Useful Tips for At-Home Fitness

April 22nd, 2010 Health Articles Posted in fitness, fitness nutrition, health article, health articles, weight loss Comments Off

Jumping Jacks

Image by Mike Schmid via Flickr

When it comes to losing weight, there’s no question that eating the right foods and getting appropriate exercise is exponentially better than taking weight loss pills or having surgery. People tend to lean towards these unnatural approaches, though,  because they can’t seem to incorporate working out in gyms or health clubs into their hectic schedules. If they were able to implement some very easy exercises to do at home that would help them stay lean and in optimal shape, they would probably find it much easier to stick to a fitness regimen.

The following is a simple program for fitness training at home that’s easy to implement, because almost all of use have already done these exercises at sometime in our lives. They’re powerful home fitness training options, yet they don’t require special equipment or expertise. In spite of their low-tech approach, these three exercises will yield a great return in terms of overall fitness:

  • Squats
    Your glutes all the way down to your feet are the largest muscle group in your entire body, and the mighty squat is the perfect exercise to help develop that entire area. To do a squat properly, stand straight up with your feet about shoulder distance apart. Squat down and then come back up at least ten to twenty times for about two to three sets. To avoid injuries, make sure to stretch and warm up before you start this routine. Also, make sure your back is straight when you squat down. If you’re new to doing squats, you can hold onto the back of a chair or place your palms on a wall for balance.
  • Push Ups
    Push ups are considered the best chest exercise at home. They’re great for conditioning and strengthening your upper body (i.e., chest, shoulders, arms and triceps). Perform about 20 push ups for two to three sets to build the muscles of your pectorals, shoulders and triceps.
  • Jumping Jacks
    Jumping Jacks are a whole-body cardio workout that you can do in your backyard, garage, basement or even your living room. Do twenty to thirty jumping jacks for three to five sets. The swinging of the arms will target your upper body and the jumping movement of course, is for your lower body.

It’s important to note that you need to pay attention to your body when it comes to any form of exercise. The number of squats, push ups and Jumping Jacks, and how many times you repeat each set of them, are just general recommendations. If an exercise feels like it’s straining you too much, honor that. Remember, slow and steady wins the race when it comes to fitness. And staying in good shape isn’t just about exercise, what you eat also is obviously a factor. Read our fitness nutrition article for more information about what to eat to enhance your fitness training at home.

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