The new year is here, and so are many new year resolution goals! Statista.com reports that of all US participants who said they were making one or several new year resolutions, 44 percent wanted to exercise more. We’re making it even easier for you by providing you ways to work out at home! We created this easy-to-follow guide to help you out. You don’t need fancy equipment to exercise, just grab some household items and get to work!

Tennis/Lacrosse Balls

Use:

• Can be used to loosen up muscles
• Two ways to make a peanut massage ball:
  • Place two tennis balls next to each other, tape together
  • Place two balls into a sock and tie sock off at end

Exercise examples:

• Roll out muscles of upper back and neck

Rolling Pin

Use:

• Can be used to roll out muscles, similar to a foam roller

Exercise examples:

• Roll out calf
• Roll out quad
• Roll out hamstring

Belt/towel

Use:

• Can be used for stretching

Exercise examples:

• Hamstring stretch
• Calf stretch
• Quad stretch

Socks/small towel

Use:

• Can be used as a replacement for a slider during strengthening exercises
• Place towel or wear sock on slick surface (ex: hardwood floor)

Exercise examples:

• Lunges (reverse, lateral, curtsy)
• Hamstring curls
• Core exercise (mountain climbers)

Soup cans/water bottles

Use:

• Can be used as a replacement for small weights in strengthening exercises

Exercise examples:

• Shoulder raises
• Shoulder press
• Bicep curls

Backpack

Use:

• Can be used to replace kettlebell or dumbbell in strengthening exercises
• Fill with objects from home and approximate the total weight

Exercise examples:

• Kettlebell swings
• Squats
• Deadlifts

Bed sheet

Use:

• Can be used to replace a TRX system for strengthening exercises
• Fold bed sheet 3-4x, tie bed sheet to form knot in the middle, place knot over door and close door

Exercise examples:

• Squats (Double leg, single leg)
• Rows
• Ts and Ys

Textbooks

Use:

• Can be used as a step for strengthening exercises

Exercise examples:

• Step ups
• Step downs

Pillow

Use:

• Can be used to make balance exercises more difficult

Exercise examples:

• Single leg balance for time
• Single leg cone taps
• Single leg deadlifts