Exercise at home: useful equipment
A couple of small exercise props can help you make more out of your limited post-baby workouts
Posted: 24 November 2005
by ThinkBaby
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There are countless exercises that you can do at home without any equipment at all and you can even substitute in some household items, try using tin cans as light weights for example. But there are also a couple of small and inexpensive pieces of gym equipment that can help you intensify your work-out and make the most of what little time you have.
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The swiss ball
 | | Swiss ball
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A swiss ball, or yoga ball, can be a huge help in focusing your exercises at home, and in varying the intensity of your work out without lots of paraphernalia. Think of it as a tiny blow-up gym. You can use the ball in resistance exercises, and in introducing an element of balance into simple exercises, so making them more effective. Use it for sit ups, abdominal twists, lunges, knee tucks, bottom lifts and so on, the list is endless. Being big, bright, colourful and bouncy will probably hook baby's interest too.
Swiss balls come fairly cheap, Argos have one for about £10 and you should certainly be able to find a good one for less than £20. The only drawback with them is the storage space they take up, as you'll want to leave it blown up and ready to use. When choosing a ball you need to consider your height and weight: for most people you'll want your knees to bend at about a ninety-degree angle when you sit normally on a fully inflated ball, heavier people may need a bigger ball, check on the box for recommendations before you buy. Also, look for a ball with an anti-burst system.
Resistance bands & tubes
|  | | Resistance tube
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Resistance bands are loops of elastic that you can incorporate into your at-home exercises to work your muscles that bit harder. They're incredibly flexible, cheap and take up no storage space at all. You should be able to find them in any sports shop and they often come with suggestions for use included. You can get a wide variety of shapes and sizes, from the very basic bands to tubes that include arm and leg loops like the one shown.
Weights
|  | | Hand weight
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If you think of big metal dumbells when we say weights then think again. Bijoux plastic weights are available from half-a-kilo up in a range of bright colours, so you can do low-weight, high-repetition exercises in the comfort of your own home. You can even work out your arms as you sit on the sofa watching Eastenders if you want.
Another good tip are hand and ankle weights that fasten with velcro so you can make your aerobic dancing that bit more energetic. They might feel light when you start off, but after fifteen minutes of pushing tin you'll know they're there.
Skipping rope
The most simple things can sometimes be the best. Not only is skipping fantastic exercise, but it's a really good one for involving older children too. Teach them to skip, teach them all the old skipping songs you remember from your childhood and who's exercising?
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Discuss this story
hmm...if you fix your mind to do exercise activity at home, then having the discipline to stick with it can be very challenging. You need to follow some tips and techniques to buy home exercise equipment. Before that you should aware of fitness training...
Posted: 21/04/2008 at 14:22
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