I wasn’t really sure how to title this week’s fitness post, so I am calling it home workouts. Home workouts include several things for me. From doing some upper body strength work with hand weights, to utilizing You Tube and Beachbody workouts.
I am not affiliated with Beachbody, but if you find a Beachbody coach or workout you like or want to subscribe to Beachbody-on-Demand, I would highly recommend it. They have the best workouts and you can do them right from the comfort of home at your convenience.
So, let me tell you how I learned about these workouts. I was at a conference 10+ years ago in a hotel room watching late night TV when an infomercial came on for Turbo Jam with Chalene Johnson. I was immediately sucked in and called the 1-800 number and ordered the DVDs and the “but wait, there’s more” extras, which I think were some hand weights.
I was immediately hooked on the fun music, dance style, punching, and kicking that was part of Turbo Jam. I loved it and I did it consistently. In fact, I still do several of these workouts. Ab Jam is a favorite! It’s a 20 minute core workout that includes 10 minutes of standing and 10 minutes of floor work. It’s effective and I did it last week – my obliques felt it for a couple of days.
I am a loyal fan of Chalene Johnson because she is in my age group. She makes it feel possible for a 50 year old to be healthy and fit. I found her PiYo workout a few years ago and this is probably one of the most effective workouts I’ve ever experienced. I love that it combines strength, yoga, and pilates. It’s tough, but in the amount of time it takes to do a workout, it can have really good results.
I do not want to spend more than 45 minutes doing one workout. I just get bored. Ideally, I choose a workout that is 20-30 minutes. That is my preference and will choose it 95% of the time.
There are a few from 21 Day Fix I also enjoy. I especially like the upper body, lower body, and 10 minute ab fix.
Some days I also turn to You Tube for home workouts. I really like Fitness Blender. If I want to focus on specific ares, such as arms, back and shoulders, or lower body; and I have a certain amount of time to spend, I can always find something on that channel.
Sometimes I just get out the 5 or 10 pound hand weights and do my own thing. I feel like if I can do a couple of rounds for 10 minutes, it is better than nothing. Especially if I combine that with a good walk or yoga.
I would love to know your favorite home workouts. Let me know in the comments or reach out via email: kim@thehappykim.com.
