You don't need a costly gym membership to get fit!
It's all too easy to find an excuse not to go the gym, but if you exercise at home you'll save time as well as money.
Here are some exercises* you can do without leaving the house. Wear trainers and loose clothing and make sure you have plenty of space. Before exercising warm up by marching on the spot, swinging your arms, for five minutes.
Dance to some of your favourite tracks – dancing for ten minutes burns over 50 calories.
Invest in a skipping rope and exercise in your garden – skipping is an excellent cardiovascular exercise and 10 minutes burns 120 calories.
Wall presses help tone and strengthen your arms. Stand an arm's length from a wall and, resting your palms on the wall at shoulder height, bend your arms so your face is a few centimetres from the wall and then straighten (without locking your elbows). Do 10 reps initially, then build up.
Take a small bottle of water or can of food in each hand and, standing up straight, with your elbows tucked into your waist, lift the weights towards your shoulders and down again. Build up repetitions as you get stronger.
Lunges are excellent for toning your buttocks and thighs. Stand with your feet a shoulder-width apart, then take a long step forward with your right foot, bending at the knee so that your knee is over your right ankle and bending your left knee so that it almost reaches the floor, then return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. Do 25 reps initially on each leg then increase.
Use your stairs to tone your legs by stepping up on to the first step with one foot before bringing the other to join it, and then stepping down. Alternate your lead foot. Try to keep this up at a steady pace for 10 minutes.
Squats are also good for lower body toning. Stand with your feet a shoulder-width apart, then bend your knees and lower, sticking out your rear as if you were about to sit in a chair (be careful not to arch the back), and then straighten up again, squeezing your buttocks on the way back up. Repeat.
The plank is excellent for toning your tummy. Lie on your front, propping yourself up on your elbows, and with your feet flexed at a perpendicular angle to your legs. Then, pull your mid section up so your body is off the floor and your body and legs are parallel to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds, and repeat.
Put a bit more gusto into the housework – hoovering, cleaning, washing the car all help you burn calories at a higher rate and gets those jobs done, too!
*Always check with your GP before starting a new exercise regime.