In this article, I will dispel the need for that long drive to the gym, having to wait in line, using shared cubicles to get changed and all that comes along with enrolling yourself at a paid gym. All exercise needs is you. And maybe a few other cheap items that you can buy as you go along.
For many people, the process that comes with having to go to the gym is the enemy. It’s discouraging for a lot of people. It’s crazy that you’re paying for something that you don’t like to do. You can save yourself all this if you learn how to work out comfortably in your home, no matter how small it is. If you can fit in it, you can exercise in it!
Exercising at home helps because you don’t have to take the time out to go to a gym. You can go straight home and once you have your chores done, have a drink, rest and do whatever else you do, and then get started. You can also easily incorporate home exercise into your mornings at little or even no expense other than sparing half an hour each day. It’s much more convenient to go about it this way.
The other thing I must add is that a lot of gyms focus on cardio and resistance exercises, which is not what you’re really after. You want to burn some fat and to do that, these two sets of exercise won’t help very much or as fast as you want.
Choose a room in your house where you can regularly exercise – it’s a great idea to get yourself a treadmill and whatever other exercise equipment you want if you can afford it. But again, this is not a must. You can work out perfectly well with just your body, your will and you.
Let’s work at your body part by part. Remember though that in any exercise session, you should remember to work out at least every body part so that you’re getting an even fat loss.
1. The Tummy
This is the one that most people will have a problem with when it comes to being overweight. It’s because it’s the primary storage for fat. Before fat is deposited anywhere else, it will be deposited on the tummy first. In fact, you may not even be overweight, but each time you look at your tummy, you feel that it could look better. Here’s what you can do to help lose tummy fat.
- Lie on your back, hands behind your butt facing palms flat out. Inhale your tummy and hold. Then start to slowly raise your legs, outstretched and held together until you get them to a 450 angle. Don’t exhale – it will be tempting but hold on for a while. Start to count. Don’t be so easy on yourself. Remember you want to see results so that you can stay motivated to keep going. I have always found that a count of 30 works well for most people. Stretch the muscles as you do it to start some fat burning. Lower your legs again gently to the ground and take that much earned breath. Make it deep, deep as you can make it go. Ready? Repeat as
many times as you can, always remembering to hold down your tummy muscles. This exercise works like magic if you do it consistently and keep upping the length of time you keep your legs up. If you are not holding your tummy muscles down, it could take you almost twice as long to start seeing any changes, something which many gyms won’t tell you.
- As you walk outside, remember every so often to take a deep breath and hold down your tummy muscles. This complements your tummy routine, and you are already sculpting muscles beautifully.
- Do crunches, not sit-ups. A crunch comes just up to your shoulders. You hold the back of your head in your hands and then with your feet flat on the ground, you raise your head just up to your shoulders. All this time, your tummy is sucked in of course. Always remember to take a deep breath before you get started as the air you breathe in is the one aiding the oxidation process that burns fat. Again, hold your head in such a way that you can feel your tummy muscles. Start to count until you can’t any more. Try for 30. Lie back down, take a minute, take another deep breath and repeat.
- This exercise is much like the first one, but you only raise one leg and hold it up until you get to a count of 30. Switch to the other one and do the same. You can do it at 2 different angles, 450 and 600. Make sure that as you do these exercises, you can feel your tummy muscles hurting. If they are not hurting, you’re not working them enough.
- Can you buy an exercise ball? They are the rave now. They are big balls that replace the chair that you sit on. They have a great advantage in working almost all parts of your body. Sit on it as often as possible and roll around a few inches at a time. Lie on it with your back or on your stomach and make sure to work your muscles. They are so good because your muscles move involuntarily to keep you in balance.
These are just a few exercises that work on your stomach. In many cases, people find that as they do them and start to see improvements, they also find new ways to exercise with nothing but their bodies. One thing is guaranteed with these exercises though – you’ll see your body change before long.
In the next article we will talk about exercising your legs and arms