The Fit Homebody: Exercising at Home

Beauty & Health — By 88DB Knowledge on March 8, 2011 5:05 pm

A gym membership may not be your cup of tea, but it does not mean you have to give up on keeping fit.

The good news is: Exercising at home can be just as effective!

Whether the weather is less than favourable, or you’ve given up your gym membership, you still need to keep active. Plus, the year-end feasting may be added motivitation to start a workout regime.

According to Mr Eric Ho Chun Keong, Senior Physiotherapist, Department of Physiotherapy, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), exercising at home can be just as effective.

Even without sophisticated exercise machines, with the right attitude and guidance, an effective workout is till possible. But you will need some essentials to begin with.

Home fitness essentials

Mr Ho said: “Elastic resistance bands can be used to train muscles of the arms, chest, shoulders and hips. It gives a similar toning effect as some gym equipment if you select the appropriate band resistance.”

Many machines in the gym use stacked weights as resistance to add load to movements, leading to strengthening effects. Body weight can be used as a substitute for the stacked weights to achieve the same effect.

“Toning exercises such as push-ups, dips, partial crunches and half-squats are useful to strengthen and tone major muscle groups,” said Mr Ho, who is also Clinical Coordinator at SGH’s Obesity and Metabolic Unit.

Other affordable and useful items are a skipping rope for a good cardiovascular workout, free weights for strength-building and toning, and a gym ball to improve flexibility and maintaining body balance. A good exercise mat is useful too.

“For cardiovascular or aerobic training, the most important item to have is an appropriate pair of walking or running shoes. Inappropriate footwear can potentially lead to injuries,” said Mr Ho, adding that if unsure, it is best to seek advice from a sports physician, podiatrist or physiotherapist.

Fitness books and DVDs are widely available on the market and provide useful instructions for home-based workouts. Otherwise, Mr Ho advises talking to a fitness instructor or professional.

He stressed: “The main thing is to listen to your body. You should not experience any pain during or after the exercise. Mild soreness over one to two days is normal but acute bone or joint pain that does not subside with time means you are doing something wrong.”

Staying safe

To safely and effectively work out at home, the trick is to stay focused and minimise distractions. To add variety and a change of environment and fresh air to your fitness regime, you could consider cycling, jogging, swimming or taking up a sport. Target at least 30 minutes’ exercise at moderate intensity, several days a week, to stay fit.

Once you have established a routine, home workouts can be as effective as working out in a gym. The best part is that everyone can afford it.

Reproduced with permission from http://www.healthxchange.com.sg, Singapore Trusted Health & Lifestyle Portal.