How to Stay Healthy and Fit at Home

How to Stay Healthy and Fit at Home

Benefits of Exercising at Home

In some cases, simply being out of shape can be an excuse for not getting back in shape. For example, I used to live an active lifestyle in high school and college. Some days I would go to tennis practice before playing a pickup hoops game with a friend and riding my bike several miles home afterward.

But then came the daily grind of a corporate routine. Suddenly time was of the essence and I no longer made fitness a top priority.

As I put on weight and got out of shape, I would find any excuse possible not to go to the gym. Fortunately, home fitness equipment invalidates each excuse from the start.

When you exercise at home, you don’t have to deal with judgmental gym rats or long lines just to use the equipment. Best of all, you can exercise at your own pace, starting slow and getting back into the fitness routine over a period of days or weeks.

Here is a list of exercises you can do at home:

  • Aerobic exercise
  • Plyometric  exercise
  • Yoga
  • Hand weights exercise
  • Standing squats exercise
  • Upper body workouts and
  • Pilates

Aerobics Exercise

Lose any excess or maintain your ideal weight by doing workouts that will greatly benefit your health. Aerobics is one of the best ways to stay healthy and energetic at all times.

You will feel fitter and have more zest to do all the activities you need to do. You will also see how much your social and love life improve.

There are lots of aerobic exercise tools out there you can choose from, such as exercise balls, which can make your workouts more effective. The primary benefit of an exercise ball is not having to workout on a hard flat surface. 

Additionally, the body responds to the instability of the ball to remain balanced, engaging many more muscles. Those muscles become stronger over time to keep balance. Take time to research and find the right one for you, as this will be crucial to the kind of goals you want to achieve. 

Strength & Speed Are Key

Plyometrics Exercise

Bridge the gap between strength and speed. Train using plyometrics exercises, which are designed to produce fast and powerful movements that improve your body functions, which in turn leads to better performance in specific sports.

Movements in plyometrics involve loading and contracting a muscle in rapid sequence. It uses the strength, elasticity and innervations of muscle.

This aims to increase the speed ore force of muscle contractions to enable an athlete to run faster, hit harder, jump higher and throw farther. Plyometrics toughens tissues and trains nerve cells to generate specific patterns to muscle contractions.

The exercises use explosive movements to develop muscular power and the ability to generate a large amount of force swiftly. Plyometrics exercises are typically performed with no additional weight or light hand exercise weights.

Learning Yoga Without A Trainer

Yoga

Let’s face it, a lot of us would like to learn yoga and incorporate yoga exercises and stretches into our daily routines. However, learning all those exercises and stretches can be a real hassle for people who don’t have time to visit the gym.

How to Learn Yoga Without a Trainer

The best way to learn yoga without a trainer is often through a yoga DVD. With a yoga DVD, people can learn all the essentials of yoga in the comfort of their own home, and in addition, don’t need complicated equipment to do the exercise and stretches (often just a couple yoga mats will suffice).

With a little practice, most everyone can learn to appreciate the simplicity of yoga and the impact the exercises and stretches have on their lives.

There is a lot of variation between yoga DVDs, thus when starting out, make sure to choose a beginner’s DVD. After all, no one wants to be instructed on a stretch they can’t do yet!

As people learn about flexibility and become more able to do complex exercises, there are more advanced DVDs available for use.

Hand Weights Offer Workout Versatility

Hand Weights Exercise

You may think that you need an expensive gym membership or thousands of dollars in equipment to build muscle and get an effective workout, but this is a misconception.

Hand weights offer workout versatility. With some simple and inexpensive hand weights, you can work every muscle in your body in the comfort of your own home. The key is finding innovative ways to use the weights.

Instead of using a squat rack, you can do standing squats, wall sits and plyometrics while holding the dumbbells. This will work your entire lower body, from your glutes to your calves.

There are also a myriad of exercises for your upper body as well, including flies, curls and shoulder raises.

Upper Body Workouts

Upper Body Workouts

An upper body-strengthening workout involves the shoulder muscles, arm muscles, as well as the back and chest muscles. Each muscle group can be strengthened effectively with proper training.

The use of the correct exercise equipment is important for faster and more successful results.

One convenient and cost-effective way to get an upper body workout is by using push up bars. These bars give you leverage when doing push ups.

Push ups can strengthen the back, abdominal, shoulder, and arm muscles. These muscles work synchronously to perform the movement.

Pilates Versus Yoga

Pilates

When it comes to staying in shape, more and more people are turning to both yoga and Pilates. While yoga puts a heavy emphasis on the stretching and flexibility aspect, Pilates adds the extra element of endurance.

In this way, Pilates can be understood as a balance between yoga and a heavy, cardiovascular workout. 

For people looking to have the spiritual element incorporated in the workout, yoga is the more appropriate option. In this way, Pilates places its focus most squarely on the workout rather than spirituality.

Pilates can be enjoyed either at home with a Pilates DVD, or there are numerous classes that can be taken with a qualified instructor.

Either way, it can be done without the aid of any equipment, but if you want to partake in some of the more advanced poses and routines, you’ll want to look into some basic Pilates equipment, like Pilates mats.

This will include everything from an exercise ball to resistance bands.

Upper Body Workouts

Now you know enough about what to do to stay healthy, fit and keep in shape:). I am confident that you have found this article helpful and beneficial. You can help others to stay healthy and fit by sharing the article. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comment box. Have an amazing day. 

If you would like to know why exercise is good for your health, check out this article. Thank you