1. The Modern Day Workout Tapes
Gone are the days where you buy or borrow DVDs to get your video fitness guru guidance. Browse the thousands of options available on streaming services you probably already use. If you don’t have any, feel free to check out the multitude of options on YouTube as well. Cardio, calisthenics, weightlifting, and more are all within your reach at the click of a button!
2. One word: Tabata
Tabata training was discovered by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata. He discovered that the body can gain more benefit from performing a short, high-intensity interval workout four days a week than it can in a moderately intense hour-long workout five days a week. Best of all, Tabata workouts can be done in just 8 minutes, with no equipment other than a pair of shoes and the furniture already in your home.
If you have hard floors, these exercises are more comfortable when they are performed on a rug. Do each for 20 seconds with 10 seconds of rest in between. Repeat the circuit four times.
- Burpees – Place your hands on the floor, jump your feet out into a pushup position, perform a pushup, jump your feet by your hands, and jump in the air with your arms over your head.
- Incline push ups with your feet on a chair. Remember to break the 90 degree plane with your elbows with every push up.
- Jumping Squats – With your feet shoulder width apart, squat down as though you are going to sit on your coffee table. When you feel your backside touch the table, jump up in the air.
- Leg Raises – Lay down with your back flat on the floor and a lamp near your feet. Lift your feet off the ground, keeping your legs straight, touch the floor with your heels to the right of the lamp, them bring them back up to form a 90 degree angle with your back. Drop your legs to the ground to the left of the lamp, allowing your heels to touch the ground then bring them back up to form a 90 degree angle with your back. Be sure to keep your legs straight throughout the exercise.
Bonus: Make it a habit to perform a plank hold every time the show you are watching goes to commercial or in between every Netflix episode. Your core will thank you.
3. Get outside.
Too often we forget that the least expensive, easiest exercise we can get is right outside of our front door. Go for a walk or hike. Run a few miles around the neighborhood. Head to the local school and run or walk around the track. Even consider doing your workout in your backyard for some fresher air. You can achieve a high-quality calorie burn with nothing other than some good shoes and some great tunes.
