To build muscle, it's not necessary to have access to a home gym or health club. Muscles get stronger when you force them to operate under greater resistance than that to which they are accustomed. Working out in your home can accomplish these goals by using inexpensive equipment or your body weight.
Isometrics
Isometric exercises are static. Instead of moving the muscles you work through a range of motion, you bush against an immobile object for focused resistance. One example of isometrics is to stand in a door frame and push against the frame with one hand in each direction, working out your shoulders, lats and triceps. Another is to clasp your hands together and press them against each other to work your biceps and forearms. With creativity, you can turn your entire home into an isometric gym and work out your entire body.
Calisthenics
You probably remember these from gym class. Calisthenics are body weight exercises such as pushups, sit-ups, jumping jacks and burpees. Group aerobics classes generally consist of a series of calisthenic variations set to music. Calisthenics and other body weight exercises build strength by using the weight of your body to provide the muscle-building resistance. One advantage of calisthenic workouts is that you don't need any equipment -- just an empty patch of floor to move around in.
Yoga
Yoga requires moving your body through a series of postures that use your body weight to build strength, flexibility and balance. Beginners can use simple postures that provide a low-impact workout, while experts can assume positions that make you look like a cross between Superman and a pretzel. To begin a course of yoga exercise at home, you'll need to find some instruction. You can find DVDs and short instructional videos inexpensively or for free online.
Dumbbells
With a set of dumbbells, you can turn an empty piece of floor into a flexible weight training area. In "Strong Women Stay Young," Miriam Nelson notes that dumbbells have the extra benefit of engaging peripheral stabilizing muscles, which are often the first to lose strength and tone as we get older. If you're not already clear on how to build strength with dumbbells, you can find simple workout programs on health resource websites, or in hundreds of fitness and muscle building books and magazines.
References
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy;" Walter Willett, et. al; 2004
- "The Art of Expressing the Human Body"; Bruce Lee; 1998
- "You: The Owner's Manual"; Dr. Mehmet Oz; 2006
- "Strong Women Stay Young;" Dr. Miriam Nelson; 2004
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