Using what you have can help give your bodyweight exercises some extra oomph. In fact, there are lots of things you probably already have around your home that you can use in place of dedicated gym equipment.
Weights
Anything that you can hold in your hand can be used in place of free weights, so look around your home and get creative. Consider the following everyday items that you can use to boost your workout routine.
1. Laundry detergent or milk jugs
A gallon of milk weighs around 8 ½ pounds, as does a gallon +/- jug of liquid laundry soap. Great to use as kettlebells or simply weights for exercises such as bicep curls.
2. Soup cans/water bottles
Water bottles (8 oz) will be about 1 ½ pounds, whereas cans will be a little lighter. Both of these everyday items are great to use for lighter weight workouts.
Use while standing, seated or underneath your hands while holding your body in a plank form for an added challenge to your stability.
3. Flour, sugar…or laundry?
A sack of sugar or flour can be used as weights. Or, if your laundry has been piling up wait a few minutes to toss it in the washing machine and use that loaded clothes basket to get in some dead lifts.
Resistance bands
A towel works well as a resistance band. Simply hold it taught between both hands. Then, when you’re done, use it to wipe the sweat off your face and out of your eyes.
A t-shirt or sweatshirt can also work well as a resistance band.
If you happen to have a rope create a loop and use it as you normally use a resistance band.
Sliders
Towels can be used for instability training to ensure that you’re working your muscles for the entire move.
One way; place a towel underneath your feet while in a plank pose. Move your hips slowly, into the air, gliding your feet forward towards your hands as you move from a plank to pike position.
Paper plates are also a great replacement for sliders; they’re nearly identical to the real thing.
Also, thick, slippery socks on a wood floor (double up two pair if they’re not thick enough to prevent splinters) work as a slider replacement.
Other household items
Run up and down the stairs to get in a great cardio session. Even if you have only a few steps you can get your heart rate jacked up quickly.
Don’t just stare at those walls…use them. If you’ve ever done wall-sits you know how challenging they can be. Start with a minute, then every day add another 30 seconds to build lower body strength.
Pile laundry bottles, cans…whatever weight you can find…on top of your vacuum cleaner. Now push it across the floor as a substitute sled push.
Load up your backpack with bottles, cans, your old bowling ball…whatever you can find…then put it on. Wear it as you do lunges, pushups, squats…or even when you’re running up and down the stairs.
All it takes is a bit of initiative and creativity to keep your fitness goals on track. And, it will also make it much easier to acclimate yourself to the gym once you return.
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