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You would like to start working out at home but you don’t have the equipment to do so, and you can’t afford to purchase them just yet. What do you do? Perhaps you already have all you need to make your exercise sessions effective. Think about all the equipment and fixtures around you. There has to be a way to make them work, surely?

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There is. In fact, some of your household items are brilliant for workouts. Here we’ll let you know eight of such items that you can use, starting today.

Backpack

You can stuff your backpack with a fair bit of load, wear it, and do squats while it’s hung on your back. If you’d like the backpack to remain stable throughout the exercise, you can wrap its contents in cloth before putting them in the bag. This should keep them from bouncing about. Doing squats with backpacks will help to grow your lower body, and strengthen the upper body as well.

Gallon Water Bottles

Gallon water bottles are a great substitute for dumbbells (the exercise equipment you carry on each hand). You can use them in dumbbell exercises like lunges and bench presses. Carry a filled gallon bottle in each hand, and work out to grow muscle strength and flexibility.

Stack of (Heavy) Books

If you don’t have a medicine ball (used for strength training) for your workout sessions, you can use a large, thick book (or books) instead. The weight should be enough to guarantee the same effects as you’d get with a regular exercise ball. Use the books for rolling pushups, triceps extensions, and V-ups.

Couch

Your long couch can serve you for several exercises. Tricep dips are an example. Here you have your back to the couch, your hands resting on it, and both your feet extended far in front of the couch. Then you do a pushup with your arms. You can also do an incline pushup, with the couch as the surface that your hands will touch and your chest drop towards.

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Chair

Just like your couch, your chair is good equipment for incline pushups and tricep dips. You just need to take the right position and ensure that your hands are on the part of the chair on which you would usually sit.

Stairs

Stairs are actually great for cardio. Running up and down the stairs, several times will get your heart pumping, burn fat, and strengthen your lower body. It can even tone your thighs and help you grow your abs. That’s a lot of benefit for any part of a home.

Walls

Have you tried pressing against a wall? You must have noted the resistance to your push that a typical wall has. Why not use that to your advantage? You can do wall pushups, to help you improve shoulder and chest strength. It’s particularly good for people who are trying to keep fit while nursing a shoulder injury.

Pillow

You can use the pillow for strength and endurance exercises, including the reverse crunch while having it tucked between your knees or legs.

Final Words

You don’t need proper workout equipment to start exercising at home. There are many ways to begin, including the ones we’ve mentioned here. Featured Image Source: Bicycling

Got a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com

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This article was first published on 24th May 2021

ikenna-nwachukwu

Ikenna Nwachukwu holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He loves to look at the world through multiple lenses- economic, political, religious and philosophical- and to write about what he observes in a witty, yet reflective style.