BC Living
Recipe: How to Make Pie Crust from Scratch
Valentine’s Day Drink Recipe: Hy’s Love Is Love Cocktail
Recipe: Pork Belly and Asparagus
Nature’s Pharmacy: 8 Herbal Boutiques in BC
How Barre Enhances Your Flexibility
Top Tips for Workout Recovery
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
Local Getaway: Hideaway at a Mystical Earth House in Kootenay
9 BC Wellness Hotels to Relax and Recharge in This Year
Local Getaway: Enjoy Waterfront Views at a Ucluelet Beach House
B.C. Adventures: Things to Do in February
5 Beautiful and Educational Nature and Wildlife Tours in BC
7 Beauty and Wellness Influencers to Follow in BC
11 Gifts for Galentine’s Day from B.C. Companies
14 Cute Valentine’s Day Gifts to Give in 2025
8 Gifts to Give for Lunar New Year 2025
Working out at home can save you time and money. Here's how to do it properly
Working out at home is a convenient and affordable way to get fit
I received some great feedback on my presentation so I thought I’d share the information with The Active Life readers.
Working out at home can save you time and money while helping the environment by decreasing personal driving. It can also spare you from social awkwardness if you’re just starting out on a program and find all the equipment confusing and people in tight, revealing clothing intimidating.
Potential Drawbacks to Working out at Home and How to Overcome Them
While there are benefits to working out at home there are also some drawbacks you need to be aware of. Here are the biggest pitfalls and how to overcome them:
How to Set Up a Home Gym for $100
Buying a big piece of cardio training equipment like a treadmill or elliptical trainer is the first thing that comes to mind for most people thinking of setting up a home gym. But they cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and need a lot of space to set up.
Fitness equipment manufacturers won’t be happy with me for saying this but the reality is such equipment is the last thing you need to buy for a home gym. Your workouts should focus on strength training while your cardio can be done outdoors. Or, if you really want to get a great piece of cardio equipment, get yourself a skipping rope. I’m serious. It can give you a better overall workout than the highest priced treadmill.
So what should you include in a home gym on a budget?
That’s it. Total cost is about $100. Once you start getting stronger you can buy more dumbbells and get an exercise bench.
How to Work out at Home
A good workout can be done in as little as 30 minutes; this is the same amount of time it probably takes you to drive to the gym and home. At the most your workouts should last 60 minutes. Any longer and you’re either plodding along or you’re trying to do too much. Keep your workouts short and sweet.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
A Sample Exercise Circuit
A circuit is simply a group of exercises done one after another. Here’s a great beginner circuit you can do which doesn’t require any equipment, only your bodyweight:
If you’re just starting out take a short break between each exercise. Your goal is to be able to do all of the exercises without any break in between. Once you can do that, complete all five exercise then take a 30 – 60 second rest and then do them all again.
Where to Find Workouts
You can find good workouts from a number of sources. Search online for free workouts as well as programs you can buy. Physicalfitnet.com has some good, free workouts for both beginners and advanced exercisers. ExRx.net is another great free resource.
One of my favourite online programs for purchase is Turbulence Training, developed by a colleague from Toronto.
Another great source of workouts are DVDs and books. Go to your favourite bookstore or search online at Amazon.ca. There are many fantastic follow-along workout DVDs. I’ve even produced my own workout DVD that’s geared toward runners but you don’t have to be a runner to benefit.
Health and fitness magazines also provide good workouts. Check them out at your grocery store checkout.
If you keep in mind how to avoid the pitfalls, working out at home can be fun, convenient and save you a lot of time.