Due to COVID-19 stay-at-home regulations, gyms are closed and people are encouraged to be creative with their workout routines at home. Thanks to the Internet, however, you can still get in shape by attending virtual workouts. From yoga to Pilates, almost all of your favorite workouts are available online.
But what about the equipment you need?
You can buy the gym equipment you need online, too. But if you’re on a strict budget, do not worry! As long as you have the following household items on hand, you can do your favorite workout routines at home.
Gallon Water Bottles
A gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds, so if you have two gallons of water at home, you can use them as an alternative to traditional dumbbell exercises. Also, the handles of water bottles make them easy to curl, grip, and swing. Use water bottles with a screw-on cap so you can avoid making a mess.
If you feel one-gallon water bottles are light, switch to three-gallon jugs filled with water so that they weigh 25 pounds each. If you’re unable to press or curl with that much weight, fill up your bottles ¾ of the way instead.
Towel
Did you know you can use your towel as your resistance band? Before you use it to dry yourself after a shower, use your towel for a killer arm workout. If you’re looking for a leg challenge, assume a plank position on the floor with a small towel under each of your feet. In a slow and controlled manner, glide your legs apart and back together.
Backpack
Remember when you used to lug around what seemed like 20 pounds of books as a kid? You can do that again for your workout. Fill your backpack with canned foods or books and use them to add weight to your bodyweight exercises like lunges, swats, and pushups. You can also use your backpack for other exercises. Grasp the straps to perform shoulder presses or curls.
Chair
Use a sturdy chair without wheels to practice your leg raises or perfect your squats. You can use a second chair to practice your tricep dips. If you want a more challenging chair workout, incorporate the 5-5-5 Chair Workout to test your cardio, strength, and flexibility.
PVC Pipe
Make the most out of this amazing at-home fitness tool by closing off the ends. Fill a large piece of PVC and fill it with sand or water (completely or partially) to use it as an unbalanced weighted barbell (also known as a slosh pipe or a slosh tube).
Pillows
Nice and squishy, pillows and cushions are the perfect alternatives to pricey balance tools. They are more difficult to stand on, which encourages your body to work harder on maintaining stability. Try doing split squats with one foot or pushups on the cushion.
Fantastic workouts do not require pricey or fancy equipment. What they do require is discipline and the willingness to put in some effort and creativity in finding workout solutions. So go ahead and enjoy working out with the tools you find at home.
