You may not have space for a home gym with a lot of fancy equipment, but you can probably make room for a simple set of hand weights to help you tone your body and build muscle. Even if you can lift much heavier weights, start out with a light weight set of dumbbells, no more than 5 lbs each. As you work your way through the exercises, those 5 lbs may begin to feel like 50.
Lunge with Weights
Stand up straight with your feet together. Hold your arms at your sides with one weight in each hand. Lunge forward with your right leg, as far as you can go, until your left knee touches the floor. Lift your arms upward until they are parallel to the floor and hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times on each leg.
Sit ‘n’ Hug
Sit on your buttocks with your legs crossed. Hold one weight in each hand and stretch your arms out on each side, so that they are parallel to the floor. Slowly bring your arms forward, towards your front, as if you were hugging something large and round. You want the weights to meet in the front while your arms slightly bend at the elbows. Slowly bring your arms back to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.
Balance Curls
Stand with your arms at your sides, one weight in each hand. Start straight ahead as your bring your right foot up and place it on the calf of your left leg, so that you are balancing on your left foot. Slowly curl your arms up, bending at the elbows, bringing the weights up to your shoulders, then curl your arms back down. Curl your arms 10 ten times, then switch legs. To make the exercise more difficult, try lifting your leg, resting it on your upper thigh.
Weighty Sit-Ups
Lie on the floor, flat on your back. You may bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor if you wish. Hold one weight in each hand and stretch your arms up over your head. Slowly sit up, lifting your arms up and over towards your knees. Make sure you are using your stomach muscles to sit up, not your back. Stay in the sit up position for 5 seconds, then slowly roll back to the starting position.
Weighty Twist
Lie on your back. Lift your legs into the air and bend your knees, so that your calves are parallel to the floor. Hold one weight in each hand and lifts your arms straight up into the air. Slowly twist your legs to the left side while twisting your arms down towards the floor on your right side. Turn your head to the right side as well. Hold the position for 5 seconds, then bring your arms and legs back to center. Twist your legs to the right side and your arms and head to the left. Hold for 5 seconds and return to center. Repeat four times.
