Sport at home: fitness without equipment
A rolling stone gathers no moss. This folk wisdom applies at any age. But as you get older, this wisdom becomes even more important. That's why it's important to make regular training as easy as possible for yourself: fitness without equipment could be the right option for you if you want to complete your training sessions without being tied down by time. Here you can find out what exactly fitness without equipment is, how such a workout should be structured and learn a few practical exercises.
Fitness without equipment: Ideal for everyone
Regular physical training can also be done at home and without equipment: This is called fitness without equipment. These training sessions can be done at any age, as they can be easily adapted to the respective performance level. It is important that beginners also complete their training programme two to three times a week for 15 to 30 minutes.
Fitness training without equipment has several advantages:
- You can do it at home and at any time.
- Fitness without equipment is generally very gentle because there is hardly any overloading.
- There is no fitness equipment standing around in your home.
- Fitness without equipment doesn't cost you any money.
- You don't have to leave the house for your training sessions. There is also no time spent travelling.
Basically, the exercises listed can be done by anyone. If you have not exercised for a long time or suffer from pre-existing conditions, talk to your doctor before you start training. And even if you are physically active, you should make use of regular check-ups with your family doctor to ensure that your sports programme is good for you in the long term. The training itself may be strenuous and the muscles may pull a little. Pain, however, should cause you to stop the exercise.
Exercise plan: A fitness without equipment exercise plan should include these elements
Fitness without equipment should always be embedded in a holistic training programme. Basically, of course, any training (as long as it does not overload) is better than no training at all. Fitness without equipment" training can develop its optimal effect when it includes the following elements:
- Endurance
- Mobility
- Coordination
- Strength
- Speed
Holistic training that includes all these elements trains the entire body and works on several levels. Muscles are built up or maintained and toned. The primary aim is not to achieve a bodybuilder's figure, but to train the muscles for the musculoskeletal system. In addition, exercise stimulates and trains the cardiovascular system. Thus, regular training according to the principle of "fitness without equipment" helps to stabilise health in the long term.
The five pillars of a holistic fitness programme can be implemented not only in a fitness studio, but also as fitness without equipment. The effects of the different pillars are briefly explained below.
Endurance training
Endurance training primarily trains the cardiovascular system and thus contributes to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Regular endurance training can help reduce high blood pressure and normalise cholesterol levels. Endurance training also has a positive effect on the immune system.
Strength training
Muscles ensure that the skeleton is held and supported. Weak muscles can be the cause of back pain, for example. Muscle mass also decreases steadily with age. Regular, targeted strength training is necessary to maintain sufficient muscle mass.
Coordination
Here, special exercises are used to train the cooperation between the brain and muscles. This improves the ability to react to unforeseen situations in everyday life. It also makes it easier to keep your balance and, if you stumble, to pick yourself up again instead of falling.
Flexibility
These exercises stretch muscles and keep joints supple. This prevents postural pain and improves or maintains flexibility. Regular exercise helps to ensure that an independent life is possible into old age.
Speed
These exercises target the brain's reaction speed in coordination with the muscles. This ability is also important to prevent falls. In addition, these exercises have a positive effect on memory performance.
Equipment: What you need for fitness without equipment
Fitness without equipment means that you don't have to invest in sometimes expensive exercise equipment. In addition, most fitness equipment takes up space at home, so this aspect is also eliminated when you choose fitness without equipment. However, you will still need a few things for a fitness-without-equipment programme:
- Sportswear
Ideally, you should wear sportswear for your exercises, as this offers you optimum freedom of movement. In addition, the materials are chosen in such a way that sweat is quickly transported away. If you want to do fitness outdoors without equipment, your clothing should also be appropriate for the weather. Depending on the weather, a sun hat or cap may be part of your sports outfit. - Accessories
Ideally, you should have a yoga mat or other sports mat on which you can do the floor exercises. Alternatively, you can use a thick blanket as a base. - Exercise environment
You can do the exercises at home in your bedroom or living room. You may need to move a table to one side in order to have enough space for one or the other exercise. But you can also do the exercises on the balcony or in the garden. - Accessories to increase the training effect
To increase the training effect, especially for the strength exercises, you can use objects from the household. Tins or water bottles can be used as substitutes for dumbbells. And squats are even more effective if you hold a water box in your hands.
Instructions: You can do these exercises without equipment
You can also do a comprehensive workout without equipment that has the same results as training with equipment or in the gym. The following exercises are only a small selection of what you can do in the area of fitness without equipment.
Endurance
Endurance training is best done outdoors: instead of sweating on a treadmill, cross-trainer or ergometer, you can go for a walk, hike or jog, depending on your fitness level. Exercise sessions in the fresh air should last at least 20 minutes and take place at least three times a week. Make sure you are dressed appropriately for the weather. In summer, you should schedule your exercise sessions for early in the morning or in the evening so as not to overload your circulation on hot days.
Flexibility, coordination, strength and speed
- Exercise for the back Lie on a surface on your stomach with your arms close to your body. Now slowly pull your upper body up, so that it hovers in the air from your stomach upwards. Make sure you keep your head straight. Hold this position for a while before slowly lowering the upper body again. Ideally, do eight repetitions twice with a short rest in between.
- Stretching the back of the thighs Start from an upright position. Now place the weight on one leg and stand the other leg forward. Place the heel on the floor and stretch the toes upwards. Now pull the toes towards you until you feel a slight pull. Do four repetitions per leg.
- Get into quadrupedal position and straighten your back. Now bend your head forward and do a cat hump, which means that you bring your back up while making it round. Repeat the exercise eight times.
- Strengthening the abdominal muscles Lie on your back on the floor and place your legs in front of you. Cross your arms over your chest. Slowly lift your upper body a few centimetres off the floor from your abdomen. Hold this position briefly before slowly lowering the upper body again. Do ten repetitions twice.
- Balance training Stand upright with your legs slightly apart. Now stretch one leg slightly forward and describe a figure eight in the air. If you feel really confident, you can repeat this with your eyes closed. Do this exercise alternately with both legs.
The term fitness without equipment is a generic term for exercises that can be done at home without equipment. The exercises are quite effective and usually very gentle.
Fitness without equipment can be done by people of all ages. As always, training is only allowed if there are no acute illnesses. If you have a chronic illness, you should talk to your family doctor before you start exercising.
As with all fitness training programmes, the training should be done several times a week (at least 2-3 times) and for about 15 to 30 minutes.
Fitness without equipment doesn't cost any money, you can do the exercises at home at any time and you don't need any space for exercise equipment. In addition, the exercises are usually very gentle because you work with your body weight instead of weights.
To ensure that fitness without scaffolding strengthens you comprehensively and sustainably, a programme should include exercises in the areas of endurance, strength, flexibility, speed and coordination.
