Healthy Living Room Tip: Use What You Have

When you do your favorite workout at the Y, you usually have all the equipment you need in our fitness centers. But now that you’re working out in your #healthylivingroom, what do you do if you have no equipment? You use what you have!

• Dumbbells: Use canned food or filled up water bottles.

• Barbells: Use a broom handle. Add weight by filling up backpacks or bags with books and looping them on the broom. Not only does it add extra weight, but it provides a balance challenge when the bags swing.

• Resistance bands: Use a towel – you’d be surprised how challenging it is to try and pull the towel ‘apart’!

Speaking of towels, you can use a towel as a sliding disc on a hard floor. Here’s an exercise to try:

Exercise: Sliding Lunge

1. Place your right foot flat on the floor in front of you.
2. Place your left foot on a towel slightly behind you.
3. Lower to the floor into a lunge by sliding your left foot backwards, ending with both knees bent to 90 degrees.
4. Pause for a second, then pull your left foot back in as you stand up.
5. Repeat on both sides for 10-12 repetitions for a great lower body burn.

Exercising with soup cans and towels might feel silly at first, but that's okay! Laughing is part of a healthy lifestyle too. Let us know if you find a creative way to exercise on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Be creative, use what you have, but when in doubt – your bodyweight may be all the resistance you need.