Ideal fitness routines typically picture working out in gyms with costly memberships, enjoying a 4 a.m. jog, or building expensive fitness center at home. Not to burst your bubble, but these aren’t always the case, especially for people staying in their small living spaces.
Your cramped apartment, small bedroom, or any confined space isn’t an excuse to practice a sedentary lifestyle. No matter how big or small your area is, you can find numerous ways to get physically active.
In this article, you’ll get a hold of some essential tips when working out in a tight space.
Invest In All-In-One Fitness Equipment
Exercise machines and equipment offer great assistance in one’s fitness journey. It’s one of the few reasons why many individuals sign up for gym memberships—to maximize the use of gym apparatuses. Unfortunately, people with tight spaces can’t invest in equipment if they plan to work out at home.
But, don’t worry! While most fitness equipment only has a specific set of uses, the Smith machine combines all these machines into one, providing an effective isolated workout. Using this machine, you can curate routines for working out different muscle groups.
Focus On Calisthenics
Meanwhile, if you don’t fancy purchasing equipment for your workout routine, you can try calisthenics instead, a type of exercise that utilizes only your bodyweight. You won’t need any special kind of equipment in this workout path, but a fitness mat or yoga mat would be helpful. You can also use wands and rings to spice up your workout routine as they don’t take much space.
Calisthenics, often confused with weightlifting, otherwise focuses on strength training. It can be performed in varied rhythms and intensities. Here are some calisthenics exercises for beginners that can provide a full-body workout:
- Jump squats
- Pushups
- Pullups
- Chin-ups
- Burpees
- Dips
- Crunches
- Jump ropes
Eliminate Distractions
Exercising in a small space is even more challenging with distractions, especially if you’re living with other family members or have apartment neighbors nearby your area. To work out effectively, you must find the balance between allowing yourself to exercise and allowing other people to do their own business.
Before setting up your workout space, try to eliminate as many types of distraction as you can with these tips:
- Pick a time where you can move around the room without other occupants.
- Choose a secluded, low-traffic area in your home if there’s any.
- Clean the space before starting the workout routine to eliminate visual distractions.
- Wear noise-cancelling headphones to filter out noise from your surroundings.
- Avoid engaging in loud or extensive movement workouts if there are other people present near your fitness space.
Try Your Hand At Yoga
Besides calisthenics, yoga is another workout routine that you can try if you have a small working space. The nature of yoga makes it possible to be performed in smaller areas as it focuses on meditation and mindfulness.
As long as your cramped space is free of any noise, get that yoga mat from your calisthenics workout and perform the following yoga exercises:
- Handstands assisted by the wall
- One-legged standing poses
- Standing pigeon
- Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations
- Natarajasana or Lord of the Dance
- Malasana or Garland pose
- Garudasana or Eagle Pose
If you’re up to a greater challenge, you can also try the purest form of yoga known as Iyengar yoga focusing on posture and breathing control, which goes perfectly with smaller spaces.
Take-Home Message
These tips discussed prove that you don’t necessarily need to hit the gym or splurge on a dedicated workout space to be physically involved. When working out in narrow spaces, you can feel somehow restricted and tired easily, so it’s essential to tweak your workout routine as much as you can.
