Updated 10th January 2023
Table of Contents
24 Free Workout Hacks-3 Reasons to Workout At Home
You have access to all the equipment you need when you go to the gym. You also have the motivation of other people around you. But what if you don’t have the time to go to the gym? Or suppose your workplace doesn’t have a fitness center? What do you do then?
Sometimes, you need a nudge and inspiration to get off the sofa and begin a workout routine at home. It’s not so easy to find the motivation to exercise at home. Luckily, there are many ways to motivate yourself and exercise without leaving the comfort of your home.
These 24 workouts at home hacks will give you the much-needed boost to start your activities from the comfort of your home.
Sounds Good? OK, Let’s dive right in.
24 Free Workout Hacks
Here are 24 free workout Hacks at home on how to turn your everyday household items into equipment for your exercise routine. And you can also use alternative equipment mentioned with links to buy from Amazon to turn your home into your gym and take your workouts to the next level.
1. Turn Your Couch/Armchair Into A Gym
Using your sofa for a squat workout is a great way to help strengthen tone and define the muscles of your legs and bums. You and your Armchair are the only things needed for this exercise routine, so you don’t need any equipment. So you can listen to your playlist or watch a YouTube video to guide you while enjoying your workout!
- The first thing you need to do is sit up straight against your couch.
- Your back needs to be upright.
- Make sure your feet are flat against the ground.
- Then begin to stand up, keep your back straight while standing up and holding your tummy muscles in, squeeze your bum as you stand up, and slowly return to your seated position.
- You could repeat this routine 20 times with a 30-second break after 20 reps. If you feel the activity might be too easy, you could also include your arms in the routine by lifting your arms above your head as you stand up. This exercise alone will tone and shape your legs and buttocks and warm your entire body up for the subsequent workouts.
- Note you are putting your arms back slowly as you sit down to add more to your sofa stand-up, sit-down routine.
2. Use Towels As Resistance Bands
Use your towels as resistance bands. Your towels are an excellent improvisation for resistance bands, and doing this routine builds your arm strength.
- Begin stretching your arms straight in front of you, pulling, then stretching with your towel above your head.
- Note the towel is wrapped tightly around both hands, imitating the resistance bands. You can use resistance bands if you don’t want to use your towels.
- Then stretch with your towel above and behind your head. Using your towels as resistance bands is a great arm, shoulder, and upper back workout.
- Use your bathrobe tie as an alternative. The knot is likely to contain some elasticity, providing even more resistance during your stretching activities.
Towels may be used as yoga mats if you don’t have a yoga mat and wish to start with a video workout tutorial to follow at home. Here is the best yoga Pilates mat for all your home workout hacks. These are great alternatives to creating your home workout equipment for resistance training.
This Home Workout Equipment for Portable Workout Home has Total Body and is also suitable for when you travel and don’t have a gym available. CrossFit exercise at your convenience in your home and without paying for an expensive health club gym membership. Stay fit for life without investing time and money in going to the gym. Visit Resistance band training to learn more about using your towel for training and the various stretching training routines.
3. Use Your Water Bottle As Dumbbell
Use one to a five-gallon water bottle for weights ranging from eight to forty pounds. A 16 oz bottle of water weighs about one pound for less weight. Remember that not everyone can lift large water bottles, so start small and work your way up. Because the handles will differ from what you’re used to, be careful not to harm your hand while lifting them.
4. Dumbbells for workout
Do not be alarmed! Dumbbells workout for shoulders is hard work, and if you’re not sure of your ability to use them effectively, you’re unlikely to want to invest in them. There are many various types of dumbbells you can get. It’s up to you to figure out which is ideal for you and your strength level, or you can also use the alternative home equipment that matches and then invest in these dumbbells.
Here’s a short breakdown of the approximate equivalents:
- One pound means a can of soup or beans, a large bottle of salad dressing, and ten bundled cutleries.
- One kilogram of rice equals 2 lbs, and 1 liter of milk equals 2 lbs.
- A bag of fruits weighs 3kgs (8 apples).
- 2 kilograms of rice Equals 4 pounds.
- 5lbs equal to a 2.3 kg flour bag.
- A gallon of milk or water Equals 8 pounds.
- 10 lbs equal to a large bottle of laundry detergent.
5. Use Your Pillows As A Soft Workout Ball
You can use pillows to create an incline or a soft wall ball workout alternative. Fold the cushion to fit between your legs for barre workouts, or use it under your lower back when doing abs crunches. If you love introductory courses or inclined abdominal exercises, this is a great and less expensive choice. Soft Medicine Ball/Wall Medicine Ball for Full Body Workout and Strength Exercise
6. Wall Workout
Walls are ideal for training legs, abdomen, and arms. Perform the wall workout squats, push-ups, or crunches against one of your four walls at home.
7. Stairs Workout
If you have stairs, you already have a workout machine in your home. You may utilize the stairs for sprinting, stair jumping or simple toe lifts to define your calf muscles. Of course, take care not to fall. Stair climbing is a terrific way to strengthen your leg muscles. Here is another alternative you can invest in: a good-quality step elliptical machine and save time. Stamina InMotion Compact Strider
8. Cardio And Commute At The Same Time
This situation may not be ideal for everyone. Still, if you can find a safe alternative to driving to work, such as walking, running, or cycling, you can get your workout in before and after work. For safety reasons, I recommend using sidewalks wherever feasible or avoiding traffic.
9. Mop or Broom Handle (With Two Chairs) For Pull-Ups
With a mop broom handle and two chairs, you can do all kinds of rows to pull yourself along. You can also do sitting ab twists with the mop or broom handle or use a Pilates Bar with Resistance. Finally, get the stick handle out for some stretching and mobilization exercises. Use it as a morning stretch or activate and strengthen your thoracic spine.
10. Dog leash For Aided Stretching
You can use a dog leash for weighted pull-ups and dips, but you can also use it for added stretching or a suspension trainer for bodyweight rows. (Using the mop/broom handle to simulate a TRX-Total Body Resistance Exercise).
11. The Kitchen Counter For Unhand Chin Curls
Like a kitchen counter, you may utilize anything with a corner for various exercises, ranging from wider rows to unhand chin curls. You can do much with the counter if you’re willing to be creative.
12. The Doorway For Chin Ups
This area chin-up bar for the doorway allows you to work on the part of your body that is more difficult to work on at home: your back and shoulders. You may use the door frame and a step to do chin-ups, pull-ups, or an even row version for your back as long as you have a sturdy jamb.
Push your shoulders onto the door frame to get an isometric deltoid contraction.
13. The Floor For Hamstring Bridges
You may utilize your floor for exercises such as the Hamstring Bridge, curl, and abs training. You can also use a pull-up simulator to work your upper body and back.
14. Backpack Squats
To utilize your backpack squats, stuff it with your typical school or work materials, such as books and a laptop, and wear it while squatting down.
15. Triceps Extensions
A bag of fruits goes a long way regarding health advantages, which can help you improve your triceps! One-arm, two-arm, and sitting triceps extensions are variations you can practice on the sofa if you’re lazy.
16. Kettle Bell Swings
You may also do some kettlebell workouts with the same bag of fruits. To avoid causing a mess, ensure the bag is sturdy and tightly shut.
17. Toilet Paper Rolls – Planks
Planks are another adaptable and helpful exercise, but they can be tedious. So, while at home, customize your planks with whatever paper rolls you have.
It would be best if you got into the front-plank position, also known as the hover plank. In case the hover plank is new to you. I’ve listed the steps on how to get into it.
- This plank position is a hovering exercise. It helps you to engage all your core and abdomen muscles.
- Get on your knees and gently face down towards the floor.
- Using your hands to support yourself, push yourself off the floor; your arms should be straight in line with your shoulders, and your back should be kept straight.
- Keep your knees off the floor, or drop them for a modified plank. You should be feeling a lot of pressure on your toes.
- Make sure to gaze down to prevent straining your neck.
- And that’s it; you hover for a bit.
- You can do a modified plank on your knees and elbows. Wear wrist guards like these Doctor Developed Copper Wrist Braces if you have wrist injuries. You get to be comfortable and protected from injuries. So you get to exercise at home while being safe too.
- Support your knees to cushion them for added support and comfort to take the pressure off the painfully injured wrists. You would need yoga wrist supports. It helps you with making the plank exercise easier over time. You could also do this exercise with support blocks/slant boards. These blocks reduce injury risk. Get comfortable while exercising as they help relax your muscles during your workout.
- While doing this plank, you can also add chest presses to strengthen and tone your chest’s upper front and back muscles.
Now The Paper Rolls Come To Play
- Start in the plank position (like you read above).
- All you have to do is carefully shift your weight to your right hand.
- Using your left arm, pick the paper rolls and put them in front of your right hand.
- You’re doing this by placing the paper rolls in front of each. Take care not to put them too far from each other we do not want to strain your muscles.
- Hold for three seconds while keeping your core tight.
- Slowly bring your arm back to starting position.
- Switch arms and repeat.
- You could do reps 10-15 times.
- Note this is an advanced workout using the toilet rolls. Do the best you can, or do the alternative mentioned above with wrist guards and planking on dropped knees until you reach the advanced level.
The plank exercise builds your core strength more than your regular cardio. But with this hack, you will have to engage a lot of your tummy muscles which helps burn many calories if you have a problem with your belly fat. The paper roll plank is an excellent exercise for you. Yoga blocks achieve the same performance use yoga blocks to assist you with this exercise if you don’t want to use the toilet rolls.
18. Fabric Hand Towels For Mountain Climbers
Sliders are slick, disc-like items that help with full-body fitness programs. You’re pushing your muscles harder to keep your balance since the friction between you and the floor has reduced. Fabric hand towels or paper plates can substitute sliders at home. You may re-use these for your next workout as well! You may add lunges or mountain climbers to some exercises to give them a new twist.
19. Vacuum Cleaner–Lunges
Chores may be tedious, especially given how much time we spend at home cleaning. Why not make it a fun cleaning? However, consider getting in some lunges to make the most of your day while sweeping the floor. Your floor will be spotless, and your hips and legs will get into a defined shape — talk about a win-win situation.
Other home activities can also incorporate lunges into other home activities. While transferring clothes to the washer, sweeping the floor, or putting out the garbage, make some more lunges. Maintain a 90-degree angle between your legs and thighs, keep your back straight, and avoid extending your knee beyond your foot.
20. Laundry Basket For A Deadlift
Athletes have one thing in common at home: an abundance of sweaty and stinky gear to wash at any given moment. Use the laundry basket for functional movement to put all that laundry to good use.
- Begin by standing with a slight bend in your knees.
- Lower yourself and grip the basket by bringing your hips back.
- To begin, engage your hamstrings and glutes to thrust your hips forward.
- Three sets of 20-basket deadlifts is a good goal.
21. Duffel Bag As A Sandbag
Sandbag training is beneficial because it puts your strength, balance, and, most importantly, patience to the test. Prepare to work by packing a duffel bag with a variety of outfits. A sandbag walking lunge is a good option.
- Begin with the sandbag in front of you and your feet hip-width apart.
- Grab the handles and bring the bag to your chest, pressing it above, then resting it behind your neck on your shoulders.
- Keep your torso straight as you lunge forward with your left foot until your right knee meets the floor.
- For one routine, press through the right heel to stand. On the other hand, repetition alternates three sets of ten repetitions on the opposite side.
22. Utilize Your Largest Bath-Towel As A Yoga Mat
Don’t have a yoga mat? You may use the towels in your house to serve the same role. There will be a difference in overall thickness. Still, you can add more layers if you want extra padding for comfort and lay your towels on the carpet, not on a slippery hard floor. This thick yoga mat is an excellent alternative for your yoga Pilates workouts. It is ideal for cushioning the knees and elbows. These joints will hurt afterward and get injured after overuse if you don’t add enough cushioned padding.
23. Create Your Training Playlist
Want to get off the couch but find yourself with nowhere to go? Get some workout podcasts and create a playlist that gets you off your couch and onto the floor.
24. Your Laptop
Your laptop? Yes, you can use your laptop as a resource because it has an internet connection. There’s nothing you can’t discover on the web. Many fantastic instructions will guide you with the workout of your choice so take advantage of this opportunity to hunt for routine videos and read fitness like these. You’ll be ready to work out at home workout.
3 Reasons You Should Exercise At Home
But there are some excellent reasons to work out at home. It’s not always easy to find time for exercise when you have kids or are working long hours, and because of the covid-19 restrictions, the best solution is to work out at home. Whether you have your equipment at home is no excuse not to work out! Here are some ways working out at home is better than at the gym
1. Training Out At Home Is Cheaper
By working out at home, you spend more time doing the exercises you love, but you also are savvy and smart about saving money. You will have enough money to treat yourself and your family to a much-needed vacation. Plus, if you work out at home, you can always modify your exercises as you go along if you’re feeling sore.
2. Working Out At Home Is Convenient
Why work out in a gym when you can work out in the comfort of your home, on the carpeted floor of your living room? You can work out from the convenience of your own home. Put on your comfortable clothes and get started on your fitness program. You’re all set to go! You don’t need to do your hair or make-up or get side-tracked with vanity.
3. Working Out At Home Is More Effective
When you work out with the encouragement of others, you’ll be more driven to keep going. You will be more motivated to get up and keep going if you can work out with friends or family. Your children will also mirror your habits for taking care of your fitness and well-being.
Please read all our blogs for more in-depth articles on fitness. I suggest you start with the fitness mistakes to avoid and how to master 8 workout tips to get you set for results in your fitness routines.
Conclusion
Working out at home can be an excellent solution for many reasons, such as time and money. With the above hacks, you’ll be ahead of the game, but you’ll also get to be creative as you work out.
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