Home Workout PlanIt's so easy to hibernate during those cold months in the winter if you don't have a home workout plan. So here is are some at home workouts to help you get through those winter months, rainy days, or just give you something to do as an alternative to running. My Basic Home Workout PlanThis is my basic home workout plan. I change the routine often to keep it interesting, fun and challenging, but this is the basic schedule I stick to.
Equipment Needed for Home Workout PlanYou can find all the equipment needed for this home workout plan here.
Optional Equipment
Home Workout Plan: Strength TrainingWarm up with 5-10 minutes of cardio. Some great forms of cardio are jumping jacks, jump rope or rebounder.Abs: 10 minutes. Do 3 sets of each of the following: sit-ups, crunches, crunches on exercise ball, bicycle ab workout Resistance band: 20 minutes. I have a medium tension resistance toning band. You can also get it in light or heavy. It comes with a door attachment which gives provides about twice as many exercise options. It includes pretty straightforward instructions for a full body workout, but if you want something that provides a little more instruction, there are plenty of books and DVDs on the subject. This is a full body workout, so I recommend going through all the exercises but spending more time on one or the other each day: upper body or lower body. For example, Monday run through all the exercises one time, then spend extra time on the upper body. Then on Wednesday, run through all the exercises again, then spend extra time on the lower body. Squats, extra arm workout: 5-10 minutes. Take your exercise ball and hold it straight out in front of you. (If you don't have an exercise ball, you can improvise with one of your kids balls.) Squat down as if you are sitting in a chair. You want to squat down as low as you can, but more important than that is to maintain the correct posture. Keep your shoulders back and your but in. Then slowly stand up and, still holding the ball, lift your hands above your head. Repeat 10-50 times. (The first time I tried this, I did it 10 times and my thighs/hamstrings were burning for 3 days afterward.) End with a good 5-10 minutes of stretching. Stretch all the muscles you worked out. Here are some great stretching exercises. I especially recommend getting in a good hamstring stretch to recover from those squats and stretching your arms.
Home Workout Plan: Advanced Strength TrainingFor some advanced strength training techniques, try calisthenics. The idea of calisthenics is that you don't stop in between sets. You just move right on to the next thing. This gives you a good strength training as well as a cardio workout.To find more about how calisthenics works and get some calisthenic workout ideas, click here. Home Workout Plan: CardioHere are several ideas for cardio workout. Pick one and stick to it three days a week, or mix it up. Keep it fun, simple and challenging.Running As long as the weather isn't too bad, I spend my cardio days running. It's important to mix it up your running days. One day I do a long run, another day I do a training run which consists of speed training or Rebounder When I wanted to buy a cardio machines, I was looking at spending $2-3000 for a good treadmill or elliptical machine. This didn't fit my budget, it took up too much room in my apartment and it was unnecessary when I'd much rather be running outside. But I still wanted to have something around for those rainy, cold days. That's when I started looking into a rebounder and I found out that not only could I get the best rebounder out there for less than $300 (that same price would have brought me a very trashy treadmill or elliptical), but I also learned that there are a lot of benefits to working out on a rebounder. I am waiting for my rebounder to get here. As soon as it arrives, I promise to try it out and give you some great rebounder workout ideas. ;-) Stairs Do you have stairs in your house or apartment building? If you do, you have a great cardio machine right there in your house. Spend 20-30 minutes running up and down those stairs and you've got a great cardio workout. To make it more interesting, vary your workout between. Run up and down twice at a moderate pace. Then run up and down the third time as fast as you can. Repeat this throughout your workout. Biking If you already own a bike and enjoy bike riding, that is a great way to get into shape. If you're not a klutz like me or if you're not riding in a place where there's a lot of traffic, you can even bring your child along. Add a special seat to the back for your kid, get a special carrier, or purchase a bicycle trailer. Swimming Do you have a gym with a pool, a nearby YMCA or a friend or neighbor that doesn't mind sharing their pool? Or maybe you live near a lake or ocean? Swimming is one of the best exercises out there. No pressure on the joints, and you're working your entire body. Jumping Jacks Jumping jacks are very easy to do, you can do them in your house and they don't require any equipment. The only requirement is that you wear a very sturdy sports bra. Stand with your feet together and your arms to your side and then jump and when you land your arms are above your head and your feet are spread apart, then jump again and when you land your feet are back together and your hands are to your side again. Repeat. Sounds easy? The first time you do it, I dare you to last 5 minutes. ;-) Jump Rope Surely you grew up jump roping. No? Well no time to start like the present. The key, I am learning, is to start slow. (And believe me, if I can do it, you an do it because I have almost no coordination.) The speed will come and before you know it you will be jump roping like a pro and looking for advance jump rope routines. I promise to add some of my own, once I master the basics. ;-) Kick Boxing Buy a kick boxing workout DVD and workout to it at home. There are many kickboxing workouts that don't require a punch bag or anything to kick and they are a lot of fun. Home Workout Plan: PilatesOther than running, pilats is my favorite workout and it is really good for runners too. I make sure to incorporate this into my workout regiment at least one day a week. The benefits of pilates are many. To name a few, it increases your energy, balance, flexbility, strengthens your core, helps maintain a good posture and even gives you a good stretch.Get a good pilates DVD and follow it. You can get the one I use here. I find it to be very easy to follow and it provides a lot of different routines so I don't get bored as well as variations so you can try it whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced. Stay tuned, more of home workout plan coming soon. Meanwhile,
tell us you're favorite home workouts.
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