No gym membership - no problem! Rainy day exercises you can do at home!

Since it was supposed to be raining all day yesterday and today, I asked some friends on Facebook for some suggestions of exercises you can do at home.  My friends gave me great advice, and I now have plenty of exercises that can be done at home!  I also have some suggestions of my own, which have helped me in the past!  Some of the exercises require some equipment, but most of the equipment is fairly cheap, and it will pay off to have it!

YOGA - Yoga is a great way to build balance, strength, and flexibility.  You can do simple yoga moves to help you relax and relieve stress, and the stretching helps with flexibility.

WORKOUT DVD'S - These are great for individuals who do not have a gym membership or are not comfortable working out in front of others.  In addition, you can do these whenever you have time, and you can do them in the comfort of your own home!

WALKING/JOGGING IN PLACE - This is great for rainy days because you do not have to leave home.  In addition, it is a great way to do some cardio, if you do not get bored easily!

DANCE AROUND THE HOUSE - Turn on the radio, put it on your favorite music to dance to, and turn it up.  Dancing burns lots of calories and is a great cardio workout.  In addition, just dancing around the house can work several muscles at once.

CLEAN THE HOUSE - While this may not seem like fun, it will burn some calories.  So dust, vacuum, sweep, mop, clean windows, or do whatever needs to be done!  You can get some spring cleaning done on those rainy days when you cannot exercise outside!

You can also do some individual muscle exercises, such as bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, squats, leg lifts, crunches, arm swings, halos, planks, and push-ups.  Check out http://liztaylortraining.blogspot.com/ for some great tips and advice on these types of workouts, and she also has great info on many other topics, such as makeup, love, and your career! 

In addition, if you have a Wii or Xbox, I have heard that their workout games are amazing (I am thinking about purchasing the Wii for myself soon)!

Some equipment that may be necessary for some of these workouts:

DUMBBELLS - Dumbbells are great for weight training and targeting certain muscles.  Most dumbbells are cheap, and you can find the right weight for you.  If you do not have dumbbells or cannot afford them at this time, you can use water jugs (if they have handles) or canned goods.  While these may not be enough weight for you, it is still beneficial.

MAT/YOGA MAT - If you are working out on a hard surface, a mat is very beneficial.  It is useful for exercises that require you to lay on the floor, or for different yoga positions!

BODY BALL - The body ball is perfect to help with certain exercises that you may be limited with, such as push-ups, wall squats, crunches, and you can also use the body ball as if it were a bench in certain exercises, such as chest butterflies or chest presses!

KETTLEBELL - This kettlebell is amazing.  It allows you to do weight training and cardio, all in one.  The arm swings that I mentioned earlier are super cardio exercises, and they help build muscle all over.  After I get done working out with my kettlebell, all my muscles are sore.  There are several exercises you can do with the kettlebell, and they are all beneficial if you are trying to lose weight!  In addition, I only paid about $8 for this at Wal-Mart, and it came with a workout DVD and a chart of different exercises.

Other great accessories to have are a weighted jump rope (jumping rope is a great cardio routine), resistance bands (these are easy to use & you can do many leg exercises with them that you cannot do with dumbbells), and most importantly, a scale.  While the scale will not help you while you are working out, it is very beneficial to ensure that your exercises and diet are producing results!  Some individuals, especially women, think that the scale is their enemy, but it is actually your best friend, and when you start believing that, it will help you tremendously!

I would like to think Brandi, Renee, Amy, Liz, and Sarah for helping me find some new ways to exercise indoors!  If anyone else has any ideas that are not listed, let me know, and I will be glad to add them!