Blog

Free Workouts That Don’t Require A Gym Membership

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on November 22, 2013

Written by Jennifer Martin, Dietetic Student at University of Illinois at Chicago

It sometimes seems that a busy lifestyle and exercise are not compatible, especially when you factor in transit time to the gym, finding a parking spot, changing in the locker room, or waiting for your favorite treadmill by the window to be available (or any treadmills at all). Wouldn’t it be easier to just roll out of bed, put on a pair of workout clothes, and exercise in the comfort of your own living room?

Workout DVDs offer this luxury, but you often pay a lot of money for them and only have so many workouts per DVD. You eventually finish the DVD program, and then you have to buy another one. While there are workouts that you can purchase online, there are some outstanding programs that are free, challenging, and regularly updated.

My favorites:

Toneitup.com is one of my favorites. It features Karena and Katrina, two best friends from California who are incredibly inspirational personal trainers and look unbelievable in bikinis. If you go to the fitness link on their website, you will find multiple categories for workouts that include abs, booty, cardio and HIIT, yoga and stretching, and more. They post new workouts every Tuesday.

My current obsession is POP Pilates (blogilates.com). I am a long-time lover of pilates, and instructor Cassie takes this practice to a new level. Some of the workouts only last 5 minutes, but they leave you feeling you just heaved a bus over a small building. Don’t let that discourage you though; there are beginner workouts, and you can modify the more challenging videos until you’re strong enough to fully do the moves. Cassie is such a blast that I always look forward to working out. Like Tone It Up, you can search workouts by categories.

Equipment needed?

To get the most out of home workouts, I recommend getting at least 1-2 pairs of dumbbells to keep in your home. It’s best to get one pair of light weights (3-5 pounds) and then a heavier pair (10+). I don’t have any dumbbells in my apartment at the moment, so I use water bottles that are almost filled to the top. You’ll also want a yoga mat that you can use if you do pilates, yoga, or abs work. Before I had one, I just pushed 2 bath mats together. Most workout instructors will tell you exactly what you need and what substitutions you can make if you don’t have them. You can always find workouts that just use your body weight, though!

For more free home workout suggestions, look here:

http://mashable.com/2013/01/21/youtube-fitness-videos/