Girlie Push-ups
My husband and I do not belong to a gym. I think gyms are great, but as principle, we try to exercise outdoors as much as possible and save all our extra pennies for hiking excursions, thus gyms currently do not make the cut.
Most of the year, I am fine not belonging to a health club, but during the cold months of winter there are days when I am simply too much of a ninny to exercise outdoors. For example this past week was the coldest week in Asheville since 1970, every time I ventured outside I came back indoors without sensation in my fingers, toes, or nose. For eight straight days we had negative wind chills and during that time I only once braved the cold for a 9-mile run, all the other days I exercised in our home gym. Now some people really do have a home gym, but we just have a carpet. That said, I have enjoyed some of my best workouts on that carpet.
So for those of you who are unable or unwilling to venture outside in the cold, dark, winter months, here are some of my favorite indoor exercises.
The Mat
1. The Mat – A lot of people have an official yoga mat. I have a foam sleeping pad that works great for stretching, sit-ups, and push-ups. I usually start on the mat with a serious of stretches and then go into leg-lifts, followed by holding my body in a V-formation without using my hands – you will feel this in your stomach, trust me! Next I will do several sets of push-ups, usually the girl style because boy push-ups aggravate my back, and I finish with several rounds and variations of stomach crunches.
Exercise Ball
2. The Ball – I love those big blow-up exercise balls. I have seen them at Wal-mart and Target for around $10-$12 and besides the excercise benefits they also make a great spare chair when company comes over. I will use my ball on the mat by holding it between my ankles and lifting it up in the air, or putting my feet on top and lifting but gluteus maximus off the floor. When not on the mat, I will sit on top of the ball and then carefully lift my feet off the floor to try to balance. This is a fun exercise and great for developing both your balance and your core muscles. Often my husband and I will turn it into a game to see who can balance the longest.
The Bike Trainer
3. The Bike Trainer – I am not good on a bike, I wish that I was and I have tried to be in the past, but trust me… I am not a cyclist. Suffice it to say, that I am much better at sports where my feet touch the ground and have an average speed of less than 8 miles per hour. Typically the only workout that our road bike gets is taking my husband to and from work, but I will admit that when it is below freezing outside, it is nice to set the bike up on a stationary trainer and spin for an hour. It not only negates my fear of speed, but it allows me to watch Sportscenter as well.
Stair - Stepper
4. The Chair or Couch – When I am training for the Appalachian Trail this is one of my favorite ways to get in shape. I will find a sturdy chair or couch in our house and then with my backpack weighted and strapped to my back I will step on and off that chair for up to an hour. I usually start by facing the chair doing 5 mins of right leg step-ups, followed by 5 mins of left leg step-ups. After that I will turn 90 degrees and practice side step-ups on both legs as well. It is amazing how much better I am on those long climbs when I have been doing this consistently at home.
Okay, with a little core work, some time spinning on the trainer and a good dose of steps, you can get a great workout in your living room that will set you up well when the time comes to don the boots or trail runners once again. I hope this helps some of you endure the winter blast and get ready for your upcoming spring adventures. This week in Asheville the highs are returning to the mid-40s so I am looking forward to getting back out to the trails soon because, let’s face it, the trails will always be my favorite gym.
*Be sure to click of the hyper-links to get detailed instructions and information for exercises to do at home.
