People often consider gym to be the right place to gain perfect figure and stay fit.
In fact, it is not true. Staying fit with a good physique actually need no gym activities.
One can easily achieve this without going to a gym-just by practicing strength-training exercises.
As with any workouts, whether it is based on your own body weight or free weights, resistance is more important.
This is because unless and until your resistance increases, the muscles won’t work to their utmost capability and the spur that fibers need to develop will be lost.
Strength-training exercises are similar to the exercises at gym. These exercises when done in an approved manner helps build up muscle mass and enhance the metabolic activities. Moreover, doing these exercises require no time limit and money.
Strength-training exercises are very easy to perform and can be done at your convenient location—a bedroom or a park. But, all that requires is following the right procedure: a proper warm up prior to the start of the session, settling down and stretching after finishing the session. Remember that regular practice of these exercises can add more resistance to the existing workouts.
Here are few strength-training exercises to build your body muscles and maintain body fitness:
Push-Up: It is the most common strength-training exercise that builds arms, shoulders, and chest. Lie chest down on the ground with hands about 13-17 inches wide or shoulder width apart and palms flat on the ground with a bit more than shoulder-width apart.
Now push your body up off the ground until both the arms become straight, keeping the palms stable and body straight. Then, slowly lower the body towards the ground by bending the arms and keeping the body straight.
Lower the body till the chest touches the ground. Always remember to exhale as you straighten the arms and inhale as you bend the arms. Repeat the procedure as many times as possible for you.
Squats: It is one of the best strength-training exercises that build the muscles of the hips, thighs, and glutes.
Place your feet about shoulder width or approximately 13-16 inches wide with your back straight and head facing up. Slowly squat down to that position where the abs contracted and the thighs are parallel to the ground.
Hold this position for a while and get back to standing position without bouncing at the end of the movement. Don’t forget to exhale your breath as you are getting back to the original position—the standing position.
Bent-Over Row: This strength-training exercise targets the major muscles of the upper back. Take a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, right hand and right knee braced on level surface for a better support.
Now, pick up a dumbbell or barbell and hold it underneath the shoulders with hands shoulder-width apart. Flex your elbows, lift your hands, and slowly bring the dumbbell to the sides of your body. Now, wait for a while and slowly lower both hands down to the original position.
Abdominal crunches, lunges, dips, chin-ups are some of the other strength-training exercises that help you stay fit without going to gym.
