5 alternatives to workout that keep you from going to the gym (you may not even think of)!

Exercising regularly is the best thing you can do to improve your health, but there are many factors that may prevent you from going to the gym, such as expensive costs, long working hours or even the weather, especially with winter approaching. And while gyms are slowly reopening around the world, many remain closed, and even if gyms do reopen, many people simply don't feel comfortable returning to a completely "normal" lifestyle just yet.

In this article, we have found some fun ways for you to stay fit and get a full body workout without any extra equipment or leaving your home, using just simple household items you might not even think of!

1. Chair Dips

The diving exercise (Dip) is one of the exercises that helps to strengthen the upper part of the body, especially the chest muscles and the triceps muscles. This exercise is considered one of the most effective exercises for the arm muscles.[1]

Just make sure to apply pressure and weight in the correct areas so you can perform the reps safely, then you can easily simulate this exercise using a sturdy, stable chair or two!

2. Your Backpack for Bodyweight Exercises

If you don't have weights at home, you can do a variety of strength and resistance exercises using just a backpack loaded with the right weights (like books, canned foods, or even bags of rice!) to build muscle and stay in shape.

3. Using the wall for strength and flexibility exercises

You can strengthen the muscles in your legs and core, as well as perform push-ups, stretching, even squats and yoga, using just any wall in your home, as it will provide stability and help you get the right posture.

4. Stairs for cardio

You can use the stairs in your home to get a great cardiovascular and strength workout, improve your fitness, and increase your burn rates. You can even do a full-body workout by adding weights and using stairs for push-ups and squats.

5. Couch for abdominal and chest exercises

Instead of lying down watching your favorite series, the sofa can be used as an alternative to a bench in the gym, to strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, back and arms; They also provide an excellent surface for push-ups.

6. Towels and blankets for yoga and push-ups

To avoid a stiff floor while you work out, you can simply do push-ups, stretches, and even yoga moves on thick towels or blankets instead of the rubber yoga mat you find at the gym.

7. Full-body exercises with a broom and a vacuum cleaner

The hand and electric broom has other benefits than cleaning!

Sweeping burns about 250 calories per hour, but you can make this task more efficient by changing the way you move while you're cleaning.

A manual broom can be used to strengthen the upper body, and can even be combined with squats and pilates to improve body agility and flexibility. You can also do the lunge exercise by placing one of your legs forward, with the knee and foot bent on the ground, and the other leg behind. It is a great exercise for the lower body muscles, but it is important when doing it to consider the following:

Keep your back straight.

Keep your abdominal muscles tight during the entire exercise.

Try not to touch the ground with your back knee.

While vacuuming, take long, deep breaths and slowly walk forward, until you feel the burning sensation in your thighs and buttocks.

Conclusion

It can be frustrating to stay active when you're not fully equipped to exercise, but there are always alternatives to exercising and staying fit, and there are many tools you already have at home that will help you stay healthy. The most important thing is to use it correctly and safely to get the most out of it.

Just get creative trying to find ways to become more active, and don't give up on your fitness goals.