Well all know how difficult it can be to find time in your daily schedule to go to the gym. You’ve just got home from work and all you want to do is collapse into bed. If you’re a working woman on a budget or a full-time college student, you know that monthly gym membership prices can be expensive. So if you’re worried about staying fit with neither the money nor the time to hit the gym every day, there are actually several ways you can stay fit at home.
The following six tips are great ways to be active daily without having to step foot in a gym.
According to Mayo Clinic, walking helps “maintain a healthy weight, prevent or manage various conditions including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, strengthen your bones and muscles, improve your mood and improve your balance and coordination.”
So during your breaks at work, take a walk around the building. After work, go on a jog throughout the neighborhood or the local park. If you need some extra motivation, take your dog with you! These daily walks are an excellent way to get you both out of the house for some fresh air and a little exercise.
READ MORE: Walk the Walk: Tips on Optimizing Your Strolls
This may not be an option for many, but if you are lucky enough to live in close proximity to where you work, biking is a great way to raise your heart rate and work those quads and glutes.
Bonus: you’ll be saving gas! Healthy Women reports, “with U.S. gasoline prices running higher than $3 per gallon, using a bicycle for shopping, commuting, visiting friends or just taking a joy ride may help your financial health at the same time it boosts your physical condition.”
We all know the feeling: You’re feeling lazy as you walk into the office building in the morning and drained as you head out. The easiest way to go up or down floors would be to take the elevator, but try to avoid the temptation. Use the stairs.
According to Livestrong, “The vigorous and continuous movement of your legs and hips results in deeper breathing and increases your heartbeat, which enhances blood flow to all areas of your body. Your body releases natural pain relievers, or endorphins, during a stair climb, so you’ll feel better and have less tension.”
Not only will you be getting a quick leg and cardio workout in, it may even give you a boost of energy in the morning to kickstart your day (instead of the usual three cups of coffee).
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Diets are not for everyone, but being conscious of what you are consuming is important. Healthline explains, “Eating a balanced, calorie-managed diet can also help control weight. When you start the day with a healthy breakfast, you avoid becoming overly hungry later, which could send you running to get fast food before lunch.”
Start by eliminating sugary drinks and try preparing healthy meals at home to avoid the temptations of fast food when you’re in a time crunch. Your body will thank you later.
This may not be the best option if you’re sitting for eight hours a day, but if you have a desk at home, using a balance ball – such as this one from Gaiam – is a great way to strengthen your core and improve stability.
GearFire reports that using a balance ball instead of a chair forces spine alignment, improves your balance and your circulation, increases energy and even burns up to 350 calories per day.
It’s Thursday night, and that means a new episode of “Scandal.” Before it airs, plan out a set of workouts you can do while you watch Olivia Pope save everyone’s butt. Simple squats, sit ups or lunges can get the job done.
If you want to make the most of the time you spend watching TV, FitWatch suggests setting up stations around your living room. That way, “you go to in order to perform cardio routines while your shows are on. You can jump rope, walk in place, or use equipment like dumbbells, exercise balls or steps to get your heart rate up.”
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