Five gym workouts you can do at home
So you want to get a gorgeous body in time for summer? You've seen the most perfect bikini in the shops but at the moment you're so consious of your lumps and bumps you're more likely to be found wrapped in a beach towel on the beach as opposed to strutting your stuff in a two piece.
Going to the gym is the obvious solution but not all of us have the time to hit the gym four times a week. After a full days work there's those little matters of looking after the children, cooking the tea and tidying the house to deal with. Spending your evening working on your bingo wings and flabby tummy seems a little self-indulgent.
So what can you do? Well, you could always make use of the 'gym' in your own home.
Steps on stairs
Joining a step class has always been a popular method of losing weight and toning up. But why go all the way to a gym or sports centre to stand in a room with a bunch of strangers and step up and down onto a box? Simply make use of the stairs in your house. Do three sets of twenty step ups at home on the bottom stair each day. Repeat this three tiems a week and you're on your way to toned legs and bum!
Doorframe tenses
Tenses are a fabulous exercise for toning up your arms and upper body. And all you need is something to hold on to! Simply hold your arms either side of the door frame and squeeze for ten seconds. Release and repeat ten times. Do three sets of this three times a week and you could soon have toned arms and a sexy back.
Press ups against the wall
Press ups are quite tough, especially for beginners but they are a great exercise for strengthening your shoulders and arms and toning muscles. To make it a little easier, do your press ups against a wall. This will ease some of the pressure and you will still get a lot of the great effects.
Baked bean dumbells
Why go the gym to life hand weights when you can simply raid your cupboards? Tins of baked beans (or anything else for that matter) are great as weights. Hold on to a tin in each hand and bring your hands to your shoulders, to curl your biceps. Do three sets of ten repetitions and aim to do this at least four times a week.
Work those triceps (chair)
Grab yourself a chair from around the dining table and get read to work those triceps. Sit up right on the chair with your hand holding on to the base. Slowly lower yourself off the chair and then back up, feeling the strain in your upper arms. Do this ten times and for three sets.
