Transform Your Body For Free

During this hard economic time the last thing we want to do is forget about our health.  While we are dealing with the stress of money and bills or a job loss, we cannot let our health go.  Getting into shape can actually help you deal with stress as well as get a better sleep.  Almost everyone has been affected by the economic crash, but I have good news.  You do not have to spend money to transform your body!  My goal for this Hub is to share with you many exercises that you can perform at home for free to get the body you want and to de-stress. 

Warm Up & Stretch

The first thing that you want to do is warm up.  I cannot stress that enough.  You cannot work your muscles while they are cold.  That could result in injuries that will sabotage your weight loss results.  To warm up you can:

1. Put hands out and lift one knee at a time hitting your hand with the knee. Do this for about a minute.
   
2. Jog in place for another minute.
3. Perform jumping jacks for another minute.  If jumping jacks are hard for you at first just do them as long as you can.  Take note of how hard your heart is pumping.
   
4. Pretend you have a skipping rope and skip for another 2 minutes.

Now you are going to want to stretch. 

1. Stand with legs lined up with shoulders.  Put arms up straight over head and move back and down like you are having a big yawn and stretch coming out of bed.  Do this about 4 times.
2. Next, stand in the same position as before with hands above straight over head and swan dive the arms down towards the floor.  Make sure that the head is up until you can not look up anymore.  Hang arms and head down.  You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs ( Hamstrings).  Do this for 1 minute. Slowing roll your spine back up to standing position.
3. Stand and pull one leg back with your foot with one hand.  You might not be able to balance so get a chair your something to hold on to.  This should stretch the front of the leg. Do this for both side's 30 seconds each side.
4. Next take one arm and place across chest.  Take the other arm and lock over fore arm.  Hold for 10 seconds and then take same arm that was across chest and raise up, drop down and touch the upper middle part of your back with fingers. Take other arm and place hand on your elbow and pull lightly.  Do this stretch for both arms at 10 second each.

Alright now that you are warmed up and stretched it's time to work those muscles.

Legs - Make sure that you have on a good pair of supportive shoes.

1. Squats: Stand with feet shoulder width apart and feet facing forward.  Squat down like you are going to sit on a chair. Hold arms out in front of you for balance.  Make sure that most of your weight is on the heels of the feet.  If the weight is on the toes it could injure or feel pain in your knees.  Next stand back up and repeat.  Do this until you can not do any more.
   
2. Lunges:  Stand with feet shoulder width apart and roll shoulders back to have good posture.  When you are standing with good posture, lung one leg forward.  Make sure that the knee is lined up with heel and keep weight on heel. If the knee is over the toes then you have gone too far and could injure yourself.  Step leg back to starting position and do this exercise for both legs as many times as possible.
   
3. Stretch: If you are a beginner these two exercises. Do number 2 & 3 in stretching section above.
   

Upper Body

1. Push Ups: Get on your hands and knees. Move up onto your toes and lower body towards the floor bending arms.  Keep arms close to the sides of your body.  Breath in and then push body back up to starting position.  Exhale while you are pushing back up.  If it is too hard for you with your legs straight back, then put your knees on the floor and cross feet.  Do push ups until your muscle reach failure.

Push up's works on every part on the upper body.  If you don't feel it every were in the upper body then do some more. 

Stretch: Do stretches 1 and 4 in the stretching section above.

Abdominals

1. Crunches: Lye down on the floor with your feet on the ground and knees up.  Take hands and place behind the head.  Use your stomach muscles to move chest towards the knees.  Do this until failure.
2. Leg lift crunches: Lye down on floor completely flat (legs down).  Put leg together and lift up towards the ceiling.  Only go as far up, that is comfortable with no back lower back strain. When legs are up, do a crunch with the upper body. While you are crunching bring knees towards chest.  Lower and repeat until failure. 
   
3. Stretch:  Lye down on floor ( on your back) and place arms over on floor straight over the head.  Stretch out body. 
   

Tip: Make sure that you focus on the muscles being worked at the time and breath, breath, breath.  Never hold your breath or you might get dizzy because the lack of oxygen going to the brain. 

So there you go, a simple free routing that any one can do at home.  Please pace your self and don't go past your comfort level.  Check with your doctor before doing this, or any exercise routine. 

Here is a list of some free ways to get some cardiovascular exercise into your week.

1. Walking. 30-60 minutes every other day.
   
2. Jogging 30-60 minutes every other day.
3. Doing the warm up out lined above for 30 minutes.
4. Bike riding. 30-60 minutes every other day.
5. Play with the kids. Chase them around, pull them in a sleigh in the snow ect.....
6. Run up and down your stairs.
7. Be creative, do anything that get's the heart going and will make you sweat. 
8. Swimming.