Many people nowadays have paid a high price for their health because of their fast-paced lifestyles. There is too little time left for that much-needed exercise because of a very busy work schedule and a fully-booked social calendar. While many think that getting quality exercise can only be done in a gym, exercising at home can still be beneficial to your health even without the presence of those massive gym equipments. With as little as 20 minutes a day of concentrated exercise to do at home, you can have your own personal gym in the comfort and security of your own house while still giving you the advantage of a healthy lifestyle.
The most fundamental and major activity for any fitness routine is cardiovascular exercise. It is any type of routine that can increase the heart rate so that calories are burned a lot more effectively causing fats in your body to melt away easily. Swimming and shadow boxing are total body workouts, while those cardio exercises that focus on the lower body are running, power walking, stair-climbing, and jogging. Those with bigger bellies, hips, and thighs can benefit more from those lower body cardio routines.
It’s not a problem if you do not have a treadmill at home. Running around in the garden or climbing up and down the stairs can substitute for an outdoor run. A jump rope is a very basic instrument that can also be utilized to raise the pulse rate. Dancing to your favorite beats in your own living room is a full body workout that is sure to elevate your heart rate and make your exercise a very pleasant one too.
Strength training is also an excellent exercise to do at home which can be done in various ways even without the use of conventional dumbbells or weights. Biceps, triceps, shoulders, and back muscles can be toned just by lifting your laundry baskets! If the weight is too much, all you have to do is remove a few pieces of clothing to lighten the load. One way of doing this is to bend from your waist while keeping your knees straight and your feet shoulder-width apart, then lift the basket from the ground up to your chest. Another way to do this is to lift the basket high above your head while standing straight up, then lowering it down your back. Build your stamina over time by increasing the weight of the load.
The muscles in the abdomen, hips, and thighs can also be toned without using heavy machinery. Air cycling is done by lying on the floor then lifting up your hips supported by your hands, making sure that your head, shoulders, and arms are flat on the ground. Lift your legs up in the air alternately, making a cycling motion. Keep at it for 15 to 20 seconds then rest at intervals. Crunches can also be done to tone up the anterior abdomen. A variation of the regular crunches is the twist crunch, done by twisting your hips and legs to one side but still keeping your torso facing upward. This is great way to accentuate your waistline.
So as you can see, being fit and healthy doesn’t have to be expensive or even time-consuming. It only takes a few minutes of your time each day to do simple concentrated exercises so you can enjoy a longer life.
Check out more of the best home exercises that are simple and easy. Also, here are great tips to lose belly fat fast.