I don’t have a very big space for a home gym. It pretty much just includes some dumbbells, a yoga mat and yoga tools like blocks and belts as well as a fold up stationary bike. I sometimes do chair workouts as well for strength training. There is a gym here in the apartment complex where I live, but sadly, the equipment is not in the best of shape and some of it is broken all the time. This means I often take my workout to the city parks and outside.

 

In working out in the environment I do, I had to make some modifications to some of my favorite workouts I do with chairs as carrying a chair around on a walk is a bit impractical. One thing there is usually a lot of are city benches in parks and on the sidewalk. These typically sit lower or higher than the chair in my home, so they can be great for doing all kinds of stretches and workouts.

 

Kick Out- This one is great for those of us that have a hard time doing situps. Personally, my belly gets in the way when I try to do them, so this is something I do instead to still get some core training.

 

Sit with your booty on the edge of a park bench. Lean back into the backrest with your arms straight for support. Bring your legs up into a folded position at the knee.

 

To do the Kick out, hold in your abs, and kick out your legs straight, breathing out on the kick out and in as you bring your knees back. I like to do 10-15 reps of this.

 

Dip Down- This is a similar type of exercise you would do in a gym with a full facility but it is great for strengthening your core, legs, triceps and shoulders/back.

 

Start by sitting on the bench with your booty scooted far forward and your arms and palms planted on the bench aligned with you. Make sure your palms face outward and they are firmly in place.

 

Scoot off the bench and walk your feet out so you can dip down. Lower your booty to the ground in reps but do not bring your shoulders in as this could injure them. Do 10-15 reps of this, making sure to pull your navel in as you do it.

 

 

High Kicks- This exercise is good for adding extra cardio if you do it faster and strength, coordination and flexibility for doing it slower.

 

Find a bench with a good height; not too tall and not too short for your personal range of motion. Just bring your feet up, one at a time and tap them on the bench’s seat edge. That’s it!

 

 

Split Squat- I like to do this one not only because it’s kind of fun, but it does an excellent job of stretching and strength training all in one.

 

To start, stand with the bench in front of you. Place one foot on the bench, and do a squat with your hands on your hips. Do 10 reps of this and switch to the other foot.

 

You can also choose to not face the bench as well for a deeper stretch in the back of your leg.

 

 

 

Written By Christine Tolhurst from Saved By Grace Blog

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