If you want to build and maintain strength, you don’t need a health club membership to do it. With a little creativity — and, in some cases, a few simple pieces of equipment — you can get an effective workout that gives you all the same benefits you get from training at the gym.
Research shows that it’s possible to gain muscle with exercises that use your body weight as resistance, including squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks.
Because body weight activities It requires no equipment and minimal space, you can do these anywhere – at home, in the park, in a hotel room and much more.
One potential downside of bodyweight exercises is that you can’t increase the weight you’re lifting over time, as you would with a weight machine. Still, it’s important to challenge yourself regularly as your body gets stronger (a concept known as progressive overload). To do this with bodyweight exercises, you can:
- add representative
- reduce your rest time
- increase your speed
- Find more advanced activities
While some people find rows of shiny, weight-lifting machines inspiring, others may find them intimidating. If so, you can still build strength with a few sets of dumbbells.
In fact, a 2023 research review found no significant difference in strength or muscle gains between people who trained with machines and those who used free weights.
If you’re interested in working out with dumbbells at home, it’s best to invest in a set of light, medium, and heavy weights. You’ll know you’re using the right weight for the lift if completing the last two reps feels too challenging.
There are thousands of dumbbell training programs available online, but you can always start with a circuit of basic movements, including weighted squats, deadlifts, lunges, rows, and overhead presses. These all affect the major muscle groups, which you should aim to work at least twice per week.
Dumbbells are effective, but they take up a fair amount of storage space, aren’t easy to travel with, and can feel a little intense for seniors or those new to strength training. Resistance bands are a great option.
Also called exercise loops, resistance bands are portable, inexpensive, and available with varying amounts of tension or resistance. Some offer handles or Velcro closures for easy removal, while many are larger versions of the basic rubber band.
When you’re using a resistance band, your muscles have to work against the tension of the band while completing an activity. The more you stretch the band beyond its original size, the more stress will be placed on your muscles. This achieves strength gains similar to lifting with traditional equipment like dumbbells or machines.
there are Many Ways to Use Resistance Bands. For leg strength, try placing the band above your knees and walking side to side in a squat position. For upper body and core, get into side plank position and pin the resistance band under your arm, using your other arm to pull the band into the air.
If you don’t like the gym, but you also don’t want to exercise at home, check out your local park. Many include outdoor exercise equipment that is both free and effective.
In fact, one study found that older adults who used outdoor exercise equipment twice a week for two months saw improvements in strength and physical fitness.
Outdoor exercise venues typically include machines that work with a person’s body weight, such as air walkers (similar to ellipticals), bars for pull-ups or dips, or waist twisters. But if you don’t have one of these parks, with a little creativity, regular playground equipment can also serve as an outdoor gym. For example, hang from monkey bars to build grip, shoulder and core strength, or do push-ups while swinging your legs.
Mat Pilates is an exercise system that focuses on building core strength, increasing spinal stability and controlling breathing. It only requires an exercise mat (or a comfortable rug) and some optional props, making it an excellent at-home activity.
Pilates can increase muscle strengthAnd in a meta-analysis, older adults who did Pilates showed better lower limb strength, balance, flexibility, and fitness.
Classic Pilates moves include the roll-up and one-leg circle, both of which build core strength. But if you don’t know where to start, there are many programs available online to guide you through Pilates workouts regardless of skill level.
With the right perspective your home can be a gym. Look for other opportunities to add weighted objects to your bodyweight activities – ten pounds is ten pounds, whether it’s dumbbells or a jug of laundry detergent.
Try holding a bag of kitty litter to your chest while doing squats. Or, use magazines on carpet to mimic plastic sliders (which are used to create core strength under your feet or hands). And if you have stairs in your house then there is no need for a stair climbing machine.
Essentially, if you’re willing to be creative, you can accomplish a lot with items you already have at your fingertips.
Exercising at home is convenient and affordable, but sometimes it can be challenging to establish consistency. Here are some tips for getting into a routine and sticking to it:
- Schedule a Workout: Often, if something can happen “at any time”, it never actually happens. At the beginning of your week, review your calendar and Schedule your home workout In advance, as if you were booking a time slot at the gym. Making “appointments” with yourself can increase accountability.
- Create a designated workout space: If possible, create an area for strength training where you can keep equipment and anything you need, such as a fan, TV or speakers. Having a designated space can make it easier to quickly get into a workout and focus on the exercise.
- Adopt incomplete workout: Working out at home probably means more interruptions — a curious pet or the doorbell ringing might force you to stop, or you might have to end your workout early when a family member needs you. Remember that doing something is always better than doing nothing.
