Household Items You Can Use In Your Workouts

Have you ever found yourself wanting to do a really good body workout but you don’t have the money or the time to join a gym? I feel the exact same way, but look no further than your own home for the workout you want and your body needs. Curious? I was too. Turns out there are a plethora of acceptable workout equipment items lying around all our homes. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? It is quite true and almost shocking how some of the typical household items we all have stored up can actually be used for multiple purposes, one being tools to aid your home workout. Ready to be amazed? Let’s unlock the potential of your new at-home workout options!

Kitchen Items

There’s no room at home that can welcome more stuff or more clutter than your kitchen. In terms of workout equipment, you probably have no idea just how many items in your kitchen and pantry can actually aid you in your home workouts.

• Paper plates - Paper plates can do more than just hold your pizza. Those who are familiar with using glider discs in their workouts can quickly see the advantages of using paper plates to the same effect. Whether doing body weight exercises or to make your lunges more challenging, try putting paper plates between your foot and the floor, making you slide it one way and have to slide it back. They also work well using them for pikes, mountain climbers and plank jacks
• Soup cans - Missing the hand weights at your gym? Pick up a can of soup in each hand and incorporate them into your exercise
• Water bottle - Bottles of water also make great hand weights and full gallon jugs of water weight an estimated 8 pounds, so there’s an even heavier weight for you to lift. Want some more resistance added to your training? Add these items to a backpack and carry them during portions of walking, runnining, push ups, squats and lunges, or taking some cardio trips up and down your stairs

Laundry Items

Your laundry room can add some new “pick-up” to your workouts with items that might just surprise you.

• Laundry detergent - Your bottle of laundry detergent has that helpful handle that can be used as a kettlebell for swings or a great weight to do bicep curls with
• Laundry basket - fill you laundry basket up with some weighty objects and use it for deadlifts

Linen Closet

Your linen closet can quickly become an aid in your workout routine at your home gym.

• Beach towel - Your favorite beach towel, which has the scent of the pool and/or the ocean, can easily become your yoga mat or floor protection while doing exercises on the floor
• Hand towel - Two regular hand towels can be placed under your feet or hands and up the level of difficulty for exercises like pikes, mountain climbers and knee tucks

Furniture

Chair - A folding chair or any kind of good chair seat can be used as a weight bench where you can practice your tricep dips, bicep curls and other arm weight reps

Couch cushion - Your couch may be where you typically find yourself just lying around, but you can take the couch cushions off and use them for seated bicycle crunches or stand on the cushion when you do deep squats

Appliances, Walls & Etc.

As you are beginning to see, so much of what’s already in your home can make it your own personal home gym. Here’s some more crazy workout aids you might not have thought about.

• Vacuum cleaner - Add some home style weights to the top of your vacuum cleaner so you get more of a resistance workout as you push and pull it around your house
• Wall - Walls in your home can be used for wall walks, wall push ups and wall sits 
• Broom handle or mop handle - To enhance your core workout, hold a broom or mop handle over your head as you do your standing crunches
• Heavy book - Nothing can be heavier than a big old book. Want to add weight to your backpack we mentioned earlier? Put some of those heavy coffee table books for added weight
• Stairs - As I’m sure you notice every single day, your flight of stairs are your own personal cardio machine on a high level climb

It’s That Easy!

Creativity is truly an amazing and useful thing. Who would have imagined that everyday items that you have just lying around your home could be put to another use and help you in your home exercise and workout routines? It really leaves us no excuse to put off exercising anymore. If you can pick up a jug of laundry detergent and climb your stairs a few times, then do it! As always, don’t try any new or vigorous exercise until you’ve spoken with your doctor first and have their permission to move forward into a fitness routine. There are a lot of great resources and videos out there that can show you the proper way to perform these exercises and how they are intended to be done safely. Make sure the ones you choose are in line with what your physician has said is safe for you to do. Anytime is a good time to start taking care of you! 

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Sources:

https://www.bicycling.com/skills-tips/g23451830/how-to-use-household-items-to-exercise-at-home/

https://www.wellandgood.com/household-items-to-use-as-exercise-equipment/

https://www.verywellfit.com/everyday-items-workout-use-85820