Things You'll Need:
- chair, soup cans or water bottles
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Step 1
Get motivated! Think of the reasons why you want to increase your fitness level. Is it for heart health? Physical appearance? Increase bone density? Decrease back pain?
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Step 2
Set aside a minimum of 5 minutes each time. Aim for a total of 20 minutes per day. You can break it up however you choose, studies show that as long as you total up to 20 minutes, you'll receive the same benefits.
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Step 3
Target the Lower Body:
First exercise: Chair Squats. Get a chair and clear the area around it. Place on a flat, safe surface and sit down. Begin to stand up and then sit back down. You can increase speed and even add weights, soup cans or water bottles for increased resistance.
Lunges: place one leg in front, one in back, making sure to never let your knee go past your toes - this will put your knees in danger of injury! 15 lunges on each leg for 3 sets
Squats: You already warmed up w/chair squats, now add regular squats to finish off the glutes! Feet shoulder distance apart - act as if you are sitting back in a chair - don't let your knees jet out over your toes! Sit back and squeeze up - 15 reps for 3 sets!
Inner Thighs! Plea Squats: From the squat position, place feet wider with toes pointing to the corners of the room. Begin to squat and allow the inner thighs to be stretched and toned! 15reps for 3 sets!
These exercises will target both your lower body as well as increase your heart rate, thus working your cardiovascular conditioning. If you desire greater resistance, add weight and/or increase your reps to 20, then 25 and keep it up for 3 sets! -
Step 4
**Work your upper body by doing push ups or using the soup cans/water bottles to create resistance. There are several targeted exercised you can do for the upper body:
Shoulder Press: Using weights/ cans/bottles - press weight over head and bring back down to shoulder level - do this 15 times for 3 sets!
Side Lateral Raise: Raise and lower your arms to your sides - up to shoulder level only and back down.
Front Raise: Then raise them to the front, up to shoulder level and back down.
Bicep Curl: Finally, do a bicep curl to the front, curling the cans/bottles up and down to the front and leaving your elbows in tight.
Tricep Extension: Lean over the arm of the couch or a chair. Place on hand on the arm and then w/the other hand, holding some kind of weight, begin to "kick back" and flex the back of your arm. Making a hinge out of your arm, at the elbow. Focus on the back (or the tricep) of the arm. Don't go back too far and put pressure on your shoulder. You can also do a
Tricep Dip: by sitting on the edge of a chair or stairs in your home - pull your bottom away from the chair and leave just your hands (fingers facing forward) on the edge of the chair - Begin dipping down and up and pushing through the back of your arm. Again, don't go too far and create tension on the shoulders.
Do each exercise for 12-15 reps, for 3 sets! -
Step 5
Add ABS! lie on your back, knees up and begin with 3 sets of 25 crunches. head should rest in your hands with no pressure on neck. Next, bring your knees up at 90 degree angle - making a flat table top w/legs. Again, 25 crunches for 3 sets. Finally, finish w/one of the most comprehensive ab exercises, the bicycle. Twist from the core - touching elbow to opposite knee - pedal w/the legs. 25 (count 1 for each left and right pedal, then "2" for each left and right pedal, etc.)3 sets.
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Step 6
You will notice that you've already increased your heart rate but to add additional cardiovascular exercise you can do "step ups" on a bench or your stairs or even off the back porch! You can do walking lunges, jumping jacks or jump rope.
There are so many things you can do from home - if you have ANY questions - please write me! I have 4 children, home school and have taught aerobics for over 15 years now. I get pretty creative when I can't get to the gym!
Comments
mvalora said
on 9/5/2009 Good tips!