Let’s face it, not everybody can fork out the funds necessary to gain a membership at a reputable gym.
Memberships at most popular gyms can be prohibitively expensive for some. For others, the nearest training facility can be an hour or more away. You may have the absolute best of intentions but if access to a gym is restricted for one reason or another, it can lead to the devil on your shoulder conspiring to make you believe that a workout simply isn’t possible.
Now, a lot of us know this isn’t true (apart from the bit where you brain can try and tell you it’s OK to skip a workout; that bit is very much true) as, unless you live a in zero gravity environment, you can always find a jogging route somewhere, or a swimming pool to pound out a few lengths.
But, what’s that? You don’t want to leave the house?
We gotchu, fam.
LEG RAISES
If you want to work on your abs and contribute to building your rock-solid core, leg raises are the way to go. And all you need is a bit of floor to accomplish them. It is a simple but wholly efficient exercise which, as well as working out those abs, will loosen up your hips and the flexibility of your lower back. It is extra beneficial, too, for people who sit at a desk all day long.
- Start by lying with your back to a yoga mat.
- Put your arms to your side and extend your legs out.
- With your knees straight, extend them in the direction of the ceiling.
- Make sure your toes are pointed.
- Release with control (the same pace at which you raised them) and don’t let your heels hit the ground.
- Keep your pace steady with 3 x 10 reps, with as much time as you need in between (we recommend 10 seconds, but that’s us).
- If you’re struggling, try the same technique but with your knees bent. This will help build your core towards being able to do the full leg raise.
- Adaptations include the single leg raise, weighted leg raise (attaching weights to your feet), hanging leg raise (exactly as you imagine it) and the garhammer raise.
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