The Lazy Person's Guide To Toning Your Body At Home

Are you looking for the best way to start toning your body at home?

Convincing yourself it’s time to start exercising should be easy — there are just so many exercise benefits. It's finding an exercise routine that works for you — and beginning it the right way — that can be difficult.

If you try to jump from no exercise to running a mile or two, you’ll likely wind up so sore and exhausted that you give up again. It's perfectly fine to start slowly with easy exercises — you’ll still get exercise benefits and improve your heart health.

Recognize that small changes over time can yield big results. Starting out slowly also enables your body to get used to more physical activity and reduces the risk of injury.

To start making a difference in your heart health and get the most exercise benefits, put a plan in place and have specific goals in mind. You will see that, with a gradual start and the right mindset, a fitness routine can significantly improve your cardiovascular health within three months.

Let's Start Exercising: First Steps to Body Toning at Home

You don’t need to push yourself to the limit on your first day. Remind yourself that fitness starts with just doing more today than you did yesterday. So for the couch potato, even spending 30 minutes less sitting is the beginning of a fitness program.

To figure out how much you're currently moving, pick up an inexpensive pedometer. Using a pedometer is one of the best ways to start increasing activity. Record your steps for about three days to get an average. Then use that number to set a goal, increasing your steps by 20 percent every day to eventually reach 10,000 steps per day.

Walking is just one of many choices to get active. However, it is often a good way to get back into fitness if you’ve strayed. It’s an easy exercise that's convenient and enjoyable.

Do Toning Activities You Enjoy At Home

Don't force yourself to run every day if you hate running, and don't spend hours cursing the elliptical machine or stationary bike at the gym if those machines just don’t appeal to you.

Finding an exercise that you enjoy is part of a strategy or plan to change lifestyle behavior and stay active throughout your life. The type of exercise you choose truly affects your motivation to get moving. Maybe it's a yoga class some days and tennis or hiking with a buddy on others. Doing a variety of exercises will help keep your workouts fresh and keep you interested.

Easy Toning Exercises at Home and Work

With a hectic work schedule followed by demands at home, it may be hard to squeeze in a trip to the gym. The good news is you may not have to go anywhere to get a good workout. Any kind of movement can be considered an activity and will burn calories.

Exercise #1: Couch Dips

Sit at the edge of the sofa and place your palms on each side of your hips. Lower the booty off the couch like you are going to perform a triceps dip. Hold that position with your feet on the floor and knees bent at 90 degrees. Your elbows should be kept slightly bent and parallel, facing the back of the couch.

Next, kick your legs, starting with the right leg, and kick it out straight in front of you just above your hips. Return the foot back to the floor. Hop the feet barely off the ground and with that same right leg kick it out slightly crossing over to your left side, return the foot to the ground, take another small hop, and repeat on the left. You'll feel this full-body exercise in your triceps, forearms, shoulders, chest, core, glutes, hamstrings, quads and inner thighs.

Exercise #2: Remote Rev-Ups

Stand in front of the couch facing the TV. Place your feet parallel and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart (resembling a sumo stance). Hold on to the remote control in your right hand. Perform four right arms forward punches while slowly lowering your body down towards the cushion of the couch with each punch. By the fourth punch, your booty should barely touch the couch.

Now, continue repeating the punch/squat raise combo. By the last rising punch, you should be returned to a standing sumo stance.

Switch the remote to the left hand and replay. This full-body exercise works your calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, and inner and outer thighs. You also work your core when you stabilize your body.

Exercise #3: Couch Climbers

Start with your elbows on the couch cushion and your hands together.

Place your chest over your forearms, and feet on the floor. Your body will be in a plank position. Do not let your hips drop and try to keep your body in a straight line.

Lift up and place your right hand on the edge of the couch, as if preparing for a pushup position. Quickly place your left hand out to the other side continuing the flow upward to a pushup plank.

Return carefully back down to your elbow plank position, starting with your right elbow and hand, with your left elbow and hand to follow. Think "up, up, down, down" in a metronome rhythm.

Repeat this sequence starting with the left hand and arm. During this calorie burner, you work your core muscles (abdominals and obliques), lower back, chest, biceps, triceps, shoulders, forearms, and lats.

Try these other ways to incorporate easy home toning exercises into your day:

Park in the back of the parking lot so that you have to walk a little farther to your destination. For an added workout, carry your groceries instead of pushing them in a cart.
Give your house a really good cleaning. To burn even more calories, sing and dance while you work.
When you have a choice, use stairs instead of an escalator or elevator. Try to climb stairs quickly instead of taking your time.
When feasible, walk instead of driving, taking a train, or riding the bus.
Getting antsy in your chair at work? Fidgeting is fine — and burns calories.
Use an exercise ball instead of a chair. It forces you to continually contract your core muscles in the abdomen and back to stay balanced.
Play with your kids — tag is a great game to get the heart pumping.
Laugh, jump up and down, dance, and just enjoy life.

Exercise doesn't have to be one more chore on your to-do list or something that you dread. Make better choices throughout each day to help you move a little more, and your heart will reap the benefits.