by Irene Preklet

Created on: March 18, 2009

Warmer weather is here and it means many of us will be wearing less clothing and showing more skin, which has been under layers of winter clothing.

If you are looking less than buff after a winter of hibernation, do not worry because you can get in shape without every setting foot into a gym or lifting a single weight. You can either buy low cost equipment or use your own body weight to build muscle.

The key in any exercise routine is doing some sort of aerobic activity, whether it be walking, running or cycling. This, along with a healthy, balanced diet will help you shed any excess weight that could be hiding the muscles below.

Some of the best muscle building exercises do not require any equipment. To tone your legs, traditional squats and lunges are great muscle strengtheners. To make it harder try adding some resistance tubing or carry a couple of jugs of water or try single leg squats. You can also try using a bench or the curb to make lunges harder as you step up and then lunge.

You can also try traditional laying down leg exercises standing up. That way you work the leg you are lifting and you also work on strengthening the supporting leg. For example, try raised side leg lifts, stand on you left leg, knee slightly bent and raise your right leg to the side, bring it back down and repeat, eventually switching to the other side. You can also do leg lifts forward and backwards to work different muscles.

For your arms, push-ups and tricep dips are great. For tricep dips use a kitchen chair, put your hands fingers facing forward on the seat and slowly lower your body, bending your elbows, and then lift back up and repeat.

If you are at your neighbourhood park you can use the playground equipment for an upper body workout. You can use a bench to do tricep dips, you can use the slide for push-ups, or how about the monkey bars for pull-ups. You can make push-ups harder by using one hand, or how about lifting a leg, anything to increase the weight load on your upper body.

Working your abdominal muscles is easy without any equipment. Try standard sit-ups or crunches. You can also bring a yoga move into your routine with the plank, which will also help strengthen your arms as well as your abs and back. Simply lie down on your stomach then lift up on your elbows and toes, keeping your body in a straight line and hold.

The key to any exercise routine is safety, be sure to check with your doctor to make sure you are in good physical health. And in order for exercise to work, it has to be regular, so make a commitment to get fit and healthy!

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