Your Home Is Your Gym

Who doesn’t hate going to the gym? Face it: it takes time to go to the gym, to work out, and to take care of all the other necessary duties that accompany this endeavor. But it doesn’t have to be this way. When it comes to results, you may be even better off by not going to the gym—if you play your cards right, that is.

Starting a Home Workout

So, what does all of this have to do with working out at home? Everything. Simply make your home environment your workout zone and start using your own body. Use great music to get you going when the going gets tough. Here are three simple workouts:

Squat jumps: Sit back into a squat with your weight distributed on the heels. Jump into the air. Land softly by bending your legs. Repeat this motion 15 to 20 times. Focus on your thighs, abs and butt.

Triceps dips: Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair with your hands under your body on the seat. Extend your legs out in front of you so that your hands and heels support your body weight. Lower yourself and push back up again. Repeat 15 times, rest five seconds, and repeat one more time. Focus on your triceps and shoulders.

Leg raises: Lie on the floor on your back. Place your hands flat below your butt and raise one shoulder slightly off the ground. Lift both of your legs until they are about a foot and a half above the floor, and slowly lower them just as far as possible without lifting up your lower back from the floor. Repeat 20 times, rest, and perform the exercise again. Focus on your abdominal region.

What Not to Do

• Don’t exercise without warming up.

• Make sure you pay attention to the movements; don’t just go through the motions. Feel your muscle working, and stay in control.

• Don’t forget to make some space for yourself to move around easily.

• Don’t cheat the movements just because nobody is around.

The Best Bang for Your Buck

You can also save money by working out at home, despite the fact that there is a wide range of mostly useless equipment out there for thousands of dollars. A treadmill (which does not teach you how to use your body or give you a variety of integrated movements) costs between $1,500 and $7,000. Other gym equipment, such as a lat pull machine, costs more than $3,000.

Stefan Aschan, leading expert on lifestyle, health, and fitness solutions.