Household Items You Can Use To Improve Fitness

Don’t like going to the gym? You’re not alone. 

Sometimes the cost and effort of going to an exercise facility can be a massive obstacle to those wanting to get in shape, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on improving yourself physically. As it turns out, there are plenty of household items you can use to help get a workout in your own home. 

When full, the humble backpack can be used as a makeshift weight vest. You can strap it to your back or front while running, squatting or walking to introduce a bit of a weight routine to your cardio. Likewise, you can strap it on your back while doing push-ups.

Don’t want to splash out on dumbbells? Then grab a couple of full detergent bottles and start doing some arm curls, squats and chest presses. If you’ve already used all the detergent in your bottles, just fill them with water or sand.

Liked detergent bottles, cans of food can be used as cheap and effective substitutes for dumbbells. They also have the added benefit of fitting easily into your hands. 

Who needs a stair machine when you’ve already got the real thing at home? You can often get a cardio fix by simply walking up a set of stairs repeatedly. That said, if you’re looking to increase the challenge, try introducing a little weight by strapping on your full backpack or holding your detergent bottles.

Did you know hand towels can be used to help with stretches by posing as a resistance band? While sitting on the floor, hold the towel in each hand, put your foot in the middle of the towel and raise your leg for a good stretch. A t-shirt could be used as a resistance band for this exercise in a pinch, too.

A full laundry basket can help you build your fitness in two ways. Picking up a full laundry basket can help build strength in your arms. Likewise, if you’re carrying it up and down stairs to the laundry, you'll get a bit of cardio mixed in. If you want to get a few more steps in, try to extend the length of your walk to and from the laundry.

Find a wall in your home and stand up with your back against it. Walk your feet out and squat until your knees are at a 90-degree angle and your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold this position, like you are sitting on a chair, for 30 seconds to exercise your leg muscles. Rinse and repeat. 

In our blog on How To Be Less Sedentary At Work, we discussed how a chair and desk can be used to do triceps dips and desk pushups. This can obviously be replicated in a home office with similar furniture. Here is how you can do triceps dips.

Triceps Dips
•    Stand with your desk chair behind you (make sure it doesn’t have any wheels).
•    Put your palms flat on the chair with your fingers facing away from you. Ensure you keep your heels on the ground.
•    Lower yourself until your upper arms are almost parallel to the floor.
•    Return to the starting position and aim for about 10 repetitions.

We've got more tips on how to get started with exercising here, and if you want to eventually have your own home gym, we've got tips on what to look for when buying fitness equipment.