We all know we’re meant to exercise regularly, but when there are so many legit reasons not to (you don’t have time, gyms are expensive, you’ve got things to watch on Netflix, you’re tired and you quite frankly CBA), it can be hard to find the motivation. Plus it can feel like you have to go hard or go home – if you aren’t going to do a 10k run or an hour in the gym then why bother?
But TBH it’s getting a bit cold outside for running and your overpriced gym is filled with dickheads in Lycra who peer over your shoulder trying to beat your treadmill speed.
But don’t throw in the towel just yet – we spoke to personal trainer, Joe Grant, about how to exercise from the comfort of your bedroom. Not only do you not have to venture outside, but you can watch Netflix while you work out and hopefully not even notice you're doing it. Win win.
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Warm up
Before you start, warm up by jogging on the spot for one minute. ‘Aim to get your knees above your hips and you’ll warm up faster, because it’s harder than just jogging on the spot,’ says Joe.
For the cardio exercises, Joe recommends doing about one minute of each. For everything else, aim to work your way up to 60 reps of each exercise. We said it sounded like a lot; he said you have to have something to aim for – 60 reps it is.
Arms
Tricep dips
This is an exercise that involves your bed – but don’t get too excited, it really hurts. ‘Sit on the side of your bed, holding onto the edge behind you. Squeeze your bum in tight and press down as far as you can, keeping your back nice and close to the bed. To make it easier, bend your legs more; to make it harder keep them as straight as possible. If you really want a challenge you can stack your feet up on something to put more weight on yourself.’
Door rows
‘Open your bedroom door, hold onto the doorknobs either side, lean back as far as you can and just pull yourself in on that.’ NB: only do this if you’ve got a strong door – unless you want to deal with the wrath of your landlord/parents when you inadvertently yank off your door handles.
Arm rotations
‘Put your arms out to the side, palms flat and rotate your arms in a circle. This is a good one because you don’t need any weights to make it effective. Try it for one minute – it’s seriously hard even without holding anything.’ If you want to take it up a notch – grab a bag of sugar in each hand and hold it while you do the exercise. Who says sugar can’t be part of a healthy lifestyle?
Stomach
Crunches
‘A lot of people sit up too much when they do sit ups, hurting their neck or lower back in the process. To avoid this, do crunches with your feet up on something so your legs are bent at 90 degrees. That should automatically flatten your back and you won’t be able to sit up all the way. If it hurts your neck – fix your eyes on a single point and keep your head in that plane of motion. Don’t yank your head.’
Pike
‘This is a good one if you’ve got a slippery floor – grab a tea towel or an oven mitt and stand on it. From there, get down into a plank position with your hands on the floor. Drag your feet inwards, aiming to lift your bum as high as you can.' We reckon this also counts as cleaning the floor – hello multitasking.
Vertical leg crunch
‘Lie on the floor and put your legs up in air as straight as you can. Make sure your toes are directly above your hips and reach up with both arms as far as possible. People naturally look up doing this exercise so it shouldn't strain your neck.’
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Bum
Hip raises
‘Lie on the floor with your legs bent, and raise your hips off the ground. Keep your bum off the ground and go as high as you can. Try to get your heels as close to your bum as possible – if you want to make it easier, move them further away. For more of a challenge, put your heels onto a high surface like your bed.’ Basically, we’re talking about lying on the floor and thrusting your hips in slow motion.
Fire hydrant
We’re gonna be straight up about this one – you will look like a dog pissing on a fire hydrant, but that’s the idea. Anyway, no one can see you in your bedroom so you just go to town. ‘Get on all fours and lift your right leg out to the side, keeping it at a 90 degree angle. Repeat on alternate legs.’
Sumo squats
‘These focus on your bum more than regular squats. The glutes are the biggest muscle in your body, and this really engages them. Stand with your legs about twice shoulder width apart, pointing your toes out and squat down as low as you can.’ Sumo suit: optional.
Legs
Squats
‘Squats are a compound movement so they literally work everything – all the muscles in your legs and core. Make it harder by putting on a backpack with some books in while you do it.’ Finally, a use for your uni textbooks.
Bunny squat
Disclaimer: you will look like a bit of an idiot doing this. ‘Hold your hands together in front of you and crouch down all the way to the floor. Jump on the spot in this position for one minute. This will burn your quads big time.’
Frog leaps
Remember when you used to do these in the playground? Apparently they count as actual exercise, so get channelling your inner child. ‘Stand in a squat with your hands by your side. Bend down and jump as far forward as you can.’ Joe also started to suggest trying to jump over a chair, which we said was insane and he kind of agreed.
Cardio
Joe says to do your cardio last, after you’vee worked your muscles to within an inch of their life (or at least worked up a bit of a sweat). ‘After your workout, your muscles are still working, so you burn more calories if you do your cardio last.’
Mountain climbers
‘This will really get your heart rate up. Get into a press up position and bend one knee, bringing it in towards your chest. Repeat this movement with alternate legs. Make sure your front foot is off the ground when you’re doing it, so you’re not just stepping. And keep your bum level all the way through. These are good because you’re locking your stomach in place and basically running in a press up position.’ We think our definitions of ‘good’ are different, but by God does this work up a sweat.
Step ups
‘Stand next to a chair or at the bottom of your stairs and step up, alternating your left and right foot. Ideally your knees should be in line with your hips. By stepping up to a chair, you automatically have to get that high so it gives you a target to reach.’
Burpees
Don’t be fooled by the stupid name, these guys mean business. ‘They’re a great compound exercise that works pretty much every muscle. Start in a standing position, with feet shoulder-width apart. Then kick your feet back and get into a press-up position, lower your chest down to do a press up and then jump back into standing position.’
Joe is a personal trainer for GetFit Training
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.