No matter where you live, budgets are getting tighter. In Louisiana, even if you got a raise, the money doesn’t go as far. That’s why it’s important to save money where you can and the very reason Wellness on a Dime exists. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a trainer. There are menus that help you boost your health, but don’t break the budget. There are also excellent workouts you can do at home to get the look you want and the good health you deserve.
You don’t have to have weights to build strength.
You carry with you all the equipment you need to build strength, endurance and flexibility. It’s your body. Bodyweight exercises can provide a full workout and all you need is a small area to do them. The basic workouts start with lifts, push-ups, squats, lunges and pull-ups. If you want to build strength in your legs, do a hip bridge or single leg deadlift. You lay on your back with knees bent for a hip bridge and then lift the weight of your lower body to create a straight line bridge from your knees to your shoulders. All the exercises mentioned use the muscles of your body to lift your body, building muscle tissue as you do.
If you’re short on time, try circuit training or HIIT—high intensity interval training.
You can get cardio and strength training when you do your workout circuit training or HIIT style. Circuit training combines a group of exercises with little or no rest between each one. HIIT training could use the same group of exercises but varies the intensity for each one as you do the exercise. If your exercise is walking, you’d walk at top speed for a minute, then reduce the speed to recovery, a slower pace, then back to top speed. Both will enhance the benefits of each workout and reduce the time necessary.
Do you want to get a little fancier and add equipment?
Not all equipment costs a lot of money. Resistance bands, for instance, a set of resistance bands can be as low as $12.00. If you have milk, detergent or soft drink bottles or canned food, you can also make your own weights. If you’re just starting out, fill a clean, soft drink or water bottle with sand or water to get the weight you want. As you get fitter, move to larger detergent bottles or milk jugs for weights. You can run up and down steps for cardio or build a step platform with scrap wood.
- If you have a busy schedule, you can break up your workout to several 10-15 minute sessions throughout the day.
- You can work out while you’re getting supper ready. Butt kicks are good calorie burners and can be done at the counter or stove. They burn up to 300 calories in a half hour.
- Other inexpensive workout equipment includes a jump rope and a hula hoop. You can get weighted versions of each, but it’s not necessary. Both can cost less than $10.00
- No matter what type of exercise program you do at home, don’t forget to warm-up and cool-down to prevent injury. Taking a few minutes before you workout to do these can also improve the benefits from your workout.
For more information, contact us today at Wellness On A Dime Coaching