The Key to Burning Extra Calories at Home
Every calorie counts in your journey of losing weight and getting fit, and since there are many reasons your house can make you fat, here's one way to prevent packing on the pounds at home.
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Purchase some fitness gear you can keep at your house — a couple sets of dumbbells, a resistance band, an exercise ball, and a yoga mat. These items must stay at home, so if you like to go to yoga classes or bring a resistance band to the gym, have a second set that never walks out the door. Once you have your gear, put it all over your house and leave it there, out in the open, so when you walk by, you're guilted into inspired to use them. Here are some ideas.
- Leave dumbbells under your coffee table to encourage a few sets while watching TV. For a double whammy, print out this dumbbell workout so you're not wasting time wondering what moves to do.
- Bookmark a few quick workout videos like this one you can do using living room furniture, and keep your iPad out on your end table to burn a few during commercial breaks. Or place a resistance band on top of your iPad so you're all set to follow along to this cardio and strengthening workout.
- Keep an unrolled yoga mat on the floor next to your bed to do a few Sun Salutations in the morning or this 12-pose full-body yoga flow.
- Leave your phone on the second level of your house so every time it rings, you have to run up the chairs to answer it. Keep running or walking up and down the stairs during the call instead of just plopping yourself on the couch.
- Print out this Squat Challenge poster, and hang it on your bathroom wall to do some reps while brushing your teeth or blow-drying your hair.
- Use an exercise ball at your computer desk instead of a regular chair to work your core either just by sitting or by doing these effective crunches.
Remember — do not put your gear away! The key here is that seeing it reminds you to use it. Once you do a few quick workouts here and there, it'll become a habit so the next time you reach for that remote, you'll reach for a dumbbell as well.