Many people think that creating a home workout gym is either too intimidating or too costly. So, often they instead invest their money in a health club membership not realizing that for the same amount of money (or even less) they can create a very effective gym right in their own home.
For an effective home gym, all that is required is a little bit of planning. Don’t fall into the trap of purchasing random fitness equipment because of fancy advertising for the latest infomercial fad or the great “sale” at your local fitness store. That type of purchasing leads to a house littered with equipment that’s only used as a clothes hanger or dust collector. This often happens because the equipment is either useless, poorly constructed, or quickly loses its value because it doesn’t progress with your fitness level.
To avoid having a basement filled with expensive dust-collecting equipment, keep these points in mind when making a purchase:
What are your fitness goals?
How often do you really think you will use the equipment?
What fitness level do you expect to be at in 3, 6, 9 months?
Will the equipment meet your needs as you get more fit (at the 3, 6, and 9-month marks)?
Does the equipment offer enough variations in use that you can change your workouts frequently to prevent your body from hitting a plateau?
Will you enjoy the exercises or will you quickly grow bored of them?
And, of course, how much can you afford?
Once you have answered all of the above questions then you are ready to make some purchasing decisions. Of course, how much you can afford to spend may dictate what you can actually purchase. Don’t get discouraged. For as little as $100, you can have a very effective total strength training home gym. Even for as little as $35, you can create an effective workout that will tone your entire body. Regardless of what your fitness goals are, there are a plethora of equipment options to consider. For building muscles and/or toning up you can choose from free weights, selectorized machines, resistance bands, benches, and even no equipment. For cardiovascular improvements (e.g. running, walking, etc), there are even more options. They range from treadmills to elliptical trainers, to bikes and beyond.
So, answering the previously mentioned questions is very important. To help make your decision easier, below are several recommendations based on costs and needs, along with the benefits of the exercise equipment.
If you want to create a gym that will provide you with a total body workout (cardio, strength, and flexibility) and you have a budget of at least $1000, consider the following recommendations:
Treadmill – The best option for cardiovascular equipment because it can be used for running, walking, and even some leg strength training. Plus, workouts can continually be varied based on speed, incline, and even direction. And, it easily progresses as fitness levels improve.
Full dumbbell set – with weights ranging from 5 pounds to 50+ pounds. – Great for light toning, intermediate strength training to building muscles. Less expensive than selectorized machines and usually provides more flexibility and variety in workouts.
Fitness Ball – Provides exercise options for toning, strengthening, and stretching. Resistance Band – Provides another option for strength training. Can alternate use with free weights for a great challenge that will help prevent plateaus.
Step Bench – Can be used for both cardio workouts and strength training workouts.
If you want a home gym specifically for building muscles (or just can’t afford cardio equipment) and can afford at least $100, consider the following recommendations:
Dumbbell set.
Fitness Ball
Resistance Band
Jump Rope – Offers very challenging cardiovascular fitness workouts at a very low price.
If you want a total body home gym but can only afford less than $100, consider the following recommendations:
Three dumbbell sizes (e.g. 5, 10, and 15 pounds)
Resistance Band
Jump Rope
If you are limited to purchasing just one very affordable piece of equipment, consider buying a Fitness Ball. As mentioned above, it provides many different exercise options. With the ball, you can get an upper body workout, a lower body workout, a very challenging abdominal workout, and a stretching/flexibility workout. And, you can get all of this for around $35.
Also, don’t underestimate what you can do with things that are already in your house, like stairs, a chair, milk jugs, and others. There are a lot of exercises that require no equipment at all. For example, push-ups, tricep dips, squats, calf raises, etc. You can even create your own “weights” through milk jugs filled with water or sand. As you can see, there are a lot of options available for creating a home gym that will meet your individual needs and will provide a lot of workout variety.
Even on a shoestring budget, you can still make a wise purchase that will be invaluable in helping you get more fit and healthy. And, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of working out at home.
What are the benefits of working out at home? Well, here are some highlights: No wasted time driving to and from a fitness club No waiting in line to use the equipment Workout on your schedule, rather than just when the health club is open No expensive monthly membership fees or long-term contracts Motivation to workout as you pass by the equipment every day Of course, you will need previous knowledge of how to use your home equipment or you will have to be willing to learn. But, it’s not difficult. Most equipment will come with basic instructions and a few sample exercises. You may want to enlist the help of a professional to provide additional exercise options and guidance that will ensure that you get the most out of your fitness equipment through every fitness level stage.
Written by Lynn Bode, owner of Workouts For You. It provides affordable online exercise programs to help you lose weight, tone up, build muscles, increase stamina, and more.
A vacation can do wonders for reducing stress levels, but it can derail a healthy fitness regimen. Even some of the most die-hard exercisers find it difficult to stick with a workout program when away from home. Sure, many have good intentions. They may even pack their workout attire. Unfortunately, their gear never makes it out of the suitcase until they’re back home…
But travel from home doesn’t have to result in an interruption or complete abandonment of your healthy habits. You can still fit in exercise time when away from home, regardless of whether you find yourself in a warm or cold climate. Even if bad weather forces you into seclusion in your hotel room, there are exercises you can complete without a single piece of equipment.
Below are some tips to help you stay fit while traveling and avoid coming home with unwanted extra baggage.
Be realistic. You probably won’t be able to fit in your normal weekly workouts and that’s okay. Shoot for completing at least 50% of your normal regimen.
Plan ahead. Before leaving town, find out what type of workout facilities your accommodations will have or if there is a nearby park or jogging track (weather permitting, of course).
Scope out local gyms. If you are staying somewhere that doesn’t provide a workout area then inquire at the nearby local fitness centers for their rates. Often they offer day passes for minimal fees.
Pack a resistance band in your suitcase. The band takes up very little space, yet can provide you with an entire upper and lower body workout routine.
Don’t deprive yourself of all local delicacies. You can enjoy some special meals without going overboard. Ask the restaurants to prepare your favorite dishes with a few lower-fat ingredients.
Be creative. Find unique, fun ways to exercise instead of doing the same routine you do when you are at home. Try biking, hiking, a pedal boat excursion, water skiing, beach volleyball, etc. Effective workouts aren’t limited to the standard fares of walking, jogging, and fitness machines.
Try out your travel routine at least once at home. A new workout that you’ve never done before will require more time and preparation. This type of frustration just makes for an easy excuse to skip the workout.
Prepare snacks. If your journey includes a lot of time in the car, be sure to pack some healthy snacks so you aren’t forced to eat at all the fast food and convenience shops along the way.
Play in the pool. If lounging poolside is part of your vacation plans, then hop in the pool every 20 minutes for 5-10 minutes of pool walking (try it in waist-deep or higher water for a really challenging workout). Get comfortable. Don’t forget to pack comfortable workout attire that fits your destination’s climate.
Here is a quick, simple circuit workout that only requires a resistance band and can be done anywhere. Complete at least one set of 8-12 reps of each exercise:
Bicep Curl
Tricep Dip
Lat Pull Down
Front Raise Push-Up
Squat Abductor lifts
Adductor splits
Hamstring Kicks
Lynn Bode is a certified trainer and owner of WorkoutsForYou.com. Workouts For You provides affordable online exercise programs to help even the busiest of people lose weight, tone up, build muscles, increase stamina, and more. Membership includes one-on-one personal attention and fitness guidance.
With obesity and disease increasing dramatically, many fitness experts are recommending walking for weight loss and fitness. Some are even going so far as to say that walking is the best way to burn fat and lose weight. I strongly disagree with this and am going to show you why walking is NOT effective at burning off body fat…
Yes, you read that correctly…
Walking is NOT effective at burning body fat and if your goal is fat loss you might be wasting your time. I am not saying that walking is not beneficial, I am saying that if fat loss is the primary goal, there are far better choices that will deliver far better results.
The primary benefits of walking are increased blood flow and circulation, improved recovery, and a strengthened immune system. There are several reasons why walking is not the best choice when it comes to fat loss. Here are just a few:
1. Walking does NOT burn a lot of calories
The lower the intensity of the activity or exercise, the smaller the number of calories burned per unit of time. For example, you can burn more calories in 15 minutes of bicycling at a high-intensity level than you can in 45 minutes of easy walking.
2. Walking does NOT result in a large increase in metabolism
Another downside to walking is that because it’s generally low intensity, it results in only a small increase in metabolism that will only last approximately 1-2 hours after the walk. On the other hand, metabolism increases are larger and last longer (4-24 hrs or more) when you perform high-intensity cardio workouts.
3. Walking does NOT deplete muscle glycogen
Low-intensity exercise like walking does not deplete muscle glycogen levels and, therefore, later that day, if you have excess calories they will likely be stored as body fat, whereas if you deplete the glycogen the excess calories will primarily be stored in the muscles.
So why then do so many fitness and health experts recommend walking for weight loss? One reason is that people don’t want to hear that they have to work hard so they figure some activity is better than none. Another reason is that the body burns more fat for fuel when exercising at an easy pace, however, the total amount of energy used is so small that you end up burning off little body fat. That’s also why when you choose the “fat burning” program on your treadmill or bike it has you exercise at any easy level. Yes, you’re burning fat, but so little that you’d have to exercise at that easy pace for hours and hours each day.
High-intensity cardiovascular and aerobic exercise is much more effective in burning off excess body fat. In fact, several studies have been done to prove this. In one study, they compared one group that did moderate-level aerobics for 45 minutes with another group that performed high-intensity workouts for 15 minutes. They did before and after fitness testing, including body fat analysis, and found that the group who performed the high-intensity aerobics lost nine times as much body fat!
Walking for fat loss
Want more proof?
Compare the bodies of a walker, a marathon runner, and a sprinter. If you are not familiar with what a sprinter’s body looks like, it is very muscular and has little body fat, while on the other hand, the body of a walker will likely have little muscle and more fat. The sprinter does little or no low-intensity exercise and does primarily short, hard bursts of work, while the marathoner overtrains so much they burn off both the body fat and the muscle, and that’s why they tend to look almost sickly thin.
So what should you do if your main objective is to shed those excess pounds of body fat?
Two things:
1. Perform some form of high-intensity cardio 2-4 times per week 2. Stabilize blood sugar to minimize the storage of new fat
I know some of you by now are saying “I can’t do high-intensity exercise, I have a bad knee.” and don’t worry, I have a solution for you. The good news is that high intensity is all relative to you and your current fitness level. For example, fast walking up and down hills may be high-intensity for you… it all depends. So don’t think that you have to start running or something like that. Just slowly start to increase the intensity of your cardio workouts while also maybe decreasing the time because you can either work hard or you can work long.
Also, you can make almost any activity or exercise high intensity…. here are a few examples:
· increase your speed · use an incline or hills · increase resistance · perform intervals ( the most effective method)
Obviously, some exercises/activities are better suited than others, but the point is, if you want to burn more fat and make your workouts as productive as possible, you need to increase the intensity.
As with any changes to your fitness program, be careful and don’t overdo it. Just because high-intensity workouts burn more fat, don’t think that you’ll get even better results by doing it every day – that will quickly lead to over-training and a loss of muscle which will only make it even harder to burn off the fat.
If your primary goal is fat loss, don’t waste your time walking and instead focus on progressive, high-intensity cardio to maximize the effectiveness of your workouts.
Article by Jesse Cannone CFT, CPRS, CSPN
Jesse Cannone is a certified personal trainer and author of the best-selling fitness ebook, Burn Fat FAST. Be sure to sign up for his free email course as it is full of powerful weight loss and fitness tips that are guaranteed to help you get the results you want.
Unfortunately, many people are misinformed and are also misled by the many promises of the weight loss industry. Everywhere you look, you see or hear of people promising “Dramatic Weight Loss” with products such as “The Fat Trapper”, or “Exercise in a Bottle”…
Then you also have the hundreds of diets out there such as “The Zone”, “Sugar Busters” or “The Atkins Diet”. I’m sure you have heard of many of these yourself. You might have even tried some of them. Unfortunately, these products and diets are not the quick fixes, or the miracles they are portrayed as. They are also usually very dangerous.
Below are some common misconceptions among people with regard to exercise and nutrition.
1. You need to exercise to burn fat.
The truth is you don’t gain body fat because of a lack of exercise. You gain it because your blood sugar levels exceed what you are using. Basically, you are eating too many calories at one time.
2. Your metabolism slows down once you hit 30.
WRONG! Actually, hundreds of research studies have shown that the slowdown in metabolism is due to a loss of muscle tissue. And the loss of muscle tissue is directly related to a lack of hard physical activity!
3. Pasta and bread are fattening.
Anything is fattening! Lettuce can be stored as fat! Any food or drink, which contains calories, can be stored as body fat if it causes your blood sugar levels to exceed what the body needs at that time. Bread and pasta are actually great sources of complex carbohydrates! The key is how much you eat and when you eat it.
4. Eating after 7pm will make you fat.
Absolutely false! It all depends on whether or not the body needs that amount of calories at that time. Keep in mind your body is constantly burning calories, 24 hours per day, just the amount varies.
5. Strength training will make you bulk up.
Another NO! It seems as if most women are concerned with this one. Muscle size is primarily affected by genetics and hormone production; therefore, most women don’t have the potential to build very large muscles.
Muscle burns calories, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn which makes it easier to burn fat and harder to gain it!
By no means is this a complete list! There are so many I could write a whole book just about them. The key is in education, but not by reading fitness magazines!
Article by Jesse Cannone CFT, CPRS, CSPN
Jesse Cannone is a certified personal trainer and author of the best-selling fitness ebook, Burn Fat FAST. Be sure to sign up for his free email course as it is full of powerful weight loss and fitness tips that are guaranteed to help you get the results you want.
Summer is officially here. Finally you can pack away your jackets and get outside. Summer offers extras hours of daylight and with it the opportunity to spend even more time enjoying outdoor activities. For many, this means more time doing physical activities and playing sports. So, it’s important to remember the potential dangers that also come with exercising in hot conditions. As long as you know the dos and don’ts of working out in the heat, then you can fully take advantage of all the fun of summer.
What you should do:…
· Drink plenty of fluids. It’s extremely important to stay hydrated. If you’re thirsty then you are already dehydrated; drink before you feel a need to. Be sure to drink throughout the day (stick to non-caffeinated beverages, preferably water)
. Also, drink 15-20 minutes before beginning your workout and every 15 minutes throughout the exercise.
· Eat regularly. The heat can decrease your appetite, but it’s important to eat normally. Try to eat small meals 5-6 times per day. Include lots of fruits and vegetables. Aside from being nutritious, fruits also tend to help with hydration.
· Wear light, loose fitting clothes that can breath. Cotton is always a good choice. If your outdoor activity produces a lot of perspiration, consider clothing that is designed to wick the sweat away.
· Wear sunscreen. Even if you exercise early in the morning or late in the evening, if the sun can reach you then you can get burned. Not only is a sunburn bad on the skin and potentially dangerous but it also hinders your bodies ability to stay cool.
· Use common sense and don’t attempt strenuous activities that your body is not accustom to. Stick to exercises that you are very familiar and comfortable with.
· Check the weather forecast. It’s best not to participate in intense outdoor exercise sessions when the heat index registers in the dangerous zone.
Exercising in the heat – what to do, or not to do
What you should not do:
· Don’t try to diet by sweating. Excessive perspiration is not the key to permanent weight loss. Any decrease in the scale would simply be a result of water loss, not fat reduction.
· Don’t adapt the “no pain, no gain” motto. Ignoring your body’s signals could be dangerous. Heat-related illnesses come with warning signs. Be sure to learn how to recognize them and what actions to take.
· Don’t forget to drink plenty of liquid when swimming. Just because your body is surrounded by water does not mean that you are well-hydrated. As with any land exercises, you need to regularly replenish lost fluids when in the pool.
· Avoid physical activity during the hottest part of the day, which usually is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
· If you want (or need) to be working in very hot temperatures, don’t do it until you become acclimated. Try to spend only a few minutes per day in the hot conditions for the first couple of weeks and then add time gradually each day.
· Avoid extreme changes in temperature. Don’t hop from being extremely hot and sweating excessively right into an ice cold, air-conditioned environment. Try to cool your body down slightly before exposing it to the extreme temperature variation.
Whether you have to work outside or do it for enjoyment, following the above tips will help you stay cool and safe during the dog days of summer. So, don’t spend the season cooped up, get out there and have some fun!
About the author: Lynn Bode is a certified personal trainer specializing in Internet-based fitness programs. She founded Workouts For You, which provides affordable online exercise programs that are custom designed for each individual. Visit: http://www.workoutsforyou.com for a free sample workout and to sign-up for their monthly fitness newsletter.
While most children are born healthy and fit, not all of them remain that way. Doing so depends in great part on four factors: environment, attitude, knowledge, and lifestyle. All of these elements are within your control. In honor of National Physical Fitness & Sports Month (May), let’s look at them one at a time…
Environment
What does your child’s environment consist of When forced to stay indoors due to inclement weather, is his only choice to sit still somewhere? Or is there room for the two of you to put on a CD and dance? To play Twister? Or perhaps even twirl hula hoops around your waists and other body parts? Is there somewhere in the house where space for activity is valued more than the display of easily broken knickknacks?
What about the outdoor environment? Does it include open areas for running, jumping, rolling, and the like? Is there a tree or purchased equipment for safe climbing, hanging, and swinging? How about a sandbox so your toddler can dig and haul? Does your child have access to activity-oriented toys, like a tricycle or bicycle, balls, or ribbon sticks, like the ones the rhythmic gymnasts use?
Attitude
Setting up the environment for physical activity also falls under the heading of demonstrating a proper attitude, as does exhibiting enjoyment toward physical activity. Do you moan and groan when it’s “time” to put in the aerobics tape? Do you get off your bike or finish your walk huffing and puffing and making it seem like an ordeal? Or do you express enthusiasm as you lace up your sneakers or follow a brisk stroll? It’s OK if children understand that sometimes physical activity is an effort as long as they also understand that anything worth doing is worth some effort.
Most importantly, do you play with your child? There’s research showing that the influence of parents and siblings does indeed increase children’s physical activity levels. In fact, your actual participation in your child’s activities (especially if she’s in the under-seven set) will have much more effect on her activity levels than if you simply insist she is active.
Children learn by watching you. If you spend the majority of your free time in sedentary activities, like watching television, that’s what they’ll want to do, too. But if you spend your free time playing, not only will they have someone to play with, they’ll have a terrific role model. Because you have a playful, positive attitude toward physical activity, they’ll assume the same.
Knowledge
Knowledge comes into play when you help your child understand why you and he take part in physical activity – why it’s necessary (which will help ensure that a positive attitude toward fitness endures beyond childhood). Certainly, lecturing children on the topic isn’t likely to have much of an impact; you’ll make the greatest impression mostly by example. But you can also offer a well-placed word or two. For example, as you stretch out: “It’s important to stretch after exercising so your muscles don’t get all bunched up.” Or, to stimulate your child’s natural curiosity: “Wow –chasing bubbles really got my heart pumping. It’s healthy to do that sometimes. Is yours going faster, too?”
Your child should also know why you choose family activities like skating, swimming, and rollerblading (“It’s important to be active so we can be healthy”). And she should have a vote as you decide on the family’s adventures. Would she rather go for a walk or a bike ride? Would she prefer going to the playground to mess around on the equipment, or playing Frisbee in the park? Remember: Choice is a necessary ingredient in fostering intrinsic motivation.
Lifestyle
Finally, there’s a lifestyle. If your child is to derive the benefits of physical fitness, then physical activity must be habitual and lifelong. Moving should be as routine as brushing teeth and bathing.
Not surprisingly, if we’re to instill habits, early childhood is the best time to start. Most importantly, if physical activity is a habit of yours – and of your family’s – it will become a habit for your child. And it will be an easy one to keep if it’s associated with pleasure rather than pain.
A pleasant association is most likely to happen if you
* Choose individual and family activities that fit easily into your lifestyle. * Select activities that are within your physical capabilities and those of your family members. * Pace activities with fun, rather than heart rates, in mind. * Don’t worry about scheduling; consistency is important, but it’s okay to be flexible. * Encourage one another, pointing out what’s right about what you’re seeing. * Don’t insist a child do something she’s not comfortable with; you can always try again in several months. * Expose your child to a wide variety of physical experiences. Just as you wouldn’t feed your child only chicken and spinach, you shouldn’t limit activity choices. * Keep competition out of the equation. No good can come from comparing children.
The goal is to make physical activity a customary part of your child’s – and your – life. However you choose to encourage the physical activity habit, you can be assured that if it’s introduced early in life, your child won’t be among those who struggle to remain fit.
Rae Pica is a children’s movement specialist and the author of Your Active Child: How to Boost Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Development through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003). Rae speaks to parents and education groups throughout North America.
