The reasons people go to a gym for the benefit of their health is very personal and very complex. People can be lovers and loathers. Even if you are a lover you may not necessarily go, despite a paid up subscription. If you are a loather you may religiously rock up and work out, week after week. Regardless of whether you are lover or a loather, without actually going to a gym, there are other ways to gain from what a gym has to offer with a ‘home gym’. 

The home gym doesn’t require you to fill all available space with expensive highfalutin equipment. Consider what it is highfalutin equipment it is trying to achieve and demand of your body. In short it aims to work on flexibility, strength, balance and cardiovascular fitness. 

A home gym can be a substitute for the actual gym OR it can compliment an existing gym routine. Most people will already have the equipment needed in the home. It’s about considering certain items in the home from a different perspective. For a example a broom, a weighted door stop or large bottle of bleach, a chair, a wall. Of course there are many other options but we’ll start with these.

The broom in the home gym

Standing tall, lower the broom towards the back of your head

Then straighten your arms above your head. Repeat

Keep equal weight under your feet

Chin tucked in and shoulders dropped

Breathe

Lift and lower the broom behind your back

Keep equal weight under your feet

Chin tucked in and shoulders dropped

Breathe

Lunge to one side reaching the broom away from you

Repeat, changing sides

Chin tucked in and shoulders dropped

Breathe

The door stop / bottle of bleach in the home gym

Move the weight towards your chest then away from your chest

Keep equal weight under your feet

Chin tucked in and shoulders dropped

Breathe

Squat down and stand up with the weight in your hands

Keep equal weight under your feet

Chin tucked in and shoulders dropped

Breathe

The chair in the home gym

Place hands on the front of the chair

Bend and straighten your elbows to lower and lift your body

Keep equal weight under your feet

Chin tucked in and shoulders dropped

Breathe

Place hands on the front of the chair

Bend your elbows to move your body towards the chair then push away

Keep equal weight under your knees

Chin tucked in and shoulders dropped

Breathe

The wall in the home gym

Lean on the wall

Bend your knees to slide down the wall

Keep equal weight under your feet

Chin tucked in and shoulders dropped

Breathe

Stretches

There are lots of stretches that can be found in my other blogs. Search in the search bar for specific stretches that relate to you. Lots to choose from, lots of fun!

Balance

Intersperse wobbling on one leg in between the above exercises to improve your balance reactions and dexterity. The more you wobble the more your balance will improve. Oh Yes!

My home gym and me

I use a home gym because it fits with the moments I have free to stretch and strengthen and wobble. When I have specifically set time aside to undertake a longer routine, it’s all there ready and waiting; no queuing, no need to wipe away the evidence of someone else’s hard work (ewww…) and no hoping that nobody’s watching you. Just you and your body investing in your health.

So if this appeals to you, or just parts of it, set to and work out what you’ll do, how and when. Keep it simple and realistic. Turn up the tunes if that’s your thing or switch on your TV and watch as you workout or simply be as you simply move!