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Welcome to the second part of this series! Part one you can read about here. This was just the introduction to being more active with little steps I practice everyday, even if I am having a hard day physically, I always try to move around in some way.
Having physical limitations can make normal exercise almost impossible at times, and it can get very frustrating. Or perhaps you just haven’t exercised in so long, you can’t find the motivation to start.
That is where easy home workouts come in! I live out of town a little bit, and we don’t have any gyms around or options for classes. When my husband and I lived in California, we lived next to about five gyms, and I had hundreds of class options for anything I could think of. It was really nice and I must say, I miss it!
Texas is very spread out and not as hard core on fitness, so the last few years I have been playing around with different affordable home workout programs to see which I liked best, which ones were actually effective, and which ones I could do even with bad rheumatoid arthritis.
The AWESOME thing about these affordable home workout programs is they work even for healthy people that enjoy working out. They are great for everyone!
If you follow me on snapchat (alexisroch), you have probably seen a few snippets of these here and there. I try to do a few of these a week!
Alright, here is my list of easy, affordable home workout programs!
One. 10 minute Pilates DVD’s
There is nothing better than a 10 minute workout. And Pilates is one of the best forms of exercise since it targets all those tiny muscles all over your body. These are my favorite ones:
If you workout all the time, these DVD’s are fun to just add to your routine anyways. Sometimes I get so busy during the day, I don’t have time to do anything, so I pop in one of these, and in 10 minutes, I have a workout done. I rotate them out to keep them effective, but I am always a little sore the next day!
They work well toning my legs and I love the stretching involved!
Two. 28 week Bombshell Body Guide by Lauryn Evarts
I have been following Lauryn’s blog, The Skinny Confidential, since 2011 and I love her workout tips. I have absolutely loved this program so far! It is about 25 minutes per workout, 3 days a week and I am ALWAYS sore afterwards. It has been great at toning my stomach and legs!
You can also buy these as just phase 1 or phase 2 instead of both. Phase 1 is less advanced, but it still difficult. Phase 2, I am a few weeks into and it is a little more intense. They are both awesome workouts that you can keep forever too!
I have really bad RA in my elbows, wrists, and hands, so there are a few of the moves I struggle with. I just swap out another exercise for those moves, but I can do pretty much everything else which is great for me!
Many workout programs like this are too complex for me to do with my bad joints!
Three. Tracy Anderson’s Arm Workout
This video is an awesome, weight free, arm workout! I have been following Tracy Anderson’s workout videos for a few years since I first read about her training celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna.
As I mentioned before, I can’t do normal arm workouts with bad elbows and wrists, so I really love this arm workout. I am always pretty sore afterwards and it doesn’t aggravate my joints!
Even if you have healthy joints, this is still a great workout!
Four. Dancing Videos!
You may not know this about me, but I am OBSESSED with dancing! It was a life changer for me in high school when I wasn’t able to do athletics anymore with RA. My all time favorite movies involve dancing, I love Dancing with the Stars…I just really love dancing and wish I could do more of it.
I love dancing of all kinds, but really love hip hop and Latin for cardio workouts. When I was dancing all the time, my legs were in the best shape they’ve ever been in.
This Hip Hop aerobic video is a fun for beginners.
I also love Zumba, and this is a good home video for that!
Another dance option is on PlayStation or Xbox. There are some really fun programs for either that are a blast and a great workout! That is what we are doing above, my friend is behind me (we have been dancing together for over 20 years 🙂 )
Five. Ab Workout DVD
I am extremely picky about ab workouts because I build muscle so fast. Many ab programs just make my ab muscles expand, which is not something you want! If you want to specifically workout your ab muscles, this Crunch-Free Xtreme Abs
I really love how it has unique moves and standing movements. Those target and work my stomach way more effectively than sitting crunches.
There are some videos on you tube you can watch as well for crunch less ab workouts, but I like the length and difficulty of this DVD!
So there is my top list of affordable home workout programs that actually work and are fairly easy! Again, these are not only great if you have physical limitations, but also if you just want to get more toned!
If you are a beginner and have physical issues, you can read my top three ways to stay in shape when you are not doing well physically. That is a great place to start!
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, but these are my own personal experiences with working out with rheumatoid arthritis and other health issues. Always consult a doctor before you start any program 🙂
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Alexis is an investigative chemist sharing her expertise in cleaning, skincare, gardening, and home hacks. She personally tests out products like the best skincare products or home products then shares not only the science behind how it works, but also her personal results. She is the mom of two living in Texas with her husband. Find her on Instagram for fantastic videos, tips, and behind the scenes.
I love the 8 minute abs tape; it sounds similiar to the one you posted above. I’ve been doing it since college!
Christina :: Simple and Delish
They make a great way to get your ab workout in! I love the standing ab workouts, they are some much more effective for me vs traditional 🙂
awesome ideas! I also really love Tone It Up!
Thanks Tianna! I like Tone it Up sometimes as well, although many of their moves are really hard for my joints. I know they have some great free videos to watch! 🙂
Awesome tips! I want to try that pilates workout and the dancing videos <3
Green Fashionista
I absolutely love the pilates! It is such a great workout! And the dancing is so fun too, you barely feel like you are actually working out 🙂
I would like to try yoga but wanted to take a class first so I do not hurt myself!! We do not have any classes close to me. I would have to drive at least 30 minutes. I think that is why I love running so much because I can run anywhere and anytime!! I do have a Pilates DVD that I love but I have not done it in a while. I probably should get on that!!
I miss getting to go to yoga classes! I also live to far out to go to anything. I love pilates! Such an awesome workout!
I love all your suggestions for at-home workouts… I would have to be disciplined to workout at home (my brother has been working out at home for 15+ years). I would definitely like to try Pilates, but I would probably go to a class first to get familiar with the moves with someone to spot me. I’d also like to try more standing abs. I like to put on music and dance around the house, but the dog looks like I’m a nut and my hubby… he thinks I’m totally weird. Hey, whatever moves me… as long as I keep moving! 🙂
I dance around the house too lol..Ruger stares at me like I am weird. My husband gets into it with me, and Ruger really has a concerned look on his face!! 🙂
I need some new workouts! Thanks for sharing these! 🙂
Thanks girl! Hope you can find some fun ones to try 🙂
I was just looking at gym memberships! I (by happy accident or maybe irony) just so happened to click on your blog today, and this is great. I still might join a gym because working out at home is pretty hard to stay on top of, but thank you so much for sharing!
Working out at home can get hard. It took awhile for me to get used to! I’ve gotten to wear I enjoy the break in my day at home to get some exercise in! If you do decide to workout at home, I hope you can enjoy some of these 🙂
This is awesome and something I totally needed! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Christine! Hope you can find a fun new one to try!
Hi Alexis,
Despite the fact that I have belonged to a gym for years it is always nice to be able to fall back on low-cost and convenient home workout options like the ones above. I hopped over from Healthy Living Link Party.
That is so true! It is nice to have some fun options for home 🙂
I workout at home, so I am going to check out these resources. Specially the arm workout! Found you through Bloggers Pit Stop. 🙂
Thanks so much! I hope you can find a new one to enjoy! I love all of these, and they are so good for people with any type of limitations! Let me know what you think! 🙂
Great suggestions! I work out at home exclusively so I’m always looking for ways to change it up. I love Tracey Anderson workouts.
I love her workouts too! It is nice to have different options and change things up at home! I hope you can find some new ones to try 🙂
I love Zumba too thanks for sharing with Pin Worthy Wednesday
It is so fun!
Limitations are so difficult to handle. I was an athlete in high school but have an injury from basketball, plus a genetic issue too, and it makes exercising so hard! I love learning about at-home workout options!
Physical limitations do make exercise so much more difficult! I love having the option to stay toned and in shape with programs that work for me even with physical problems. I hope this will help you and you can find a new one to enjoy 🙂 Thanks Kristin!
Looks fun. We use to do the WII Fit and the WII Sport. Thanks for bringing this to Bloggers Pit Stop.
Janice
Those are fun!!! Thanks Janice!
What a great post Alexis! Thanks for sharing your resources! Thanks for joining Home Sweet Home!
Thanks Sherry!! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
I will feature this today at HSH!
That is great! Thank you!!
What a great list! I LOVE at home workouts and they are also perfect for when you have small kids at home. I’ll definitely be trying some of these 🙂
They are great when you have kids at home! I hope you get to enjoy some of these 🙂 Let me know if you try any out! Have a great day!
I’ve always heard that getting in a 10 minute workout three times a day is recommended. Thank you for sharing with us at the Merry Monday party. I really like this list. Pinning.
Thanks Shirley! It really does make a difference breaking it up into smaller portion during the day. I stay in just as good of shape that way vs a long once a day workout 🙂