No More Excuses: Tips for Creating a Workout Center in Your Own Home

This article originally appeared on the Springs "You're Home Blog."

What keeps you from doing regular workouts? Is it time, money or both? You won't have any more excuses when you use these ingenious methods to have a great workout session in your Springs luxury apartment home.

DIY Workout Equipment

• Brooms and mops can double as exercise bars for a variety of toning exercises.
• Who needs an expensive ab wheel when you have a rolling pin handy?
• Turn plastic laundry detergent containers with handles into kettlebells. Just fill an empty one with sand or kitty litter to reach the desired weight.
• A humble pair of paper plates can do the work of several weight machines.
• Raid the kitchen for canned goods, bottled water, and bags of rice or beans to serve as hand weights.
• Foam rollers have become popular tools for self-massage to relieve sore muscles and improve recovery time. Make your own by picking up a length of PVC pipe at a hardware store and wrapping it with a yoga mat.
• Store equipment in an organizer made from a TV stand or book shelf. 

Streaming Workout Videos

There’s a wide variety of workout DVDs on the market covering all exercise styles, but streaming gives you the convenience of availability on different devices.

Here are some of the top streaming workout video resources (free unless otherwise noted):

• Jessica Smith is a fitness professional who films her videos in her own home accompanied by her French bulldog Peanut. You can also purchase and download complete video programs, such as 21-day weight loss and 30-day walking-based workouts.
• Fitness Blender is the pet project of husband-and-wife team Daniel and Kelli, who believe fitness should be attainable and affordable for all. Sign up for a free account to create a workout calendar, track your progress and get support from the online community.
• BeFit lets you work out with Denise Austin, Jane Fonda, Billy Blanks Jr. and other superstars of the fitness world. They also offer hundreds of other videos from professional trainers in all the most popular workout styles.
• BodyRock is perfect for anyone who wants an intense workout in a short amount of time. Their 12-minute, high-intensity interval training videos are available in 21-day "bootcamps" for beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. After a free 30-day trial, get access to their library of more than 1,200 videos for $9.99 a month.
• Going freestyle and need some motivating music? Check out Spotify's list of top workout playlists for 2017. 

If you want a change of scenery, there's a fully-equipped gym just steps from your home. Each of our Springs communities includes a fitness center with 24/7 access for residents.