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Why work out indoors, sweating in some stuffy gym, when you could be outside in the fresh
air and sunshine? In winter, the answer’s painfully obvious—if you live in most
places in the U.S., it’s cold and wet. Even in climes like Florida or Arizona, it
gets dark too early to run or ride safely after work.
The big problem with indoor workouts is boredom. Take riding a bike—outside, your
brain is constantly engaged keeping you upright, watching for stray dogs or errant
motorists, dodging potholes and looking at the scenery. On an indoor bike, your mental
activity is reduced to watching the sweat drip off your nose. It’s sensory deprivation
of the worst kind.
But indoor exercise doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, with a little planning, it can
be downright enjoyable. All it takes is the right mix of three important elements: aerobic
conditioning, strength conditioning, and fun. Here’s the best way to mix and match.
Aerobic
If you belong to a health club, check out the variety of aerobic exercisers. You’ll
probably find indoor bikes, treadmills, Stairmasters, elliptical trainers, climbing
machines and rowing machines. Spending 30 to 60 minutes on just one machine, with your
body locked into only one movement, can fry your brain. Instead, try rotating every five
minutes between several machines. You’ll get a great aerobic workout as well as the
bonus benefits of impacting many different muscle groups.
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Strength Exercises in Your Home (checklist) |
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Lunges |
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Crunches |
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Chair dips |
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Pushups |
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Body Weight Squats |
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Step-Ups |
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Paint Can Rows |
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Pull-Ups |
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If you work out at home, you probably have only one machine—let’s say it’s
a stationary bike. For variety, try this:
-10 minute warmup on the bike
-25 bodyweight squats
-2 minutes on the bike
-15 pushups
Continue to alternate easy bodyweight exercises and calisthenics with short bouts of
pedaling, and the minutes will fly by. The same principles work if your home torture
machine is a treadmill, rower, or step machine.
Strength
At the health club, consider a circuit class. You’ll alternate rapidly among machines
or free weight stations, doing about 20 seconds of exercise at each one, then resting for
an equal amount of time as you move to the next station. These circuits are great strength
and aerobic boosters. They’re fun, too, because the instructor is usually a high-energy
person, there’s great music playing, and lots of encouragement from fellow
participants.
Suppose you have to work out at home and don’t have any equipment. Simply warm up with
light calisthenics, then do one upper body pushing exercise (like pushups or chair dips);
an upper body pulling exercise (like pull-ups or rows using a full paint can); crunches
for the abs; and a leg exercise like body weight squats, lunges, or step ups. By
manipulating the number of sets and reps, you can continue to progress all winter. Another
tip—change the angle of the exercise. For instance, instead of conventional pushups,
put your feet up on a bench or chair.
If you have minimal weights at home (a barbell and a bench) try bench presses, barbell rows
or hang cleans, light squats and crunches. Be sure to consult a strength coach certified
by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (http://www.nsca-lift.org) to make sure you are doing each exercise correctly. In fact, a
personal trainer is one of the best investments you can make whether you work out at home
or at a health club. He’ll set up a program to address your strengths, weaknesses and
goals plus provide great motivation.
Fun
By adopting the suggestions above, your indoor workouts will be much more enjoyable. But
don’t forget to add activities that are just plain fun. Here are some suggestions, for
both home and the health club:
-Games like basketball, volleyball, and indoor soccer
-Ice skating at an indoor rink
-Classes like spinning, kick boxing, step aerobics and boxing
-If all else fails, get outside briefly for a good old-fashioned snowball fight (It’s
safer if you institute a “two-squeeze” packing rule so the snowballs are soft
and won’t cause
injury.)
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Gear for Indoor Workouts |
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Ultracoach Cyclefx: This CD-ROM converts any bicycle trainer into a fully
interactive fitness machine. It hooks up to your PC and shows heart rate, speed,
and cadence. It’s also internet-compatible so you can race your buddies over
the net. http://www.cyclefx.com
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True 450 HRC Treadmill. A gym-quality treadmill like this will set you back
about three grand, but if you like to run indoors in the safety of your own home,
it’s worth the hefty price tag. Solid as a rock, it gives instant feedback on
distance, grade, time, speed, and calories. The incline goes up to 15% and speed
range is 0 to 10 mph. http://www.truefitness.com
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Power Systems Self-Standing Squat Stands ($160) and Power Systems Pro Squat
Rack ($400): The squat is often called the “king of exercises” because
it works most of the major muscles in the body. It’s great for balance, too.
Do squats in your home with these two products from Power Systems. You’ll
need a spotter to use the Self-Standing rack safely, but the Pro Rack has a
built-in spotting feature that works fine with light to moderate weights.
(800) 321-6975
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