No Gym? How to Have a Great Home Workout

If you think you need to be a member of a fancy gym in order to get in a great workout, think again. There are plenty of ways to work on your fitness in the comfort of your own home. Whether you are looking to get in a home workout due to convenience, time management, or budgetary reasons, we have some easy and inexpensive options for people of all ages to build a home workout plan without a lot of equipment.

Explore Free Workouts on the Internet

The nice thing about doing a workout routine at home via the internet is you can take a class taught anywhere in the world from your own living room, at a time that works for you. Search for the type of exercise you want to do — whether you are looking for cardio, strength-training, or senior-focused routines, you’ll find something that suits your unique needs and goals.

YouTube is a great way to be introduced to a variety of instructors with free workouts, and once you subscribe to a few you like, YouTube will start to send suggestions for similar types of workouts so you can build a library of favorites. Many channels offering free content do so as a way to build a fan base and often have websites or apps with libraries of content you can pay to access if you want more, and some instructors offer personal coaching over the internet as well. 

Yoga

Yoga is wonderful for unwinding, connecting with the body and breath, and building long and lean muscles. It’s also easy to do anywhere — all you need is a mat and a bit of room! If you are new to yoga, check out this article we wrote about the different types of yoga so you can explore them until you find one that is right for you. Ready to try a class but not sure where to start? Yoga with Adriene has a popular YouTube channel with a huge library of free content for yogis of all levels. 

Strength Training

You can easily work on balance, strength, and muscle tone at home with little to no equipment. If you can, invest in a few sets of dumbbells in various weights, or pick up a package of resistance bands. If your budget doesn’t allow for that right now, try using water (or wine!) bottles, bags of flour, or even a willing child to add some resistance to your arm exercises. However, you can get in a complete workout using just your own body weight. YouTuber Maddie Lymburner has dozens of free strength training workouts requiring little or no equipment at her channel MadFit.

Walk, Jog, or Dance

Grab your mask and go for a walk or jog! Listen to your favorite music or podcasts, or just enjoy the sounds of nature — the cardio and fresh air will help clear your mind while you move your body! On days you can’t get outside, turn your living room into a dance studio and either host your own private dance party, or do a cardio dance workout guided by an instructor online, like one of the upbeat, and often hilarious, free dance routines from The Fitness Marshall’s YouTube channel. 

These are just a few ways for working out at home — the important thing is to have fun, and move a little bit each day! 

For more articles on healthy living, visit scrippsamg.com.