7 Super Simple Ways To Work Out At Home

Regular physical activity is so important for the body (and mind). But it can often be extremely difficult to find the right resources to help us exercise safely and efficiently. Since gyms are closed atm (in the UK at least), we have to find new ways to work out at home … and frankly it’s not as easy as it sounds.

If you’re feeling a little lost, or you don’t know where to start, I’ve rounded up a few of the things that I use to keep fit.

1. Resistance Bands

I’m a strong believer that you don’t need tonnes of equipment to exercise effectively … but sometimes it does help. Resistance bands are really affordable, and they’ll make all the difference to your regular workout routine.

These bands help to strengthen your muscles without putting unnecessary or excessive pressure on your joints. They’re also great way of toning up and have been proven to improve things like flexibility and balance.

You’ll notice that they usually come in set of five. Each band has a different strength level so that you can ease yourself into resistance training and avoid injury. My top pick is this Hybrid multipack which comes in its own little pouch, making transporting and storing the bands super easy.

2. Fitness Apps

If you’re looking for something that requires minimal equipment, fitness apps are another great workout option. All you need is your phone and a bottle of water.

I find these really handy as I can see – when I select the routine – just how long it’s going to take. It makes it really easy to squeeze in a quick morning or lunchtime session.

I also love that most workouts are bodyweight-focused, so you’re not expected to have loads of gym equipment on hand.

These are some of the apps I use:

• Seven – Quick At Home Workouts
• 8fit Workout & Meal Planner
• MyFitnessPal
• Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer

3. Workout Videos

Fitness apps are perfect for a speedy exercise sesh, but what if you need something longer? If I’m planning to work out for 20+ minutes, I tend to opt for a classic YouTube video instead.

There are soooo many workout videos floating around the Internet. You can find one for practically any body part you want to work on. From cardio to stretching, you can also choose exactly which type of exercise you want to do.

Plus, if you’re worried about disturbing the neighbours, there are tonnes of videos that you can follow for noise-free exercising. This low impact full body HIIT workout by MadFit is amazing as there is no equipment or jumping involved – make sure to check it out!

4. Flashcards

I always have trouble deciding which exercises to do. And, if it gets to the end of the day and I still haven’t exercised, then I feel really unmotivated to start. This is normally when I turn to these bodyweight workout cards.

I pick about 6 or 7 cards at random and this becomes my fitness routine for the day. It’s great because it challenges you to do things you would usually avoid or that you might not even think of incorporating into your workout.

TOP TIP: You might find it useful to split the cards up into different categories depending on difficulty or the part of the body it targets. This way you can pick a card from each pile and make sure your workout is balanced and varied.

5. Guided Yoga

Yoga is definitely one of the easiest ways to work out at home. While you can buy different accessories, like blocks and straps, the majority of the poses can be done with just a mat … or (in a pinch) a towel.

Again, YouTube is probably the best place to find Yoga-related resources – there are so many channels dedicated solely to this. Yoga With Adriene is a longtime favourite of mine (and I’m sure many others) and I’ve been loving SarahBethYoga at the minute too.

For beginners, I also recommend The Little Book of Yoga. It gives you a full breakdown of each pose (to make sure you’re doing it right/safely) and tells you how it physically benefits the body. I find it really useful!

6. Hula Hoop

If you haven’t seen the weighted hula hoop trend flooding TikTok, then you might be a bit confused by this. Let me explain. These are very much like the toys you used to play with when you were younger, except they’re designed to be heavier and more padded.

The repetitive movement of hula hooping alone is great for burning calories, but adding extra weight helps us to really strengthen our core muscles and tone our abs.

You can go for a traditional, circular type hoop like this Core Balance one, or a smart hula ring like this.

7. Skipping Rope

Skipping is another playground classic. You might have tucked your rope away at the back of some forgotten cupboard, but now is the time to dust it off and get jumping! I loved this activity when I was at school so I’m incredibly excited that people are starting to get into it again.

Skipping is a great form of cardio and it also improves your coordination. The Jump Rope Institute even claims that it can make you smarter so if that doesn’t sell it to you I don’t know what will!

How do you work out at home? What equipment do you use to make keeping active a little easier?