10 Ways to Workout at Home

Being fit is a way of life–your efforts shouldn’t begin and end at the gym. The truth is, you can exercise anywhere, and you don’t even need leave the house to do it. In fact, doesn’t matter where you are: the more you move, the more calories you burn. And when you burn more calories than you eat, you lose weight. To boost the burn in the privacy of your own home, look for ways to make chores less convenient, use the props you’ve got, and work it while you wait. Begin with these 10 ways to workout at home.

1. Use your own weight while you wait. Two minutes left in the dryer cycle? Thirty seconds until the meat is done defrosting in your microwave? Sixty more seconds to swish your mouthwash? Use that time to tone and tighten with weight-bearing exercises. To try calf raises, come up on your tippy toes, and return slowly to the ground. Or, do squats: keep your knees directly above your ankles and bend your knees like you’re about to sit in a low chair. And if you’re feeling graceful, try plies: with your legs just beyond shoulder length apart and toes turned outward, slowly bend your knees to lower your torso toward the floor until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Your head should be directly above your pelvis, with your back straight. Hold, then slowly return to your starting position.

2. Put dishes away one at a time. Instead of stacking dishes at the dishwasher or sink, put them away one at a time. Walking to and from each cabinet will burn calories along the way.

3. Crunch your way through commercial breaks. Go ahead: watch The Biggest Loser from your couch. But when the commercial break begins, hit the floor: Just lay out a mat or towel, and lie on your back with your knees bent. Then, put your hands gently behind your neck with elbows out, and use your core muscles to lift your head, neck, and shoulder blades up off the floor. Hold, then lower and repeat. Challenge yourself to do as many crunches as you can before the show returns.

4. Unplug your vacuum. Instead of vacuuming, sweep and mop bare floors: it takes more effort, which, in turn, burns more calories.

5. Swear off your laundry basket. Then, bring one stack of clothing at a time from your basement laundry room up to your second-story bedroom. You’ll climb more steps–and have clean clothes where you need them. (And if your laundry room is on the same floor as your bedroom, no sweat. This strategy will still help you walk more than you would on a single trip with your laundry basket.)

6. Take steps two at a time. Going up? Forget single steps. Make your climb into a butt-toning workout by taking steps two–or, if you’re feeling really frisky–three at a time. Unlike climbing single stairs, taking larger leaps activates deeper muscles in the back of your thighs and butt. Focus on pushing off your rear foot and pulling with your front foot. To up the ante, take your hands off the handrail. (Live at the tippy-top of a sky-scraping apartment? No, you don’t have to climb 30 floors. Climb one or two flights, and slip out of the stairwell and into the elevator whenever you get tired. Try to climb one floor higher every week.)

7. Give your blender a break. Instead of using your blender or electric mixer, brace your core, and shake, whip, or hand-mash your meal. Switch hands halfway through to work both arms evenly.

8. Do scrub-a-dub-a-dips. A sturdy bathtub edge makes an excellent surface for tricep dips. Sit on the edge of your tub and place your palms beside you so your thumbs touch the sides of your seat. Your feet should be outside the basin. Then, walk your feet forward until your butt begins to slip off the edge. Bend your elbows toward the opposite edge of the tub and slowly lower your torso toward the floor. Before your bum hits rock bottom, pause, and use those triceps to lift your torso back to starting position. Repeat for up to 8-10 repetitions every time you use the toilet. And don’t try it while you’re wet–things could get slippery!

9. Play a fitness video or DVD. Tiny tweaks to your house-bound routine won’t help you lose weight as quickly as tiny tweaks and regular workouts. Don’t belong to a gym? (Or just don’t feel like schlepping there?) You can find tons of workout videos on FitJourney and YouTube. Or, pop in a workout DVD and press play.

10. Just dance! Ever crank up the tunes when you’re at home alone…just because you can? Well, no one’s watching–which means it’s the perfect time to practice your Gangham style, the cupid shuffle, the dougie, or (throwback alert!) the macarena. And make it sexy–because that’s how you’re going to feel when you meet your weight-loss goal.