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Working Out At Home

More and more people these days are choosing to exercise at home using home gym equipment as opposed to going to a fitness centre. This can have several advantages, but also disadvantages.

When you're in a gym, chances are you will be more motivated to work harder, as people around you are also working hard. Furthermore, working out at home can be unsafe when you do not have a 'spotter' with you (a spotter is someone who can help you lift weights when they are too heavy).

There have been quite a number of 'bench press deaths' in America resulting from people who did exercises too heavy for them without a spotter, most commonly the bench press.

However, unless your plan is to dramatically increase muscle size, or if you're in a scenario where heavy weights in a gym environment is a necessity, working out at home can be far more advantageous, and would prove to be cheaper and more convenient too in the long run.

Here are three things you could invest in to get you started on working out at home.

Invest in an exercise cord or exercise band. Common names for these things include Theraband, and Resista-cord. These are very safe because they are virtually weightless, meaning you can let go of them when exercises are getting too hard or if you are cramping. Most exercises you do with a dumbbell or barbell can be replicated with an exercise band or cord (e.g. bi-cep curl or bench press).
Get a good Swiss-Ball (those big inflatable bouncy balls). The Swiss-Ball is good for many activities to do with balance and co-ordination, and can add an extra dimension to your resistance work out if you are using an exercise cord or band. For example, it would be rather difficult and dangerous for someone to do bench presses while lying back on a Swiss-Ball, with or without a spotter. If you were to wrap your exercise band under the Swiss-Ball and perform the same bench press action with your arms (by pushing up) you will essentially be adding a balancing component onto the existing work out.
The only real 'heavy' equipment you may find that can improve your home gym is an adjustable bench. Typically, an adjustable bench can be folded to 90 degrees for you to do exercises where back-support is important (e.g. shoulder press). Good benches will also come with leg anchors (for you to hook your ankles around when you do sit ups) and can be declined and inclined for its sitting angle. Even with just the bench by itself, you can do many push-up variations and abdominal exercises.

At the end of the day it is important for you to exercise in an environment that you feel comfortable in.

Article written by Kevin Su
Diabetes Australia Queensland
www.daq.org.au