With obesity a real life health issue in U.S, many people are actively trying to improve their health and reshape their bodies. For this reason alone, many do not mind spending hundreds of dollars on fitness gadgets aimed at saying goodbye to any unwanted flab. But what if you didn’t have to spend so much money for better health and fitness? The answer: you don’t. All the tools you need are already inside your home. Simply look around your place and you’ll find useful items that make effective exercise equipment. Here are five everyday items just lying around the house that cost little to nothing, but can help set up your own gym and jumpstart a healthier lifestyle.
Broom
- You can use this item to perform oblique twists to tone your abs. Just get a broom and rest it on your shoulders. Drop your hands over the top of the broom. Now stand in a comfortable position, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Now, curl or twist from one side to the other, while making sure your hips don’t move. You can add to the intensity by altering your speed. 10-15 reps on each side will do the trick.
Ball
- You can use it to tone your chest, triceps, shoulders and core. With these ball-pushups, it’s important that you perform this exercise on a soft surface, as this will protect your knees. You need to place one hand on the floor and the other on the ball to perform a push-up. Make sure your arms don’t go beyond 90 degrees. Again, 10-15 reps on each side are enough.
Paper Plate
- You can use this item for reverse lunge, which is quite effective for thighs, glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Stand in a comfortable position with your feet hip-width apart and a paper plate placed under one of your feet. Now, you need to push your foot with the plate toward the back to get in a lunge position. While doing so, make sure your front knee stays in position and doesn’t beyond 90-degree angle. Now, slowly slide back up to get in your starting position. Perform 10-15 reps and ensure that you’re doing this exercise on a smooth surface.
Water Bottles
- You can use this particular item for an exercise called shoulder extensions. You need to start by placing your hands over the water bottles. While making sure the arms are at your sides, you need to lift them until they are straight out in front of you. Hold this position for a few seconds and then release. This is a good exercise, but you need to ensure that the bottles you’re using are of the same weight and size.
Heavy book
- You can use a heavy book to get your abs in shape. You need to perform abdominal twists using this item. For this, sit on a solid surface and grab a heavy book firmly in your hands. Now lean back, making sure your feet remain flat on the ground. Engage your core and keep the book out in front of you. Now you have to twist/curl from hip to hip. Make sure you don’t hold your breath while performing this exercise.
[infobox title=’Author Bio: ‘]Nancy is the Founder & Owner of OffshoreWebService.Com that offers interactive marketing solutions for large and small businesses. She has a versatile experience in client handling and business management. Connect her on official facebook page for Offshore WebService [/infobox]
[photo credit: Edson Hong via photopin cc]
