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In my travels with the Bariatric Breakthrough Challenge, I’ve found a lot of people blame weather extremes for preventing them from getting into a good exercise habit. The cost of equipment and gym memberships are also a barrier for some. My solution is to work out at home! I am here to show you that you can get into a great workout plan at home without having to worry about weather or expense.

Many are intimidated by the thought of regular exercise. I think this is a big part of what keeps most people from incorporating some type of fitness routine into their daily lives. Time is also an issue. In a dream world, all of us would have countless hours in the day from which to choose the optimal time to head out to the gym or for a run, walk, bike ride, etc. In the real world, we barely have time to go to work, take care of our families, eat, sleep, and breathe!

There are so many ways to get fit at home at any time of the day or night and without spending a penny on equipment. If you have OnDemand or ExerciseTV on your cable channel, you always have an exercise routine available. Pick a different workout three times a week and do as much as you can. The nice thing is that these channels run 24/7 so you can exercise on your schedule. You do not have to complete an entire session to see benefits. Cardio is amazing and it only takes 20-30 minutes three times per week to see results. Be creative and try different things until you find a workout you enjoy and works for you.

If you do not have access to the exercise channels, you can still get a good workout at home for free! Here is all you need to adopt a realistic, doable workout routine in your home.

1. The approval of your doctor to start an exercise program
2. Athletic shoes
3. Canned goods (#10 give a better workout than your standard 14.5 oz cans, but either will do)
4. Music

It does not take hours and hours a week in order to get fit and improve your health. If you haven’t routinely exercised in your life, adding something to your routine as small as three 20-30 minute sessions of cardio can greatly improve your health and help you shed pounds even faster. If you can, add two sessions of strength training per week that can last as little as 15 minutes. Doing the bare minimum is only a commitment of 1 hour and 45 minutes per week! We can all do this!

My husband and I love to run. There are often days when the weather is just not cooperative down here on the Gulf Coast so going for a run can be difficult. I will put on some upbeat music of my choice and dance for an hour. You can pick anything that makes you want to move. I suggested this to a support group and the first question I got was, “But what moves do I do to actually get a workout?? It does not matter. The point of a cardio workout is to get your heart rate up. Just move! Do anything you like! Dance for 30 minutes to an hour three times a week and you are doing a great cardio workout!

Do you like to watch TV? Pick your favorite sit-com or drama or even news program. Turn on the TV and jog in place for a specific amount of time. For those who want something a bit less intense, walk in place at a brisk pace. You can choose to do 30 minutes or an hour. I have done this one on those days where time constraints or weather do not allow me to go for a run.

For those of you who do better with a workout partner, invite some friends over, put on some music, and get moving! Sure the first few times you do this you might feel a bit silly, but who cares? The point is to get your bodies moving. In our Breakthrough Challenge exercise series, Olympic runner Jeff Galloway talks about how our bodies were not made to be sedentary. We were designed to move and it doesn’t take intense workouts at the gym or with expensive equipment or trainers to get our bodies moving.

The nice thing about cardio workouts is that you can increase or decrease the intensity as needed and as directed by your specific medical needs and conditions. The best thing to do with cardio is start slowly and, remember, nothing you do should hurt. The goal is to be able to speak comfortable without being out of breath as you work out. Keep that in mind as you dance around the living room.

Strength training can also be done at home. Remember those canned goods we talked about earlier? Grab those and do some strength conditioning three times a week. Focus more on the upper body with your canned goods curls, because the cardio you are doing will take care of your legs.

Curls: Hold the canned goods and curl your arms up keeping elbows at your side. Work up to three sets of 12.

Lifts: Hold the cans next to your shoulders and lift until arms are almost completely straight. Work up to three sets of 12.

Bat-Wing Busters: Hold one can with both hands high above your head and slowly lower can behind your head keeping elbows up. This is great for toning that pesky bat-wing area that we all know and love. Work up to three sets of 12.

Put these basics together and you have a good cardio/strength training workout. While cardio can be done every day, you need to take a day off in between strength sessions in order to give your muscles a chance to recover.

If you are not currently routinely exercising, try these ideas and let me know what results you see after a month. Remember, it only takes 21 days for something to become a habit, so do something good for yourself and make exercise one of your new good habits! The endorphins will make you feel great and your body will love you for it in the end.

Be sure to email me at [email protected] with your comments and results! We will talk about some of your success stories on an upcoming episode of "Fit Living" radio!

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Erin Akey is the owner and founder of The Bariatric Guru LLC. She is a Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and a Certified Water Fitness Instructor. Erin is also the host of "Fit Living" radio airing at 7 p.m. central on Sundays on FM TALK 106.5 out of Mobile, AL. You can also listen live online at www.fmtalk1065.com. The show focuses on life after weight loss surgery, fitness, nutrition, and living a healthy lifestyle. Check out Erin on Facebook at “The Bariatric Guru? or online at www.bariatricguru.com