With gyms and studios closing due to COVID-19, it’s important that we protect ourselves as best we can. Aside from social distancing and washing our hands as much as possible, we need to make sure that we focus on our fitness as well. With many spring races and events being canceled, it’s the perfect time to work on ourselves while we’re at home. Personally, I will be getting back to many of my Dailyburn vs Beachbody programs. But I am also going to be trying out some of my own modifiers that I think most people can use without a subscription. Below are our best home workouts on a budget that you can either do alongside one of the subscription programs or all on their own.
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Best Home Workouts on a Budget
Running
Notice I didn’t say “jogging.” There is a big difference between running vs jogging — the biggest being that running means switching up intensity, adding hills and intervals, and not just plodding along the same route day after day. I try to fit in 3 runs per week — one long slow run, one speed run (usually on a nearby track or loop around my house), and one where I either find a trail or a hill to give my legs an extra workout. While this article is focused on budget, it would be great to pair your runs with a fitness tracker — see our best fitness trackers article for more detail on which is best for you.
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Crossfit Workouts
There are a ton of great crossfit workouts you can do at home without much equipment necessary. I would suggest trying to pick up a few items for your home gym or garage gym, but many of the exercises you’d find in a crossfit gym don’t require anything other than your body weight. Set a timer and see how many burpees you can do in five minutes, or try an EMOM (each minute on the minute) workout where you do five pushups, five sit ups, and five air squats every minute for 10-15 minutes.
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Ab Pyramid
So I don’t know if this is the actual name — maybe I made it up? — but the Ab Pyramid is a way of increasing the amount of ab work you do every day for a month. Here’s how it works:
Week One:
- Day 1: One sit up
- Day 2: (Day 1 + two sit ups) = Three sit ups total
- Day 3: (Day 2 + four sit ups) = Seven sits ups total
- Day 4: (Day 3 + six sit ups) = 13 sit ups total
- Day 5: (continue progression) = 21 sit ups total
- Day 6: 31 sit ups total
- Day 7: 43 sit ups total (ending number)
Week Two:
Your ending number for day 1 (43 sit ups) will now be the standard for the rest of the month. So every day going forward is 43 sit ups + that day’s workout.
- Day 1: ten second plank
- Day 2: (Day 1 + 10 seconds) = 20 second plank
- Day 3: (Day 2 + 20 second plank) = 40 second plank
You get the point. Whatever you finish the week on, you then have to do that exercise too for the rest of the month. Start with sit ups, then add plank, then add two other ab exercises to round out the month like mountain climbers, ab scissor kicks, or shoulder taps.
Yoga
Aside from the improved blood flow and mental clarity that Yoga provides, there really is a fantastic workout involved when you lay your mat out and set aside 45 minutes to practice Yoga. If you have a Yoga mat or a beach towel, there are tons of great guided Yoga practices you can find online (and most of them are free!).
Meal Prep
Let’s face it: abs are made in the kitchen more than they are at the gym. While dieting and meal prepping aren’t really “workouts,” they will absolutely get you closer to where you want to be with a little effort and a lot of willpower. Meal prep is as important as anything we could include on a best home workouts on a budget list. With a lot of states moving toward closing restaurants for the time being, it’s as good of a time as ever to take a day during the week to make lots of healthy meals, sort them out into Tupperware containers, and focus on limiting any snacking in between meals.
For more suggestions or products you can find for cheap, check out our article on the 6 Best Travel Workout Accessories that you can also use at home to help get you in great shape while you’re stuck at home.
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Let us know what other ways you’re getting your best home workouts on a budget!