Tired of spending countless hours in a crowded gym? Is the incessant rain this summer putting a damper on your trek to the fitness center? All can agree that finding the time and/or motivation to exercise isn’t always easy; and we’ve all used the “I’m too tired to go to the gym” excuse at one point or another. Luckily for us, it turns out you don’t always need fancy gym equipment or a mundane workout plan to properly train your body.  In fact, some of the most effective exercises can be accomplished with your own bodyweight in the comfort of your apartment living room. While almost all of our F&C properties offer  state-of-the art fitness centers for our residents, we totally get that some days you just don’t want to leave home. Because of this, we’ve researched several techniques to help you stay in shape without ever leaving the apartment. Here are some of our favorites:

Cardio + Resistance Pyramid Circuit

This cardio and strength circuit trains numerous different parts of the body and requires no outside equipment. Simply clear a space, and complete it right in the comfort of your living room! The circuit is made up of ten exercises done consecutively in rounds of decreasing repetitions. To begin, pick a number of repetitions to start, for example, ten. Perform each exercise ten times to complete one round. Take a short break, then move on to the next round, in which you will perform each exercise nine times, and so on. Below are the recommended exercises to use with this circuit, but feel free to swap out exercises based on personal taste/fitness level!

1. Jumping Jacks
2. Squats
3. High Knees (R+L=1)
4. Alternating Lunges (R+L =1)
5. Wide Ski Jumps (R+L =1)
6. Triceps Dips
7. Squat Jumps
8. Push-Ups
9. Ballet Squat Jumps
10. Bicycle Crunches

Yoga

Who needs a membership to a fancy yoga studio when you can get the same results at home? Check out this Heart-Pumping Yoga routine that can be done anywhere.

5 Minute Total Body Workout

Not a lot of time on your hands? Never fear! For all you busy-bodies out there, check out this 5 Minute Equipment-Free Total Body Workout!

Leg Workout

Summertime also means it’s shorts season! To get those legs ready for their time in the sun, check out this Hot Legs Workout or this Best Home Leg Workout.

Insanity

Why hire a personal trainer when you could have one in your living room? Despite its daunting name, the Insanity program is one of the most popular at-home workout programs on the market. The program is based on a fitness method called “max-interval training” and is a total body workout that requires no gym or equipment. The full Insanity program includes 10 DVDs of intense workouts, a nutrition guide, and a calendar to track progress. Purchase it on Amazon.com here.

 

So whether you’re having one of those days (and we all have them!) when you just don’t feel up for the trip to the gym, or if you simply prefer to work out the privacy of your own home, always remember you can achieve a top-notch workout wherever there is ample space!