Stay home, stay strong

It’s never too late to embrace a new fitness regime, so what are you waiting for? Follow our helpful hints and you’ll find it’s easy to exercise while at home.

We know that maintaining an active lifestyle is just as important for our mental health as it is for our physical wellbeing.

Those in an older age bracket might be pleased to hear they don’t necessarily need to hit the treadmill or attend an aerobics class in order to keep fit.

In fact, you can do many exercises in the comfort of your own home, whether that’s in your living room or out in the garden.

Your own personal gym

Don’t worry about expensive equipment – it’s easy to give your whole body a workout with just a few household items. For example, you can use canned soup or tins of baked beans instead of dumbbells to boost your upper-body strength.

Soup tin arm raises

Stand straight with your arms by your sides and a weight in each hand. Keep your palms facing inwards and your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms straight out to shoulder height, then return them to your sides. Repeat the movement 8 times.

Tip: if you are finding this tricky, leave out the weights or try these exercises while seated.

Baked bean bicep curls

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the weights by your sides with your palms facing forwards and elbows tucked in. Bend your elbows and lift the weights towards your chest. Hold this position for a second, then slowly lower your arms. Repeat the movement 8 times.

Next, strengthen your core by adding a broom or a mop to some simple standing exercises.

Sweeping shoulder press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the broom at eye level with one hand at either end, so they are shoulder-width apart. Keeping your arms straight, raise the broom above your head before lowering it again to eye level. Repeat 8 times.

Broom squats

Holding the broom above your head, bend your knees and tilt your body forwards so you are in a deep squat. Then straighten up as tall as you can. Repeat 8 times, all the while holding the broom above your head.

Chores can be cardio

It might not feel like exercise, but day-to-day household tasks can be a great way to increase your heart rate.

The next time you’re hanging out your laundry, use your washing basket to do a few oblique twists. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the basket, with both hands, just above your waist.

Gently twist the basket around your body to one side while keeping your lower body still and your hips facing forwards, then twist to the other side. Repeat this semi-circular movement 8 times.

You can also give your leg muscles an extra stretch by adding a few walking lunges while hoovering or when you’ve arrived home from shopping and are still holding your bags.

Your back knee should almost touch the floor as you repeat the lunge with alternating legs. You can even make the exercise a little more challenging by slowing down and holding the lunges at the bottom for longer.

Look for ways to introduce exercise into your routine in a way that makes it easy to keep up good habits. Count the number of squats you can complete while brushing your teeth, slowly increasing the number of times you can comfortably walk up and down the stairs in one session.

Tip: listen to music, a podcast or an audiobook while exercising. You might find it’s a welcome distraction!

Take a seat

Chair exercises are a great way to start stretching and flexing a whole range of muscles. They can even be carried out while you’re watching TV or reading a book. Select a solid chair where you can sit in with your feet flat on the floor and with your knees bent at right angles.

Start by sitting upright without leaning on the back of the chair. While holding onto the sides of your seat, lift one bended leg as high as is comfortable before placing your foot back down.

Alternate sides and aim to gradually increase the number of lifts you do with each leg over time. You can also take turns to straighten out each leg in front of you, pointing and flexing the toes towards and away from the chair to improve ankle flexibility.

Remember, if you have a pre-existing medical condition, it’s important to seek your GP’s advice before embarking on any new form of exercise.