Working out at home can be challenging, especially if you do not have a very large home or a lot of money to spend. Joining a gym may be out of the question for some of the same reasons purchasing exercise equipment might not be possible. With a little innovation and creativity, you can use what you have already got. No matter you are a stay at home mom or working in the office from 9 AM to 6 PM, you can make a weekly schedule regarding regular physical activities.

Useful Idea # 1:

Go for a walk.

First of all, the outdoors is one of our biggest tools. This may not always be possible in bad weather, but in the better weather, we can walk, jog or even use the outdoors to do tummy crunches, jumping jacks and things like that.

Walking is probably one of the best forms of exercise we can do. It is something we already naturally do and there are no negative effects to walking. Jumping jacks and jogging are not for everyone, but if these are things you can do, you should consider doing them in your backyard on a nice warm day (if possible). As you see, if you are a bit creative you may turn outdoors into gym for yourself and combine walking and other types of exercises. Jogging in the fresh air is particularly something useful and enjoyable. I myself like to do yoga sitting on green grass and breathing fresh morning air rich in oxygen. This exercise and plus meditation will bring your body vital energy and full relaxation.

If you have steps in or outside of your home, you can use them too. Even if it’s just one or two steps leading into your front door, you can use the steps to step up and step down. Remember the old stepping workout videos that required you to buy the plastic building steps? Well, the good news is that you don’t need to spend money because your home already came with them!

Useful Idea # 2:

Use half gallon milk jugs to work out at home.

Saving half gallon or gallon milk jugs can be very effective in weight loss and fitness because you can fill them with your own weights. Some people suggest using soup cans, but I don’t like that idea because I feel like they are difficult to hold. Personally, when I work out (if I’m doing it correctly), my palms sweat and a soup can to the big toe just isn’t my cup of tea. The half gallon milk jugs are an excellent idea because of the handles.

Useful Idea # 3:

Consider Tummy crunches to get rid of that belly fat.

Tummy crunches are still very effective for flattening the belly. Make sure you are lying on a solid surface and make sure that you’re holding your body and hands in the right position so that you’re not at risk for damaging your back.

Useful Idea # 4:

Watch fitness videos or related TV programs.

You can also purchase fitness videos or if you have cable or dish, a lot of times you can catch fitness episodes on the TV. Otherwise, you can rent them from the library or the movie store too.

For conclusion, I should note that all the above mentioned ideas are only a few of multiple things available for those who are too busy to go to a gym or spend more time at home. Only your imagination and creativity can the limit to the quality of your current lifestyle. In other words, just use your fantasy to get rid of daily routine and work out on a regular basis in order to get and stay fit at any age. Look around! You will find out that ideas are everywhere. Just pick and apply what you like!

Useful Idea # 5:

Work out with your friends together.

It is recommended to get your friends into this schedule too to stay motivated. You may even organize joint sports events or trainings with your friends and their family. The other great idea is to hold various entertaining competitions on a regular basis.

Walking is beneficial in so many ways. It’s good for heart, our body and overall health. It’s one of the easiest and most accessible forms of exercise we can do. Most people already walk around all day, so why not us? You can easily burn fat and can get rid of that excessive unwanted calories.

Here are top health benefits of walking:

1. Walking is an excellent way to manage your weight.

   There are many negatives with a lot of different exercises, but walking doesn’t have any. In fact, you can walk as much as you want, have time for and are able to. It’s a relatively easy exercise that you can do almost anywhere (even back and forth in your hallway at home) that’s good for your whole body, not just one part. In addition to a 30-60 minute walking on a daily basis, you are also walking throughout the day, which means you’re working out constantly.

   Using a pedometer can be beneficial because we now know that we should be walking a minimum of 10,000 steps a day in order for walking to be beneficial to us. Putting your pedometer on in the morning as soon as you get up will let you know how many steps you’re taking. You can make it into sort of a game and try to beat your previous walking record(s).

2. Walking can help to prevent from diabetes and heart disease.

   Keeping your weight within healthy limits can help lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease. Walking can also help to control your blood pressure and can be even more effective than some medications (with no side effects).

   People who walk regularly also are at lower risk for heart attack. In fact, they are 30 to 40 % less likely to have a heart attack than someone who does not walk regularly for exercise!

3. Going for a walk helps to lower bad cholesterol levels.

   We hear a lot of hype about bad cholesterol, but we also need good cholesterol. Regular walking helps to reduce bad cholesterol while giving us more of the good stuff we need.

4. Regular walking can be helpful in the reduction of risk for stroke.

   Another health benefit of regular walking is the reduction of risk for stroke. Specialists believe that a 30-60 minute walking at least five or six days a week can cut our risk of stroke by 50 percent.

5. Regular walking can minimize the risk for breast cancer.

   In addition to walking cutting the risk of diabetes down, it also can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Walking, paired with a low-fat diet is the way to go if you’re trying to lose weight and stay healthy!

6. Going for a walk on a daily basis make bones stronger.

   It also makes our bones stronger, gives us more energy and makes us feel good and sleep better. All-in-all, walking is hands down the best exercise there is. Almost everyone can do it and it is so good for us, you’d be crazy not to!

7. Daily walking is the best natural source of oxygen.

   Every cell and tissues of our organism needs the necessary amount of oxygen in order to promote all our body organs to normally function. Fresh air is all-important for everyone, from babies to adults. Especially go for a walk with all your family just after the rain when air is rich in ozone that is very beneficial for total health, including activity of the brain. Let your baby breath in as much oxygen as he can.

8. Walking is the best work-out for lazy people.

   Really, many lazy people choose this kind of sports as the main part of their weight loss program. Daily walking really works for everyone, even for the laziest people. The popular health expert Paul Bragg who died at the age of 95 because of surfing accident, recommended walking to everyone who wanted to live healthy and long life.

As you might know, Paul Bragg was giving lections in many countries of the world. Therefore he spent his daily life mostly in hotels where he didn’t sleep unless he walked in the corridor for minimum 30 minutes a day.

Being a stay-at-home mom can be a challenge in itself, but trying to take good care of yourself and stay healthy can be even more challenging. As a mom, you deserve the same amount of love and care you give your children.

Finding time to work out with children is hard, but finding it with a newborn is especially hard. It’s too easy to put it off especially if we’re first-time moms because learning to take care of a new baby can be trying and exhausting.

Here are Practical Tips You may Benefit on a Daily Basis:

1. Use what you have.

   My best suggestion is to use what you have. When your baby gets a little bit older (about 2 to 3 months old) and you are healed from childbirth and ready to get some exercise, you can start using your baby while you work out.

   For example, my daughter was a wonderful night sleeper, but she rarely took naps in the daytime. The most I could get out of her was 14 to 20 minutes once or twice a day. On a good day, I might get a half an hour out of her. Some mom’s spoke highly of baby swings and other infant toys that would keep their babies busy, but not my sweetie-pie. Carrying her did put her to sleep, however, and I found that indoor walking in the wintertime was a fantastic way for me to stay active and fit.

2. Carrying your baby in a carrier means working out your back muscles.

   There were times that I put her in a baby front carrier, but I tended to prefer just carrying her in my arms because of the extra workout for my arms. On the other hand, having her in the carrier meant using more back muscle.

3. Go for a walk with your baby on a daily basis.

   As I found she enjoyed the walking, I began walking two or three times a day. I started wearing a pedometer and keeping track of my many steps. She was a roller coaster baby, as I fondly referred to her.

4. Do a little “work-out” with your baby from his/her first months.

   Every mom should know and remember that her baby needs regular training for overall health and body strength. So try to find out what he likes or enjoys best and do it on a daily basis, even twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. This would be a goof work-out for your arm muscles too. You might also consult your pediatrician.

   For example, my baby loved to be lifted above the head and so I made that part of my routine. I called them “baby lifts” and I would try to do 100 of them each time I walked.

5. Use stairs as a “gym”.

   Yeah, this is our condo at the time was two stories, so I would run up and down the steps as much as I could, using the steps as part of my workout. In the summertime I would take her out in her stroller and walk around the parking lot or to the river park nearby.

6. Give your baby a massage.

   Regular massage is all-important for your baby regardless his/her age. Start a massage even from his first days. Every mom should give her baby/toddler a massage at least twice a day. This increases blood circulation and help your baby relax. If you do it on a regular basis, your baby will have less gas, bloating problems which are often come across within first 40 days after birth.

   The best part is that you will train your arm and back muscles by spending 5-10 minutes for a daily massage.

The point is incorporating exercise with your family care and work can be difficult, but if we are creative, we can do it. You need to be diligent and stubborn when it comes to working out and do not lose faith. Try to take advantage of every opportunity to train your body and soul as much as possible. The trick is to be not simply active, but hyperactive.