Fitness at Home - Simple Exercise Equipment for the Whole Family

It can seem daunting sometimes when you think about family fitness. What if you don't have the money for everyone to take classes or lessons together? And personal trainers can be very pricey. Kids' sports can get expensive, too. Even home fitness can seem intimidating - after all, it costs a lot of money to get special exercise equipment, and what if you have a small house?

The good news is, you don't need to be wealthy and have a private gymnasium in the basement to get fit at home. There are simple fitness routines you can do that do not involve fancy equipment or huge floor spaces. Here are some ideas.

Outdoors

Not everyone has access to a roomy yard, either; but if you do, you may not have thought of utilizing it as an exercise space. You also might have a nearby park that's free, or even a public fountain in front of a city building. Anywhere that has an open space can be a place for the family to exercise - a local baseball field, park, or even parking lot can work.

You can throw an inexpensive Frisbee or fly homemade airplanes together. You don't even have to purchase anything; play tag, hide-and-seek, follow the leader, and other fun, active games. Search for plants, bugs, or just play!

Jump Rope

A jump rope need not be expensive - even some dollar stores carry them. A length of any kind of rope will do, even a clothes line. Your family can have jump rope contests, or learn classic jump rope rhymes. Use a long rope and two family members can turn it while one or more jump in the middle. They can learn to run in and out of the moving jump rope.

Play Ball

Another item that most people have around is some kind of ball. You can usually find some kind of ball for a dollar or less, and there are a great many games that can be played with a ball. Everything from making baskets to kicking to throwing can be done with a ball.

You can learn a specific sport, like soccer, or just enjoy kicking the ball up and down a hillside. Younger children might like throwing the ball through a "hoop" made by a parent's arms, or a homemade hoop mounted on a door. You can even mount a wire wastebasket to the wall with screws and throw the ball into that.

Workout Videos

If you have a computer, you can look up fitness videos for free online. You can also get DVDs or VHS tapes from your local library. These may be simple aerobic exercises, target toning, or a particular skill. There are instructional videos on all sorts of activities, from belly dancing to tai chi.

If your space is limited, get creative - if you have a roomy patio or yard, can you turn the screen to face outdoors through a window? If you have a mobile device, you can watch exercise videos online from a park or other area. It just takes some ingenuity and creative thinking, but you can get fit just about anywhere these days!