Everyone knows that working out is important. Your physician, of course, will extoll the benefits exercise can bring, but even someone in a seemingly unrelated profession — like life insurance sales — would be able to lay out a whole host of reasons that physical activity is important.
The question, then, isn’t whether or not you should be working out — it’s how you can achieve a suitable amount of exercise while being trapped in the house all winter. Thankfully, there are tons of easy home workouts that fit just about any age group. Here are a few to try out.
Jumping Rope
In addition to being an all-time favorite playground toy and an essential tool for training boxers on footwork, the jump rope will make a powerful addition to your home fitness routine.
Jumping rope is simple — something most of us learn how to do in childhood. What’s more, it provides a powerful bit of cardio that’s equivalent to jogging around your neighborhood.
Pushups
Is there any exercise more iconic than the humble pushup? The concept is simple — you use your arms to lower yourself to the ground, and push yourself away from the ground, and then again, and again, and again. You’re working your upper body, certainly, but even more than that.
Writing for The Harvard Health Blog, Matthew Solan termed pushups the perfect exercise, one that engages not only your upper body, but lower body and core as well. All you need to do is adjust the angle of your pushup, remember the proper form, and you’ll be golden.
Jumping Jacks
Don’t have a lot of space to do cardio? That’s not a problem, just get started with some jumping jacks. This deceptively simple exercise provides full-body cardio while simultaneously strengthening your core muscles (and not putting too much stress on your joints).
You’ll just want to make sure your form is in proper order. When executing your jacks, remember to bend your knees, kick your legs out wider than your shoulders, and clap your hands above your head to ensure you’re maximizing this workout’s benefits.
Yoga
To a novice, yoga might not look like all that much. Once you start getting into it, though, you’ll find that yoga is an adaptable form of exercise that can challenge you whether you are new to working out or a seasoned fitness veteran.
In addition to improving your core strength and flexibility, yoga is a great idea if you want to destress and unwind after a long day.