Household Health

You can find everything you need for your home workout routine lying around the house

Smart phone apps, computer gadgets and video games can make fitness fun. But all the technology in the world can't get us in shape. That one's on us.

"Technology has been one of the contributors to our becoming less active than we used to be," says Jacqueline Epping, M.Ed., acting chief of the Physical Activity and Health Branch of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "You don't need high-tech gadgets to be active."

So what do you need?

"There are plenty of tools you have in your house already," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., American Dietetic Association spokeswoman. So get ready to rummage through a few closets and drawers. It's time to go low-tech with everyday equipment that can help you get fit while doing your at-home workout routine.

Walking shoes. Take a giant step toward fitness with one prop you most certainly have. "Everyone has a pair of shoes and can go outside and walk," Epping says.

A leash. "If your dog is sitting at the door with a leash in his mouth, it's kind of hard to ignore," Epping says, noting that the impact "dog obligation" can have on physical activity is becoming an emerging field of research.

A clock. Blatner says research shows that people who eat regular meals eat 80 calories less per day than those who eat at irregular times. "You can lose maybe eight pounds a year just by watching the clock," she says.

Stairs. "The only thing that's required for fitness is the force of gravity," says Pete McCall, M.S., an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. Stairs or low walls make your body work against gravity. Try simple step-ups, or work your hips and thighs with crossover steps during your at-home workout.

Sticky notes. Write sayings like "Are you really hungry?" and "Are you making healthy choices?" on sticky notes and then plaster them to diet-busting foods." This can help you think about food choices instead of going into auto-pilot munch mode," Blatner says.

Toothbrush. Brushing your teeth after every meal can have a twofold effect on fitness. It's good for your teeth, of course. "And a fresh, minty mouth can put an end to the postmeal nibbling and noshing that happens," Blatner says.

Tennis ball. A tennis ball massage-whether rolled under your foot or placed under your back while you raise your knees and rock your hips from left to right-can alleviate muscle pain and soreness after a workout and keep you motivated.

Pen and paper. It doesn't get more old school than a pen and a notebook. "The American Journal of Preventive Medicine has a great study out," says Blatner. "People who kept a food log lost twice as much weight as people who did not."

Using a notebook, you can also track physical activity. "Exercise is no fun unless you see results," McCall says. Writing down your fitness accomplishments will help you monitor where you are and set goals for where you want to be.

The bottom line? Start your road to fitness with where you're at and what you have for your home workout routine. Add a little time and intensity each week, and pretty soon you'll see results. "People don't need a ton of gimmicks. They just need to get out more," McCall says.

-By Laurie Davies