Barbara Sanataro, a fitness writer and Pilates instructor, shares how to get fit at home with no gym required.
Now you immediately respond:
“…can you really get a great workout without leaving the house?”
How To Get Fit At Home
I actually quoted the above question from Sanataro herself. You see, the fact that you’re seeing how impossible the case might be is not a ridiculous thing. Note that even I almost swore that home workouts could never be enough to build up my body.
But check these principles out.
- “Consistency is key.” (Take this from Kevin Steele, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist.)
- “Do something, somewhere, sometime.” (Still from Steele.)
Meanwhile, Sanataro notes that along with these two core principles, there are 5 elements that make up a complete home workout.
- Warm-up routine
- Cardio (or aerobic) exercises
- Resistance (or strength-training) exercises
- Flexibility calisthenics
- Cooldown routine
The idea, for me, is very simple. Just make up your own bodyweight home workout with all those 5 elements. Then, do them every time the alarm rings and also, wherever you might be.
How To Get Fit Using Bodyweight Exercises
You say you might need some guidance on working out outside the gym—that you haven’t tried doing any exercise using only your body weight.
I bet you had the experience, though. You just did not recognize the benefits of those simple strolls and jumping jacks.
Well, if you want something more substantial than that and in case you’re a newbie in bodyweight exercises, here’s my personal guide on how to get fit.
- For warm-ups, take note of these: Do’s & Don’ts When Warming Up at Home
- For an aerobic exercise: Best Fat-Burning Cardio Alternative
- In doing resistance training: 10-Minute Crossfit Workout You Can Do Anywhere
- For flexibility: How To Get Fit with These 7 Impressive Flexibility Moves
- For a cool-down routine: Best Decompression Exercises
You can start with those five.
Now to give you more inspiration, let me end with what Richard Weil, MEd, said, as quoted in Sanataro’s article.
“No matter what type of exercise you do, be sure to start slowly, and gradually increase your workout time and intensity.”
Start with any of my suggestions above, or view the cited article at webmd.com.
