CREDIT: CANDIS BROSS
Even running up and down the stairs is enough of a workout.

I get it. It’s cold, dark and the snow is up past your knees. That fuzzy blanket on your couch looks really cozy and you suddenly crave hot chocolate. Yet, your body also longs for the days when you came home from work or school, went for a walk, cut the grass, swam in the pool, and dusted off your bicycle.

Do you feel stuck inside? When you can’t make it to the gym, here are some things you can do to stay active at home:

Cleaning

Make a circuit out of cleaning the house and get everyone you live with involved. For example, put the radio on and each start in one area. When the song changes, you rotate. When a collective favourite comes on, you meet in the living room and have a dance party.

TV strength training

During the show, you do simple aerobic movements like jog on the spot, skip, jump jacks, leg curls, knee lifts and so on.

• First commercial break: squats and lunges

• Second commercial break: pushups, burpees and side lunges

• Third commercial break: dips, planks and an abdominal exercise or two of your choice. You can repeat any sequence for the remainder of the breaks.

If you have a set of stairs run up, then as you come down, pause to squat on each step. You could also try pushups on each step on the way up and side squats on the way down.

There are also several inexpensive items that you can purchase that don’t take up much space: Stability ball ($10 to $40), medicine ball ($10 to $80, depending on weight), Yoga mat ($2 to $40), Resistance bands and cords ($10 to $40, depending on intensity), skipping rope ($2 to 40, there are some weighted or non-tangle varieties available), as well as kettle bells and small hand weights that vary in price depending on the brand and weight.

Walmart and Canadian Tire are both one-stop shops when it comes to inexpensive home gym items, but you can also find deals at fitness retailers like Fitness Depot and Treadmill Factory. Good online sources for higher quality equipment include 360conditioning, Twist conditioning and National Fitness products.

Karen Nixon-Carroll is the Program Manager at Fitness 101, a Fanshawe College Professor, YMCA fitness course trainer & examiner, Fanshawe FHP grad and holds many fitness certifications for personal training, group fitness and wellness. Email her at karen.carroll@fanshawec.ca