Simple at home workouts

I recently received some exercise equipment from King Athletic and I was excited to try them out.   While I am a big advocate of going to the gym because there is so much equipment there, I know that it's not always easy.  For me, it's usually laziness that prevents me from getting to the gym, so it's nice to know that I have some things on hang to get an at home workout.

I received a jump rope, resistance bands and massage balls. While I'm not being paid to write this, the items were sent to me complimentary for review.  Of course, I'm not going to lie to you and tell you something's great when it's not so read on to see what I think.

As I was adding to my at home workout list, I figured I would share them with you.  First up is the jump rope.  I love the simplicity of this tool.  It's a great cardio workout and practically everyone knows how to use it.  It's the ideal at home cardio for me because I'm not a runner and without a treadmill I'll just slow down to walking.  Jump ropes are fun and remind me of being a kid. 

Let's talk about what you want to look for in a jump rope.  If are serious about using a jump rope for exercise and not just for fun, you'll want a plastic speed rope.  It's way more durable than a cotton rope and goes a lot faster.  You also want to make sure that your rope is the correct length.  To do this stand in the middle of the rope and the handles should be at your armpit.  You'll want to make sure that the rope you have is adjustable.  The one I got from King Athletic is adjustable. You can pull off the end caps on the handles and pull the rope up.  While you can cut it, I prefer just to knot it shorter because I want the ability to get back to the longer length if wanted to.

I don't think that many of you need directions on how to jump rope, but I want to point our some variations to step up your routine.  You all know the traditional forward jump, but there are also the backward jump (swing the rope backwards) and the side to side jump (jump your feet side to side as you jump).  If you want to step it up a notch there are also the single legged jump (be sure you alternate legs for each set) and then the criss cross (where you cross your legs and then switch each time you jump).  You can look up so many more ideas online.

The next thing I received was the set of resistance bands.  The set included a 5 lb, 10 lb and 15 lb bands.  Resistance bands are the perfect at home workout tool because they are small, compact and easy to store as compared to free weights. Once again you can search the internet for lots of ideas (that's probably how you found my post), but I have few that I want to share with you. The first is from my favorite fitness YouTubers.  MadFit has so many workouts (some of them are so fun because they are choreographed to fun songs), but I like her resistance band workouts.  To the right is one that I like.  If you don't want to watch a video here are a few ideas.

1. Pull Apart - Hold the band in for you with your arms straight.  Pull the band apart with the aim to get your shoulder blades to touch.  Slowly return to the starting position.  Repeat
2.  Pull Up - You'll need a long band for this one.  Stand with the band under your feet while holding each end.  Pull your hands up to your chin with your elbows going out to side.  Slower lower back down and repeat. 
3. Bicep Curl - Start with the same setup as a pull up.  Keep your elbows tucked into your side and try to bring your hands up to your shoulder.  Slowly lower down and repeat. 
4. Standing Abduction - This will work your outer thighs and glutes.  Using a loop band (like the ones to the left) wrap the band around your ankles. Slowly life your right leg out to the side while keeps your left leg straight and stable.  You may need to hold on to a chair or a wall for this.  Repeat several times and then switch legs.
5. Seated Adduction - This will work your inner thighs.  Using a loop band wrap it around your ankles, like you did the previous exercise.  This time face the wall or the chair that you are using for support. Get into a wide stance and squat down a little.  Now with your weight on your left leg, take your right legs and sweep it across your body so it crosses your left leg.  Slowly return to starting and repeat several time before your switch sides. 

The last thing I received was a set of massage balls.  I'll be honest with you, I've never used massage ball before and wasn't 100% sure what to do with them.  I understand that they are a way to work out any knots or kinks you have after a workout.  They are rubber balls that are firmer than tennis balls (think lacrosse balls) that can give your a deep tissue massage.  Apparently you can also heat these in the microwave for an added relaxation.  I'll have to take their word for that because I don't have a microwave.  I did a lot of research on what to do with these because I really had no idea.  Basically you just roll the body part that hurts over these balls.  It can be anything from rolling them under you feet, to sitting on them and rolling on them to massage your glutes to laying down with them under your shoulders to massage your shoulders.  I'd never though to use these before, but it's something that I will surely keep trying to see if they work for me.

Leave me a message down below with your at home workout recommendations.  

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