Exercising at home is often said to be one of the best ways to spend your time during the lockdowns. But not everyone has the luxury of having their home gyms. Luckily, there are plenty of everyday items that you can turn into impromptu equipment. Here are a few everyday exercise equipment that will help you get in shape inexpensively.
Everyday exercise equipment no. 1: Water bottles
If you are like most households, you will likely have plenty of water bottles of different sizes lying around. These are often the ones that come from the neighborhood water delivery service. Instead of just letting them pile up, you can turn them into everyday exercise equipment.
To do this, you just fill these bottles with water. A gallon-sized bottle, for instance, would weigh around eight pounds, which is a good stand-in to dumbbells. Meanwhile, the larger bottles used in water dispensers are great for weight training.
Water bottle core and cardio shred
For this workout, you only need two regular-sized mineral water bottles. Fill both up to the brim and hold one on each hand, with your palms facing down. Stand with your feet apart the same distance as your hips. Tense your body by squeezing your squats, glutes, and core muscles.
Now, raise your hands in front of your body and assume a guard position. Punch with your right hand, rotating your whole torso in the process. Return to the guard position and punch with your left, rotating your torso alongside it. Do 20 repetitions and rest for 30 seconds.
For the next round, you will do the same punches but at eye level. Use your obliques to draw more power and don’t swivel your hips. Do 20 repetitions for each side, making sure that you don’t drop your hands. Make 9 sets of the punches with a 30-second rest between each set.
Gallon water bottle workout
This exercise uses the gallon-sized bottles. Look for those which have screw-on caps with handles. Start by standing straight and hold one jug on each hand. You then lift each jug in succession like a dumbbell. Do reps according to the dumbbell exercise you are following. If you think that the 1-gallon water jug is a bit light, you can opt for a larger jug.
You can also use these water jugs to do goblet squats. Start by standing with your feet wide apart. Carry the water jug to chest level. Push your hips back and slowly bend your knees and lower your back until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push your body up back to the starting position. Do two sets of 15 reps.
Everyday exercise equipment no. 2: Towel
Aside from keeping you dry after workouts, the humble hand towel can itself be a versatile exercise tool. You will be mostly using this one during bodyweight workouts. These are the exercises that rely only on your weight for resistance. You can also use it for floor exercises.
Plank slide outs
This exercise works your abs and is a great supplement to regular crunches. You would want to do the exercise on a smooth floor to make it easier to slide the towel. To start, fold the towel horizontally in half and place it in front of your feet. From the standing position, go on all fours with your feet on the towel. Assume a high plank position.
Start sliding the towel forward using your feet until you feel your core muscles tightening. Push on the towel to bring your feet back to the starting position. Complete 15 repetitions for one set and do three sets of the exercise.
Progressive angular twist
To start this exercise, hold one end of the towel in each hand. Extend your arms in front of you until they are at shoulder level. Pull the ends of the towel until your arms are shoulder-width apart.
Start rotating the towel until your arms are around 10-20 degrees from the starting position. Twist back to the other side until you get into the same position. Do the back and forth motion for 30 seconds. For the next set, increase the twist to 90 degrees. Do this for another 30 seconds. Finally, do a full half-circle twist with the last set.
Everyday exercise equipment no. 3: Pillows
You might find it surprising but even pillows can be used as everyday exercise equipment. This also follows the same bodyweight workout idea as before. What’s more, you can do some of the workouts while in bed, which makes them great for those lazy days.
Pillow V-ups
This is a simple workout that targets your abs and core. To start, lie down on the floor with your back firmly planted on the ground. Hold the pillow between your feet and extend your arms over your head.
Bend your knees to bring the pillow to your chest. At the same time, bring your arms overhead and reach out for the pillow. Make sure that your lower back is still in contact with the floor and that your spine does not arch. Repeat the movement, this time passing the pillow from your hand to your feet.
Angry pillow workout
If you are feeling stressed, this workout from fitness instructor Pahlia Bowers is a great option. It uses a regular couch pillow and is designed to get your body moving a lot within a 20-minute workout time. It will also help you vent out some stress.
Everyday exercise equipment no. 4: The couch
This is another surprise for beginning exercise buffs but the couch is also great as everyday exercise equipment. You can even think of it as a multi-purpose machine because of the number of workouts you can do with it. When doing these exercises, make sure that the living room is not cluttered with other furniture so that you have plenty of room to move around in.
Couch pistol squat to hop
To begin this simple exercise, stand in front of the couch, facing away from it. Slightly raise your right leg and put your weight on the left leg. Do a one-legged squat on your left leg until your butt touches the couch. Stand up explosively and hop your left leg. Repeat the motion for 30 seconds then switch to the other side.
Movie night workout
As the name says, you can do this whole workout from fitness instructor Neila Rey while sitting on the couch. It consists of the following moves:
- 20 leg swings
- 20 front leg swings
- 40 punches
- 40 overhead punches
- 20 knee taps
- 20 bicycle crunches
Do each of these sets in succession to complete a set. Repeat three sets with a 2-minute rest between sets. One interesting thing about the workout is that its duration is almost the same length as a regular movie.
Get into shape with these everyday objects
With the exercises here, you don’t need to buy expensive home gym equipment. Your home itself becomes the gym. And you will be saving a lot of money and living space. Check out what other objects you can turn into everyday exercise equipment and stay fit while staying at home.