We all know that exercise is great for our minds, bodies, and our skin, and yet many of us don’t prioritize it. Generally speaking, exercise does a lot of good for us, it doesn’t take much for our bodies to feel the benefits of a good workout.
Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous in order to reap its benefits. As a matter of fact, you don’t even need to be at a gym to get the exercise that will make you look and feel good. In the winter months, it can be hard to stay motivated to go to the gym and workout due to frigid weather. We totally understand that! It is why we have a list of low to moderate exercises you can do at home, which will keep you moving into the spring season.
Easy At-Home Workouts
Whether it’s because of the climate, or the added expense of a gym membership that is keeping you from working out, we are here to encourage you to keep your body moving, all from the comfort of your home.
Below, we go over exercises you can easily do at home to keep your body moving every single day, which will make you feel great once you add them to your routine.
Squats
There are a few ways you can do squats at home —you can use an exercise mat to stand on, you can have your back against a wall, or you could even do chair squats.
To do a squat, you will have your knees in a bent position, while lowering your hips from standing to sitting and back up again. Benefits of squats include greater lower body strength and increased core strength.
Bridges
Another core strengthening exercise to do is, bridges. Bridges are done by lying on your back, knees bent, feet flat, and arms extended along your sides.
You will want to lie on a yoga mat or a towel for this exercise. Once you’ve gotten into position, you will push through your feet and brace your core. Lift your bottom off the ground until your hips are completely extended, then slowly return to the starting position.
Side-Lying Hip Abductions
Hips strength is very important, you’d be surprised how often we overlook our hips until they hurt. Benefits of side-lying hip abductions include: decreased pain due to weakness and overuse, keeping muscles active that easily become inactive due to lack of daily use, and prevention of your knees from caving inward.
To do side-lying hip abductions, start by lying on your left side, making sure to keep your left leg straight, right leg straight, and right foot resting on the ground. To follow, you will then lift your right leg while sustaining the position of your body —be sure not to let your hips open up. Repeat as many times as you set for your goal on each side.
Bicycle Crunch
Often, workout goals include targeting the abdomen itself, and bicycle crunches are perfect for directing all focus to that area. For this exercise, you want to lie on your back while bringing your legs to a tabletop position. Put your hands behind your head with your elbows bent, then crunch upward and bring your right elbow to your left knee, release, and then bring your left elbow to your right knee. Set your own goal for reps.
Knee Push-Ups
Push-ups are not easy to do, especially if you haven’t done any workouts in quite a while. It’s important to ease into exercises so we don’t injure our bodies. If you aren’t comfortable doing a full push-up, try knee push-ups.
For this exercise, you will need to get into the high plank position, keeping a straight line from your head to your knees, bend your elbows so you can lower yourself to the ground, and then push your body back up to start.
Stay Motivated to Workout
Getting motivated to workout and keeping that motivation are the hardest parts of maintaining an exercise routine. It takes some time, effort, and energy that we don’t think we have or feel like using on exercise, but are so rewarding once we make it a habit.
Achievable Goals
Here at ScissorsCut, we want you to feel inspired to workout and make it a daily habit. Set goals for yourself that are achievable! If you are someone who benefits from writing down your objectives, grab a notebook and write down your specific goals. Some examples of these goals can be: exercising 20 minutes every day, doing 3 reps of 3 exercises daily, or walking on the treadmill 4 days a week. Whatever your goal is, make it attainable.
You can start off slow —you don’t have to start with specific workouts; even starting off with riding a stationary bike every night for 15 minutes is a great way to get yourself moving.
Set a Workout Schedule
Create a schedule that works for you. We all have busy lives, and working out might not be our number one priority, which is ok. Maybe you have lighter evenings and can watch your favorite show while you run or briskly walk on the treadmill, or you can do some squat exercises while your dinner is in the oven. Having a set schedule will help meet the goals you set for yourself.
Make Working Out Fun
Have fun with your time and workouts! Working out may seem boring to you, but they don’t have to be. Play music that energizes you if that’s what you need, or download a podcast on a topic that keeps you entertained while you exercise. If the weather is nice and you can go out for a walk, invite a friend so you can talk while you walk and catch up.
There are many ways to liven up your workout; it just takes a bit of effort on your end. Once you start, it will eventually become second nature, and you won’t even have to think about it anymore.
Once you’ve had some time to incorporate daily exercise into your routine, you will find what workouts you like and what you don’t. At this point, you will be able to weed out what you don’t like or deplete your motivation and continue doing the workouts that energize you and make you feel good about yourself.