​With the current restrictions in place requiring gyms to be closed, and people to stay at home, you can still look after your health and fitness and get in a good workout.

In fact, exercising at home can just be as effective a work out at the gym.

By understanding a few basics to put a workout plan in place, along with the right attitude towards your health, an effective workout at home is very achievable.

Body weight exercises can be a simple substitute for weighted workout movements, and these can be used to target all parts of your body and achieve the same effect.

Elastic resistance bands are a great option to add some extra variety to your home workouts, and also be used to create some extra resistance to many body weight movements.

Some basic body weight movements that are great for toning as well as strengthening major muscle groups are:

  • Push Ups
  • Dips
  • Pull Ups (Chin Ups)
  • Half Squats
  • Lunges
  • Ab Crunches
  • Leg Raises

By adding in some affordable equipment, you can make your home workout even more effective. Some of these include:

  • Skipping rope, for a good cardiovascular workout.
  • Free weights, for strength-building and toning.
  • Gym ball, to improve flexibility and maintain body balance.
  • A good exercise mat, which can be used for a wide variety of floor based movements.

When planning your home workout, the first step is to think about your goal. What do you want to achieve?

Do you want to lose weight, gain muscle, improve stamina, or just your overall fitness?

Once you have established your goal, you can look at the type of exercises you need to do to work towards this objective.

The most important thing to remember that health and fitness should be a long term plan, not just for the next few weeks!

So when creating your workout, be sure to make it realistic so that you are able to find the time and energy everyday to complete the workout you have set.

It’s important to have a realistic plan that you are able to complete, rather than go flat out for a week or two, only to give up because it becomes too hard to maintain.

Also be sure to take the time to build up your level of exercise, particularly if you’re just starting out. Again, take the long term approach and be careful to not injure yourself.

Adding some variety to your plan is also a great way to keep up the motivation, and challenge yourself to new goals.

Stay focused on your plan and aim to stay active and healthy for the long run.