Did you know that to keep your heart healthy and your weight under control, you need to walk at least 10,000 steps every day? This may seem overwhelming, but many of the activities you do every day, like running errands or housework, can add up to a few hundred or even thousands of steps.
To maintain your health and ensure you achieve 10,000 steps each day, here are some simple and easy exercises you can do at home. These exercise routines will not only help you stay in shape, but will also tone your body while working on some specific muscle groups. They are much more effective than general exercises, like running errands and housework. These are the exercises that you can easily do at home:
– Stretching exercises. Stand with both hands against the wall and swing your left leg back so your foot is flat against the floor. Wait for a few seconds; then repeat this movement with your right leg. Another great stretching exercise you can do is lie on your back, use both hands, bring your right knee to your chest, and hold it for a few seconds. Repeat this routine with your left leg.
– Curl is very easy to do. Just lie on your back with both hands behind your head and lift your upper body. Repeat this movement 15-20 times.
– Leg exercises can be done by lying on your side and raising each leg repeatedly 15 to 20 times. You can also stand and hold onto the back of a chair and lift your legs back repeatedly.
– Arm exercises. This is important to improve muscle tone. For arm exercises, you can use an exercise band. Place both feet on one end of the band, hold the other ends with each hand, and then repeatedly raise and lower the band (in an up and down motion for 10-15 minutes). If you have a pair of dumbbells, you can also use them to exercise your arms.
– If you work at home and sit in front of the computer most of the time, try to press your toes down frequently. This activity will help keep blood circulation flowing in your legs.
– If you know how to dance, put on a music CD and dance for about 20-30 minutes. This is a great cardiovascular exercise. You can also incorporate push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping rope into your daily exercise routine at home.
– Exercise for the abdominals. I found a great 8 minute video showing you how to do abs exercises at home. You can watch the video at “The Best Abs Workout At Home – Just 8 Minutes”.
NOTE: Always do some stretches to warm up before starting any exercise routine to avoid injury.