Workout Tools at Home
Since our training studio has been closed for nearly a month due to COVID-19, I’ve been teaching a lot of virtual online classes and training sessions. It has definitely proven that you don’t need a gym to get a great workout.
There are literally hundreds of muscle and cardio exercises you can do with absolutely no equipment whatsoever. Your body is the best machine and if you were on a deserted island with no access to any exercise equipment, you could still give yourself a fabulous workout.
In addition, you can mimic a lot of additional exercise and training tools with stuff you most likely already have at home.
Here’s some items that you can now consider exercise equipment:
Canned goods
Cans of soup, vegetables or stew work great as hand-weights to add additional resistance during squats, lunges or for chest and shoulder presses, curls, kickbacks, extensions etc.
Jugs
If you need something heavier to lift, jugs of laundry detergent, soap or milk can work great.
Bags and backpacks
Grab a reusable grocery bag or backpack and fill with items such as books or cans to create something heavier to lift.
Bag of dog food, kitty litter, dirt and rice
Bags of heavy items can be held during squats, lunges etc for additional resistance.
Staircase
If you live in a two-story home, you have a whole gym waiting for you. Walking or running up the stairs is a fabulous cardio workout. The steps can be used for step-ups, pushups and tricep dips. You can also wrap an exercise tube around the railings to perform rows, chest presses, torso rotations, external rotation, tricep kickbacks, etc.
Paper plates
You can place one foot under a paper plate and perform a sliding reverse or lateral lunge. You can do mountain climbers with feet on paper plates. You can do bridging with feet sliding on paper plates.
Bottom line message – If there’s a will, there’s a way. Your physical fitness and strength are so important, now more than ever. So commit some time to focus on your health and get it done!
Yours in health & fitness,
Sherri McMillan
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Sherri McMillan
Sherri McMillan, holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and has been inspiring the world to adopt a fitness lifestyle for more than 33 years. She has received numerous industry awards including 2010 CanFitPro International Presenter of the Year, 2006 IDEA Fitness Director of the Year, 1998 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, 1998 CanFitPro Fitness Presenter of the Year and 2005/2006 ACE Fitness Educator of the Year - Runner up. She is a fitness trainer, fitness columnist for various magazines and newspapers, author of five books and manuals including "Go For Fit - the Winning Way to Fat Loss" and "Fit over Forty" and the featured presenter in various fitness DVDs. She has presented hundreds of workshops to thousands of fitness leaders throughout Canada, Australia, Mexico, Jamaica, New Zealand, Germany, England, Spain, South America, Asia and the U.S. She is the owner of Northwest Personal Training in downtown Vancouver, the founder of WHY Racing Events & WHY Community, participates in various community fundraisers and can be found running, biking, or hiking around the community. Find more information at nwpersonaltraining.com.