You Have Gym Equipment In Your Home

By Perry Gouche

Professional gym memberships are a great way to lose weight. They are also expensive. So if you are going to put out the money, you will want to go at least three times a week or it's nothing but a big waste of hard earned cash. Unfortunately for many of us, that's exactly what it becomes. Before you take the step paying for a gym membership that you may never use, try these free, in-home tips.

Chair or Exercise Machine?

Sit on a straight-backed chair placed in a clear area in your home. Slowly raise your left leg until it is parallel with the floor, then lower it again. Do ten reprtitions with each leg, or twenty if you feel ten is too easy.

Heard of Free Weights?

A good way to build muscle in your arms is with free weights, but they can be quite pricey. Traditional push-ups will develop your arms using your own body weight, but some find them a bit difficult to start with. Instead, stand about arms-length behind a sofa. Lean forward and place your hands on the back of the sofa, then bend your elbows until your chest touches the sofa. Slowly straighten your arms, keeping your back straight throughout the movement. If you can comfortably repeat this 5 times, you are ready to move back to the traditional push-up from the floor. Once you're on the floor, you can also do some leg raises. Make sure you have enough space and there are no valuable items you might bump and break nearby. Lie on your side and slowly raise the top leg as far as you can, hold it for a second or two, then slowly bring it back down. Repeat on both sides five times, increasing the number as you feel stronger.

Try Walking or Climbing Stairs

Inexpensive yet exceptionally good exercise, walking seems to have fallen out of fashion. Not only is a walk a great way to exercise your whole body, it is also good for stress relief. Use your lunch hour, early morning or evenings to take a brisk walk and feel the stress fade away. Walk in the park, around the nieghborhood or even around the mall. Next time you need to take the elevator, take the stairs instead. It's great exercise, good for your heart, and will give you a much needed energy boost after lunch.

For the Body and Soul, Try Gardening

Gardens need a lot of attention, and the bending down, pushing and pulling and other movements that go into weeding, mowing lawns and trimming bushes will give you a full body workout. Spend a couple of hours in the garden each week and you'll not only see the results in your garden, but on your body as well.

About the Author:

Learn how to lose belly fat and get the six pack you always wanted.