You don’t need a gym membership or a lot of fancy equipment to reach your fitness goals.
Whether you’re new to working out or have been working out for years, you don’t need a gym membership to meet your fitness goals. You can improve your health and wellness without leaving home.
Explore the benefits of working out at home, as well as some tips and resources to help you get started.
The Benefits of Exercise
Exercise provides several mental and physical health benefits – no matter where you do it, including:
- More energy
- Improved stress levels
- Less risk for disease, like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancer
- Improved sleep
- Stronger bones and better balance
- Improved mood and decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Improved cognition, including memory and attention
When you work out at home, there are additional benefits to consider, including:
- Time – If you’re short on time, working out at home can be effective because you don’t have to drive anywhere, sign in to a class, or wait for a machine or a set of weights.
- Cost – Working out at home can be free or as inexpensive as you want it to be, depending on what, if any, equipment you want to buy.
- Convenience – You don’t have to worry about how you look, what you wear, or who you’ll run into. You can get your workout done whenever it’s most convenient.
Tips for Working Out at Home
To make your home workout safe
and effective, consider the following advice including exercise tips from the American Heart Association:
- Talk to your health care provider. If you have a known disease, talk to your health care provider before beginning any new exercise routine. Discuss your goals and current fitness level, any injuries or health conditions you have, what medications you’re taking, and anything else that may affect your exercise routine.
- Prioritize safety. When you’re in a group class or with a personal trainer, you’re being watched and corrected as you go. When you’re at home, you need to pay attention to your own safety. Warm up and cool down, study images or videos on proper form, follow training guidelines, watch instructional videos until you feel comfortable with what you’re doing, wear good footwear, and stop if you feel any kind of sharp pain or dizziness.
- Block off time for working out. When you go to the gym or sign up for a class, that workout time is built into your day. When you’re at home, it’s easy to get distracted with chores or other to-dos. Consider your at-home workout as an important part of your day and block off time to complete it, even if it’s just 10 minutes at a time.
- Create a workout space. If you have the room to set up workout space in your basement or your garage, for example, go for it. You may find it motivates you to have a designated space that includes a mirror, a mat, and any other equipment you may have. If you don’t have room for that, you can still keep a rolled-up towel or mat close to where you’re planning to exercise, so when the time comes you can roll it out and get started.
- Use what you have. You don’t have to spend any money on equipment to work out at home. Your own body weight can provide an extremely effective workout, with moves like planks, pushups, and lunges. You can also create your own weights using a backpack full of books, soup cans, or water jugs. You can use your stairs for calf raises or a chair for triceps dips. If you want to buy some inexpensive equipment, consider a jump rope, resistance bands, or a single set of dumbbells. You can often find used equipment for a good price.
- Use the internet. The internet is a great resource when it comes to creating an effective home workout. You can search terms like “yoga poses for beginners” or “30-minute strength training videos using body weight only.” You should be able to find several free programs and trainers to meet your workout needs.
- Find something you enjoy. You’re more likely to stick with an exercise program if you enjoy it, so use your home workouts to explore what that is. From the comfort of your living room, you can try a new yoga routine, take out some stress with a kickboxing workout, or find a fun dance video you can try without anyone watching.
- Customize your workout. Maybe your goal is to build strength after an injury, or maybe it’s to lower your blood pressure numbers. Think about your workout goal, talk to your health care provider, and make a plan that helps you reach your goal. A healthy routine usually involves some cardiovascular activity, some strength training, and some balance and flexibility work.
- Find ways to hold yourself accountable. With no trainer watching or a friend meeting you for a group fitness class, you’ll need a different way to hold yourself accountable. Try printing out a calendar and writing down your workouts or use an app to track your progress.
Specific Exercise Recommendations
Based on the current guidelines, adults
should perform at least 150-300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity), plus muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups at least two days per week.
Moderate intensity means activities that increase breathing and heart rate (like brisk walking), while vigorous intensity causes larger increases (like jogging).
Studies show that running just 5-10 minutes daily at slow speeds significantly reduces mortality risk, and “weekend warriors” exercising 75 minutes once or twice weekly show decreased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality compared to sedentary individuals.
Resources
- TRICARE offers several resources related to your health and wellness.
- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers several ways for Veterans to work out at home, including the Gerofit program. It provides online classes, exercise videos, and telephone counseling for older Veterans.
- VA’s Whole Health initiative offers the #LiveWholeHealth series, which has videos on yoga, tai chi, stretching, meditation, and more.
- The MOVE! Coach app, part of the MOVE! weight management program has tools, games, educational videos, and more.
- The Veterans Yoga Project provides free online yoga classes for Veterans, caregivers, and families.
- This Healthline article includes 30 body weight exercises you can use to create an effective home workout. It provides pictures and videos with suggestions for all fitness levels.
You don’t need a gym membership or a lot of fancy equipment to reach your fitness goals. Create your own home routine and start reaping the benefits!