jacks, pushing a lawn mower or step aerobics. Perform one minute at a high intensity followed by one minute at a lower intensity to efficiently burn fat.
Resistance exercises such as abdominal crunches, push ups, squats, lunges and bench press work multiple muscle groups. These exercises can be done alone or with dumbbells. Begin with 5- or 8-lb. dumbbells and increase the weight as you gain strength. To target specific muscle groups, do bicep curls, triceps extensions, calf raises or lateral raises. Vary your strength training workouts to target different body parts and avoid overexerting your muscles.
Benefits
A major benefit of working out at home is avoiding the time and expense involved with a gym membership. Many women feel more comfortable exercising in private than with strangers at the gym. Home workouts that incorporate both aerobic and strength training exercises have numerous health benefits. Frequent workouts improve cardiovascular health, boost strength, lower cholesterol, reduce diabetes risk, promotes weight loss and improves your mood.
Considerations
Some people believe that a state-of-the-art home gym will help them lose weight and stay fit. While some home gym equipment may be useful, many workouts simply require a good pair of running shoes, dumbbells and a chair or block. Maintaining your motivation is more important than fancy home gym equipment. Create a workout schedule or recruit a friend to exercise with you to stay motivated.
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