Exercise in Your Bedroom

Exercising has many benefits, including improved cardiovascular and immune system, brain function, better and more productive sleep, not to mention a boosted mood. But excuses for not exercising often focus on lack of time or lack of funds. By exercising in the comfort of your own bedroom, you can work around both excuses. What's more, you'll still get in fantastic shape.

Steps

Preparing the Bedroom

  1. Designate a place in your room to exercise. To determine if a space is big enough, try laying down and doing 'snow angels'. If your arms or legs don't hit anything, you're good to go!
  2. Purchase any exercise equipment you would like to use. While this step isn't mandatory, different types of exercise equipment can allow you to do more types of workouts in the comfort of your own space. Some good starter items include:
    • Yoga mat
    • Stability ball
    • Small weights
    • Jump rope
    • Stretching bands

Warming Up

  1. Warm up. Even though you're not leaving your room, it's important to do a warm up before doing any type of exercise.
  2. Stretch. If you stretch your muscles initially, you are less likely to harm them when doing more vigorous exercise.

Finding Suitable Exercises for Small Spaces

  1. Tone your abs. Sit ups will tone your abs and help get your heart rate pumping. If you need to, try putting a heavy object on your feet to make sure your sit ups are precise.
  2. Build upper body strength. You can do this by performing push ups, Plank, and lifting weights. Be careful though, that if you decide to lift weights, you don't hurt yourself; take all appropriate precautions when handling and shifting weights.
  3. Jump rope. Jumping rope is no longer exclusive to first graders, and here is why: jump roping for ten minutes burns off as many calories as running an eight minute mile for most people.[1] If you have space in your room, go for it!
    • Check that there are no light fittings, fans, mobiles, etc. likely to get hit in the spot you've chosen. Also, check wall hangings, shelves, etc., anything that could be in the range of the rope's fall.
  4. Tone your legs. Not only does running in place exercise your heart rate, it can also tone your legs if you do it often enough. Additional stretching and lunging can also do the trick.
  5. Try doing stretches. Stretching is a great way to increase flexibility and performance. It's also a good, gentle form of exercise that will keep you well toned and can prevent injury.
  6. Try yoga. Yoga is a great way to wind down and refresh your mind. It's also a good, gentle form of exercise that will keep you well toned.

Tips

  • Make sure that the bedroom is tidy before exercising.
  • Use your bed to do exercises. Since your bed is a less stable surface, you will engage your core muscles to stay balanced. [Note: If you are less fit, do exercises that are floor based so you do not injure yourself.]
    • Off the side of your bed: push ups (feet on floor or legs on bed), tricep dips, one leg squats (one leg on bed behind you).
    • On your bed: standing squats, lunges, leg lifts, push ups (modified or full)
  • Some exercise bikes require very little space. You could always consider purchasing one.

Warnings

  • Over-exercising is a real danger, and it impacts more people than is often realized. If you are on the brink of collapse, stop what you are doing immediately, rest, and get plenty of water. In extreme cases over-exercising can lead to scarring of the heart and irregular pulses.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/skipping-rope-doesnt-skip-workout

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