Home exercise has gotten a bad rap. Over the years, simple body weight exercises, such as push-ups, got replaced by complex equipment, personal trainers and gym memberships. The truth is that you can give yourself a total body workout for free, or with just a few low-cost tools. Getting yourself into a home exercise routine can help increase your longevity and provide numerous anti aging benefits. Read on for home exercise solutions and the anti aging benefits of exercise.
Before we get into the details about creating a great home exercise program, here's a reminder about what exercise can do for you. Not only will exercise improve your looks and your energy level, it will actually make your cells younger. That's right. People who exercise regularly have younger cells. Find out what exercises work best to help turn back the clock.
Sure, we all want a 6-pack and a "beach body," but there are better reasons to exercise, such as more energy, better sleep and even an improved sex life. Read about the hidden benefits of exercise to motivate you and keep you in your routine.
Remember jump ropes? They've been replaced by treadmills and other expensive exercise equipment, but jump ropes can still give a great, low-cost workout. Jumping rope will improve your balance, increase your speed, strengthen your legs, and give your heart some real exercise. Best of all, jump ropes are cheap and easy to add into a home exercise routine. This guide has some great tips on buying jump ropes, finding the right size for you and working out with your pick.
Body weight exercises simply use the weight of your body to build strength. These exercises are free and easy to do anywhere. If you haven't been lifting weights regularly, you'll find these to be surprisingly hard. Give them a try for a month and watch your strength build.
Another old-fashioned workout tool is the pull-up bar. You can install these in your home in a doorway and give your shoulders and arms an amazing workout. Check out these exercises you can do with a pull up bar. (This one purchase can take the place of about half a gym's worth of equipment.)
Maybe jump ropes, push-ups and pull-ups aren't your style. If so, try a home yoga program instead. Get a video on yoga, and commit to practicing daily or every other day. Yoga is a great anti-aging exercise program that builds strength, balance and flexibility. You may want to think about taking a yoga class or two first, just to get the basics down.
You've got your upper body and legs covered, but your core still needs a workout. That's where a fitness ball can come into play. These large, inflatable balls can help you do more targeted and efficient sit-ups, crunches and other exercises. Look for a fitness ball that comes with a DVD for some ideas on how to get started.
If you liked the body weight exercises above, give this approach a try, too.
Travel is one of the biggest excuses for people to stop exercising. This is a problem because not only do you lose the fitness time while you were traveling, it is also very difficult to restart your exercise program when you return. The good news is that you can get a good workout with no equipment using these simple travel exercise suggestions.
If you are looking for a bit more from your home exercise program, consider these tips for getting the most fitness bang for your buck. From group classes to used exercise equipment, you can enhance your home exercise program on the cheap.
