Ways to Workout at Home: Combining Willpower with Imagination

There are many excuses with which people succeed at putting off going to the gym or getting into any fitness routine for the longest time. Some say they don’t have the time and energy for the added responsibility. They have created a lifestyle so hectic, they would rather watch the boob tube than spend their precious remaining free time researching workout routines schedules or crafting daily workout schedules or—heaven forbid—actually sweating it out in some crowded gym. There are those who cite financial restriction. A gym membership costs around $50 dollars a month. Add the initial one-time membership fee of $100-200 dollars and you’re looking at at least $700 on your first year and $600 annually thereafter. It’s no wonder that for many people, a gym membership simply wouldn’t fit into the family budget. Others just don’t trust themselves to get with any program and stick to it. They have given up on themselves before they have even allowed themselves to begin. To be honest, I have a suspicion that—for most people—it has nothing to do with either time or money constraints, but rather a lack of willpower and imagination. For one, one does not need a costly gym membership to get into an exercise routine, nor does one need to set up a home gym. There are many ways to workout at home that work just as well as sweating it out with gym equipment. Instead of spending big bucks setting up a home gym, why not spend a little extra effort researching on free or cheap alternatives. For cardio, climb the stairs up and down or jog in place while watching TV. For resistance training, buy inexpensive rubber bands from the nearby supermarket. For strength training, use heavy books and modify a couple of free weightlifting workout charts online for a more structured workout. I know someone who uses canned goods in place of dumbbells. You can also do something you enjoy. Aerobics and dancing—and its many varieties such as pole dancing, striptease dancing, hiphop or street dance, among others—are two extremely fun ways to workout at home that you would surely not mind incorporating into your daily workout schedules or 3day workout routine. At most, these would require only a video tutorial and some appropriate music, and off you go. These video tutorials are a dime a dozen in the market—you would even find many of them free online. The same is true for yoga, another one of the excellent ways to workout at home. Not only are these activities effective components of a healthy lifestyle, they also don’t necessarily burn a hole through your pocket. And because you can do them at home, they are also an excellent way to bond with your family, which should strengthen your resolve to make exercise a part of your lifestyle. Now that’s willpower and imagination at work.