Exercising at home to lose weight and tone up is beneficial for those who are self-conscious about working out at a gym or are on a tight schedule. Whether you have a room filled with exercise equipment or must make do with a small area in your living room, exercising at home saves you time from having to prepare to go to a gym and drive to the location when time is tight. If you have a house full of family, home-based workouts permit you to get your training done before the family rises, decreasing the likelihood you miss workouts.
Cardio
Step 1
Complete a cardio workout to an aerobic exercise DVD two days a week. Do one floor-based routine and one step-aerobic workout, if you have a step-aerobic bench. Begin with 15 to 20 minutes of each workout, gradually increasing your duration until you complete the entire routine, losing weight.
Step 2
Combine several DVDs for a 45- to 60-minute workout.
Step 3
Walk, walk and jog, or jog around your neighborhood one or two days per week, weather and daylight permitting. Walk for three minutes then jog for one minute, totaling 45 to 60 minutes. Use your treadmill, stationary bike or other cardio machine if you have one, during inclement weather.
Resistance Training
Step 1
Incorporate a resistance-training routine on two days when you aren't also doing cardio sessions. Do a full-body workout twice per week, ensuring you have two or three days between each session. Perform three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions per exercise.
Step 2
Include pushups for your chest and perform triceps dips on the edge of a chair for your triceps. Do squats and lunges for your thighs. Maintain the up position on a pullup bar if you have one for 15 seconds, working your biceps and back muscles. Incorporate situps or crunches for your abdominal muscles and hyperextensions for your lower back muscles. Jump on your toes to work your calves.
Step 3
Train with exercise bands or dumbbells if you have them, substituting pullup holds and dips; the exercises may be done with the band or a dumbbell. Do one-arm rows for your back, curls for your biceps, triceps extensions for the back of your arms and lateral raises for your shoulders.
Step 4
Record each workout session, ensuring you increase the intensity every week by doing more sets or reps, performing each repetition quickly, using a heavier dumbbell or pulling on a tighter exercise band. Elevate your feet on a 6-inch-high platform for pushups, and do squat jumps or lunge jumps to make the leg exercises more difficult, toning your body without going to the gym.
Tips and Warnings
- Decrease your caloric intake by 250 to 500 calories per day to enhance your weight loss, making your toned muscles more visible.
- Begin a new exercise program slowly, reducing your risk of joint sprains and muscle strains.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise DVD's
- Step-aerobic bench
- Pullup bar
- Exercise band
- Dumbbells
References
- “Personal Trainer Manual”; American Council on Exercise; 1997
- “ACSM Fit Society Page”; Overcoming Barriers is Key to Effective Exercise; John M. Jakicic, Ph.D.; 2001
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