Easy Ways to Work Out at Home

Hate the gym? Can’t afford a membership? You don’t need one!  You can shape up using “equipment” that’s in your home right now.

1. Your stairs
Climbing them is a great way to get your heart pumping, burn major calories and sculpt the muscles in your legs and butt. “My townhouse has 2 flights of 15 stairs. When I work from home, I run up and down them 10 times every 60 minutes,” says NASM Elite Trainer James Conroy. “It sounds crazy, but it works!”

Also try step-ups to strengthen your whole lower body, and heel lifts (aka calf raises) to strengthen your calves.

2. A kitchen chair
This is one all-purpose piece of fitness equipment! Sneak in these basic strength moves from Sharecare fitness expert Mel Mueller between whipping up a smoothie and loading the dishwasher. Or try the creative full-body chair workout in this video from Dr. Mehmet Oz and trainer MJ Shaw. It will take your breath away (literally). 

3. The floor
A clear patch of floor or carpet is like an invisible gym, since it’s the perfect place to do body-weight exercises like lunges, burpees (aka squat thrusts), squats, push-ups, tuck jumps—the list goes on.

4. A wall
If the floor seems too far away, exercise against a wall. Try wall squats for your quads and wall push-ups for your upper body.

Wait, there’s one more thing in your home that you might want to make use of: a towel, to mop up all that sweat.

Visit our fitness center for more creative ways to work out—and get motivated.

Click here to be inspired by everyday people like you who’ve succeeded in losing weight and getting fit.

What are your most creative ways to get fit at home? Share them with us in the comment section below.

File under: Fit Friday