The single most important thing for any sport is FITNESS.
This page will show you how to get in shape for sports or just for general health and well being.

Don't just sit there! Do Something!

Everybody knows that old saying NO PAIN NO GAIN. While there is truth to this it doesn't neccessarily have to be painful. What you should take away from a saying like that is this. Without action there is no reaction, in order for change to take place you will need to do something, or simply put you can't get something for nothing!

No Gym? No Problem!

Don't have a gym membership you say!
That is a common excuse for not exercising.
Then there are the ones that do have gym memberships but can't seem to get there for a lack of time. It usually sounds something like this.
Well, by the time I get home from work it is already 6:00 PM. Then I have to make dinner, change my clothes, pack my gym bag, drive all the way to the gym, Oh! I'm low on gas. So I have to go out of my way to find a gas station now. Then I have to get back in the car and drive to the gym and there is no parking. I drive around and finally find a parking spot and go inside. Now there are no lockers available because the gym is packed so I have to take my bag around with me from machine to machine and all the good ones are taken so I don't even get a good workout in. Now I'm tired and frustrated so I go and hit the showers but I forgot my shampoo. What a disaster! I go and dry off, get dressed and head back out to my car. Now I have to drive all the way home and there is a traffic jam so it takes forever. I finally get home and it's 9:30PM. I'm exhausted! This is hard work. I can't keep doing this. I'm beat and I'm going to bed.

Wow! That is a terrible way to look at exercise. These people will be turned off in no time at all! The alternative way to look at it is to group all of those little things together into one task. Something like; I went for a workout, and now I'm back!
You see how much easier that sounds! You will be more likely to keep going if it is that easy.

But back to the people who don't have a gym membership. For you it should be even easier. You save all that travelling time , gas money, and aggravation and yes you can exercise at home without any equipment. There are plenty of things that you can do from beginner moves all the way to advanced exercises with only a floor, a wall, a set of stairs and a table and chair. If you have most of these available to you then you can exercise at home.


Recommended Fitness Resources





Here are some examples.

Push-ups for your chest shoulders and arms
Lie face down on the floor and place the palms of your hands on the floor with your fingers facing forward. Place them beside your shoulders about a hands width out from the sides of your body. Now push down with your hands, lifting your body off the floor. Try to keep your entire body straight so that as you are raising your self off the floor only your hands and toes are touching the floor. Your feet should be pointing down towards the floor and your toes slightly bent forwards for stability. Beginners can try this move using their knees instead of feet as the lower support. when you have made it up so that your arms are almost straight then you can lower yourself down slowly. This is considered 1 repetition.Repeat!

Sit-ups for your tummy and hip flexors
Lie down on the floor flat on your back. A weight on your feet is helpful so if you have a partner hold your feet down or if you can wedge your toes under the couch or a chair it is reccommended. Bending your knees is allowed to accomodate the securing of your feet. Now the rest is simply to raise yourself into a sitting position without using your arms or lifting your feet off of the floor. The working muscles are the abdominals in your belly area. Once you have sat up pulling with your tummy muscles only then you have to lower yourself back down slowly to a lying position. This is considered 1 repetition.Repeat!

Leg raises for the lower part of your tummy
These are done the same way as sit-ups except you will be raising and lowering your legs rather than your upper body. Bending at the hips only, raise your legs until they are pointing almost straight up and return them back to the floor with a slow and controlled movement. This exercise should be done without bending your knees.Repeat!

Squats for your buttox and thighs
Stand up straight with your feet about shoulder width apart. Now begin to lower yourself by bending your knees and hips. Your back should remain straight and will angle slightly forward as you lower yourself and your buttox will push slightly backwards. Your head should be looking forward. lower yourself to the point that your thighs are parallel with the floor then stand back up. Your feet should not move from their position on the floor and the entire movement should be slow and controlled.Repeat!

Rowing for your back and arms
This can be done two ways.
The first method is to lie down on your back under your kitchen table so that your head is pointed outwards and when you look up your eyes are lined up with the outside edge of the table. Now reach up with both hands and grab the edge of the table a little wider than shoulder width apart. Now, keeping your body stiff as a board, leave only your heels on the floor as you pull yourself up as high as you can and lower back down slowly.Repeat!

Method two is done standing up straight with an object on the floor in front of you. The objects purpose is to be a weight so you can use anything that you can grab and lift comfortably. The movement is simple. Keeping your back straight, bend forward at the hips until you are over your objectand slightly bend your knees just so they are not locked in a straight position. Maintaining this position reach down and grab the object with your hands at least shoulder width apart. Slowly pull the object off of the floor up to your chest and lower again.Repeat!

Stairs for your buttox and thighs
You already know this one! Just walk up and down the stairs repeatedly.

Calf raises
You can use a step, a box or anything else stable enough to stand on that is at least 4 inches (10 centimeters) high. Walk up to the step and stand on the edge closest to you with your toes so that about one third of each foot is on the box and the remaining two thirds, where your heels are, is in mid air. Now go up on to your toes as tall as you can and then lower yourself so that your heels are below the step.Repeat!