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The Cheapest And Easiest Way To Get Fit At Home

The Cheapest And Easiest Way To Get Fit At Home
Carly Jacobs
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his month I’ve been doing the #20minutesaday challenge where I exercise for just 20 minutes, every single day. I’ve been alternating between 20 minutes running on the treadmill and doing a 20 minute lounge room workout and it’s surprisingly easy. I struggle a little bit on the weekends (I HATE doing proper exercise on weekends but I’ve been doing it anyway!) but on week days it’s just become part of my routine.

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Rather than join a gym, I’ve been using the 7 Minute Workout Challenge App on my strength training days. I simply throw on my exercise clothes, pop a show on the TV (Dance Moms has been the favourite this week) and do 3 rounds of the 7 minute circuit. It’s pretty brutal but it’s quick, very easy to follow and I’ve been getting great results after just a few weeks.

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It’s a great little app – it records the days that you’ve worked out and will pop up and remind you to do your training. I can also take it with me when I travel for work and use it in my hotel room. This app would also be brilliant for stay at home parents to grab a quick work out when they can manage it.

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The only downside is that it’s very repetitive. You can randomise the exercises and buy extra bonus packs with different exercises but at the end of the day, you’re still just doing sit ups on the floor of your own lounge room and it’s pretty hard to get excited about it. Having said that, I just always tell myself to suck it up. It’s only 20 minutes, I don’t have to go anywhere and I get really decent results for a very small investment of money and time. It really is the cheapest and easiest way to get fit at home. It’s a winner. The exercises don’t need any equipment either which is a plus – I use the back of my couch for tricep dips and a small step ladder for chair step ups and that’s all I need. Easy peasy.

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Do you use workout apps or at home training systems? Any that you’d care to recommend?

 

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P.S Did you know that I have a Smaggle weekly newsletter? You should click the link and subscribe. Last week’s newsletter had a fact about penguins and an April Ludgate gif. True story.

31 Comments

  1. The 7 minute app is great. I subscribe to Daily Burn and it’s fantastic. They have work outs from 15 minutes to over an hour. It’s my favourite way to exercise at the moment – it mixes it up and I’m never bored.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      Oh Daily Burn sounds great! Thanks for the rec – I always need new stuff to keep me motivated! 🙂

  2. Christine 9 years ago

    Timely post Carly! I wanted to improve muscle tone, so about a month ago Google researched exercises for over 50s women. Found a post that suggests you need only 4 exercises – push-ups, planks, squats and Plié squats. Started at 2 reps of 5 (it’s hard!). Up to 10 now and feel I have much better muscle tone already. Xx

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      The thing with strength training is that people think you need to do heaps to see results and it’s not true! That sounds ike a perfect workout. I used to work at a theatre that had a gym attached to it and there was this amazing older lady who would do water ballet in the pool every morning. She looked amazing and only did about 20 mins. It was so inspiring.

  3. Alisa Muir 9 years ago

    Funnily enough I was just thinking about this kind of thing.
    It is my day of birth in 6.5 weeks and I decided to give myself a kick up the butt and make a wee challenge for myself health, fitness, weight wise to try and complete by my birthday.

    Just had a browse and d/loaded a couple of apps to have a look at.
    I walk everywhere but need something I can do quickly at home.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      That’s exactly it – I always do 10,000 steps but I need to huff and puff or do some strength stuff on top of that. I used to have a dance game on Kinect that I loved but it got lost in the move. I’m looking at replacing it though it was so fun!

  4. Vicki | Style On V 9 years ago

    I will start this, probably on Friday., busy all this week with early appointments. I have busy days this week but I will be doing this every morning once my youngest has left for school. Morning is the best time as than it is not too hot. Thank you Carly. V x

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      It’s also great to do it in stages. So do 1 set, then do some washing or writing then come back and do another. Works great if you’re at home most of the time.

  5. nonnuclearmaven 9 years ago

    I have the Seven app, which is similar, I just feel like such a wally exercising in the loungeroom! I really need to get over myself!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      Yeah you totally do! I have an inward facing balcony so my neighbours can see me when they walk passed! So embarrassing but I do it anyway. Who gives a shit right? 🙂

      • nonnuclearmaven 9 years ago

        officially inspired! I used the chrome cast to do a beginners yoga youtube on the teev. 20 minutes went like bam!

  6. I’ve been doing HIIT workouts at home for a few weeks now and absolutely loving them. The mix of cardio and weights and the fact that I know it’ll be over in under half an hour actually makes me do it and – shock, horror! – enjoy it!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      I also just love watching TV while I work out. It’s the best!

  7. Daryll 9 years ago

    Fitness blender is great! They have free workouts for whatever you want, strength, cardio, toning etc. Go to fitnessblender.com or find them on youtube 🙂

  8. KT 9 years ago

    I recommend Betty Rocker’s free challenges: http://makefatcrychallenge.com/ Sometimes I find her a tad too perky, but you don’t need any equipment and the challenges are fun! The Nike Training Club app is also really good. And I love Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred. All of the above are very short workouts, easily done in your loungeroom. I just wish my current apartment wasn’t so tiny!

  9. OK I am going to give this a go. I have to get off my lazy ass and do something and you have convinved me this is manageable 😉 kinda xx

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      It’s totally manageable. It hurts, but it’s totally managable and quick too! Do it!

  10. Josephine 9 years ago

    Just wanted to ‘drop by’ to tell you I downloaded this app this morning and did two (albeit child-interrupted) reps! I’m one of those folks that would love to dedicate more time to keeping fit, but have two young, time-hungry boys. I was so excited to read this post yesterday. This will be a perfect way for me to make exercise become more of a habit. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      Oh fantastic! I’m so happy that worked out for you. It’s so quick and easy you don’t even really have to think about it! 🙂

  11. It really is easy if you put effort in, I must get my A into G!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      I totally accidentally skipped a day yesterday! I’m gutted! I’m going to do 40 minutes today to make up for it!

  12. sammyjgould 9 years ago

    You are Motivating me to get back into exercise, have been slack the past 6 months and just cancelled my membership cause its too expensive when I am not using it, I am going to give this a go! Thanks Carly.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      Oh excellent! This is the most perfect way to do it – I just do three rounds over 20 minutes, every couple of days. Ipump some awesome music and it absolutely flies by! Have fun!

  13. Great app for getting started and working up the motivation to workout. You don’t need to have anything planned or really any equipment. I’d love to know how long people stick with it and whether when they stop it’s to take it up a level with another app or form of exercise, or if it gets repetitive so they stop all together.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      I’m not sure – I tend to mix things up. I have a treadmill and use it all the time – about three times a week without fail for the 3 years that we’ve had it. With strength I get bored easily so I do Barre Body classes, 7 minute work outs and I have a dance game that I play on Kinect and mix it up with push ups in between. I also do one or two bootcamps every year.

  14. realitychickaus 9 years ago

    Definitely going to check out this app, thanks for the tip. I’m finding it near impossible to make it to the gym at the moment (I blame the bubba) – and having plantar faciitis in one foot is making my 10,000 steps a near impossibility. (Did 8000 yesterday and last night was in agony.)

  15. I love exercising from home! My routine is half an hour every morning. The app I use mainly is I think, just called “Workouts” and it’s similar to the 7 minute workout type app. It has abs, arms, legs, cardio, bum or combo workouts and you can choose the length of work out from 5, 8 or 10 mins. So I’ll do three 10 min workouts. One day it might be arms, abs & legs, another cardio, bum, abs and so on. You can also create your own workout by selecting the individual exercises you want. It’s really fantastic.
    I also alternate days here and there with Jillian Michael’s 30 day shred and work out with weights workouts off YouTube which are 20-25mins.
    And I try to run a couple of times a week and do my clinical pilates!

  16. MummaMcD 9 years ago

    Right, that’s it, I’m downloading that 7 Minute app & starting tonight! I keep using the kids & lack of spare cash as an excuse to not exercise – no more excuses!!

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