When the temperature drops, so can your motivation to go about your normal workout routine. It can be daunting to layer up and face the cold weather for a jog, and the cold commute to the athletic center for an indoor sweat session seems like too much.
At-home workouts are perfect when you can't drag yourself out the door. Exercise doesn't require a ton of equipment or space. Strength training or calorie-blasting cardio can be done almost anywhere.
Being stuck indoors is a perfect time to start working on your six-pack for spring break. But remember, doing a million crunches won't make the six-pack appear. The key to core training is to target the abdominals, lower back, hip flexors and hip extensors.
Leg lifts work out the lower abs, while controlled twists and side crunches strengthen the obliques. Try knee lifts to target the hip flexors, or back extensors while lying face down can strengthen the often-ignored lower back.
For the most basic at-home training routine, the only equipment you need is yourself! Using your own body weight as resistance is an optimal way to tone and condition. Push-ups, squats and lunges are perfect for working many muscles at once. These compound exercises use multiple joints and help make you more coordinated.
To add more resistance than your own body weight, use everyday objects found around your home. Fill up empty milk jugs with water as makeshift weights, or ask your roommate to apply manual resistance for your exercises. Use your desk chair as a bench to do step-ups, incline push-ups or tricep dips.
That said, having simple and inexpensive exercise equipment around your room can be useful. I recommend having two sets of dumbbells: a lighter set for upper-body and single-joint exercises, and a heavier set for multi-joint exercises.
A resistance band is a good tool, because it is very versatile. It can give you the right amount of resistance and range of motion to complete a total body shape-up routine.
A medicine ball is an easy way to add resistance to your core training. You can also use it to make push-ups more challenging. Placing one hand on the floor and the other on the ball makes your core work harder to keep you balanced.
Even cardio can be done at home. Jumping rope requires little space, improves your agility and blasts about 100 calories for every 10 minutes of work. Don't have a jump rope? Just jump or jog in place. Who cares who's watching when you're doing your body a favor?
If you're having trouble and need some instruction and peppy motivation, try an at-home exercise DVD. There's a wide range out there - everything from Pilates and yoga to hip-hop abs and Tae-Bo. Get a few different tapes and alternate so you're able to remain interested and challenged.
The cold weather and gray skies may make you want to crawl under the sheets. Don't give in to temptation, because it will only be harder to get back into shape when spring rolls around.
