A key component in keeping your mind and body functioning efficiently is exercise. It makes your heart pump better and maintains the flow of your blood. It is also essential in your body’s absorption of nutrients. Exercise releases stress as well; it clears your head for better focus.
While the idea of exercise generally refers to outdoor activities such as sweating it out on a large court or working out at the gym, it’s not always likely that you can go out to exercise, even for just one hour. Stuck at home because of the winter? It should not set you back from the goal to be healthy and fit. During this season, any form of exercise will do than none at all, as immobility weakens your bones and muscles.
You can exercise indoors and still feel like catching your breath. Your home can be a perfect indoor venue for a fun or even a serious exercise (if you are diligently watching your weight).
Indoor exercise can be basically broken down into three categories: one that uses home gym equipment, one that does not heavily depend on equipment, and one that uses the emerging video game simulations.
Home Gym Equipment
Hundreds of traditional and revolutionary types of equipment for home exercise are available in the market. You may go for a treadmill or a stationary bike for a cardio workout, a trampoline or a skip rope for jumping, a set of weights or power bands for weight or resistance training, or an exercise machine for a total body workout, as advertised in infomercials. The choices are endless; just select one or two pieces of equipment that suit your need, taste, budget, and available space.
Body Exercise
The most practical among the three, this type maximizes the use of your entire body, and of common things found at home (like mats, balls, chairs or a bench, stairs, and others). You can do aerobics, calisthenics like push-ups and presses, yoga or Pilates, martial arts, shadow boxing, and even household chores!
Video Game Simulations
With the advent of technology catered for fun and recreation, video game systems add a new meaning to indoor exercise. The physical simulations played with those systems aim at keeping the players moving rather than just sitting down and pressing buttons. Some video game consoles require the use of dance pads for dancing games, while others have motion-sensing features that let you mimic actions done in live sports like tennis and baseball.
If you decide to follow an exercise program, even when indoors, check first with your doctor or healthcare professional for advice. Also, don’t forget your warm ups, stretches, and cool downs with your exercise routine so you won’t strain your muscles.
Good indoor exercise activities depend on your choice and combination of the ones stated here, among many others. What’s important is that you are having fun with your exercise and you are not overdoing it to the point of exhaustion. You will then realize that your home has become your alternate gym.
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