4 Easy Ways to Exercise Around the House

Updated on July 12, 2015

You don’t need pricey equipment to get a good workout. You don’t need to join a gym. And you don’t need to spend a ton of time exercising. By spending a few minutes here and there throughout the day, you can boost your level of activity from the comfort of your own home. If you need some help getting started, check out these workout ideas:

Exercise in the Pool

If you have a pool in your backyard, you have the perfect place to get in a low-impact workout that cools you off while burning fat and toning your body. Because water is 784 times denser than air, your entire body gets an effective resistance workout, explains InTheSwim’s Pool Blog. The blog also provides a 35-minute program that includes:

  • 20-minute cardio workout by swimming as quickly as you can above and below the water line. Then, jog in the water in a zigzag pattern across the pool.
  • 3 minutes of leg lifts while treading water
  • 3 minutes of using a water noodle for a water plank exercise
  • 3 minutes of pushing a beach ball underwater towards your legs

Create an Exercise Circuit Around the House

Instead of gym equipment, use your own body weight to get an amazing workout. The Oprah Magazine suggests setting up an exercise circuit at home. These exercises include:

  • 15 to 20 squats
  • 10 to 12 incline pushups (To do these, get into the regular pushup position, and then place your hands on a raised surface, like one of the steps in a staircase. Make sure your body forms a straight line from your ankles to your head, and lower your body until your upper arms are just below your elbows.)
  • Hip raises
  • Side planks

You also can jog in place, run up and down the stairs, do situps and lift common household items.

Clean Your House

If you despise housecleaning, change your mindset to think of it as a great way to get a killer workout. The amount of calories you burn while cleaning can really add up. For example, raking leaves for 30 minutes can burn up to 225 calories while toning your arms and legs. Washing your car for a half hour can burn 143 calories. Scrubbing out the bathtub (no one’s favorite task) burns 200 calories, according to FitDay. If you don’t want to jog on your treadmill, make some beds — doing it for 30 minutes can burn the same amount of calories as jogging for 15 minutes.

Use Apps for Inspiration

If you have 10 spare minutes and want to do a quick workout, use the Sworkit app to get some quick ideas. Select the part of your body you want to focus on and your time limit, and the app gives you pre-built workouts from which to choose. Or if you want, you can create your own. No equipment is needed, and the app provides video instruction for cardio, Pilates, yoga and strength.

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