Everything you need to tone your problem areas and get in shape is right in front of your eyes. You don’t need a gym membership and you definitely don’t need expensive fitness equipment. It only takes a little imagination to transform everyday items into body sculpting tools.
1. Hardwood Floors and Socks: When it comes to home decor, hardwood floors are really all the rage, but stand on them while wearing a pair of socks and you’ve unknowingly created a new piece of fitness equipment that takes your workout to a whole new level. new. The wooden floor under your socks creates a slippery surface that engages more muscles as you try to control your movements. Constant contact with the ground as you slide back to the starting position targets the inner thighs and core in a way that a standard exercise routine never will. Side lunges and the scissor plank are two great examples:
Side Slide Lunges:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your hands in front of your chest to help you balance.
Put your weight on your left leg.
As you slowly bend your left knee and squat down, slide your right foot out to the side.
While straightening your left leg, slide your right foot in. Your right foot is in constant contact with the ground. Focus on realigning the leg with the inner thigh.
Complete three sets of 15 repetitions on each side.
scissor plank:
Start in a full plank position with your hands under your shoulders and arms straight.
Slide your feet apart, spreading your legs as wide as possible without sinking your lower back. Squeeze your inner thighs together as you slide your feet together. Complete three sets of 15 repetitions.
2. Your sofa: This versatile piece of furniture is not just for lying down. Not only does it serve as a great piece of fitness equipment for all exercise levels and full-body fitness routines, its various elevations (couch cushion vs. armrest) allow you to target different parts of your muscle that you can find it more difficult to tone. Raising your legs off the couch cushion while performing a pushup makes this upper body exercise advanced. It targets your upper chest, while at the same time sculpting your shoulders and arms. Beginners practice perfect form as they stand on the armrest and bend over to do pushups. Standing allows you to control the amount of body weight you are pushing and gives you the benefits of defined arms and chest.
3. Your purchases: Whether it’s once a week or once a month, any exercise helps. Edibles are a great activity to tone your arms. If you don’t want to attract attention, don’t move. Hold a grocery bag in each arm at 90 degree angles and keep them there for as long as possible. This exercise is known as the isometric grip. The longer you stay in place, the more muscle fibers you’ll recruit, and the more fibers you recruit, the better your arms will look. It’s that easy.
4. Your body: your body is the only all-in-one cardio and resistance training tool you own. In fact, some would say that store-bought fitness equipment is a thing of the past, as the newest and most creative body movements take the boredom out of exercise. The burpee is a great example of a full-body toning and cardiovascular exercise:
burps:
Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body into a squat position while placing your hands on the floor in front of you.
Take a step back so that you are in a pushup position. For more intensity jump back.
Bend your elbows and lower your chest into a pushup.
Put your feet in their original position. Stand up and then jump into the air.
5. The stairs: Stairs are the best piece of butt lift fitness equipment you will ever own. The main muscle in your butt, the Gluteus Maximus, works to straighten your hips. Every time the hip is flexed, the Gluteus Maximus has to work to straighten the leg. That is why climbing stairs is so effective. The higher the step, the greater the hip flexion and the more your butt will work.
It doesn’t end there. Stand up at the end of the movement and place all your weight on the leg that you push up. This works another butt muscle called the Gluteus Medius. This muscle tones the side of your butt as it flexes to keep your hips in line.
It doesn’t stop here. Just about anything can become your new piece of fitness equipment, adding fun and innovation to any fitness routine.