I can only work out at home with limited equipment- suggestions please

Based on my lifestyle aside from gardening/yardwork and taking my daughter to the playground (yes I go on the monkeybars, slides and swings with her), my workouts are limited to in house.  There's absolutely no way for me to join a gym (ironically there's a small gym that's free in my office building but I just can't schedule myself into it and I've tried several times).  I also have limited equipment. 

Anyway what I have is an excercise bike, several excercise bands/tubes.  I just bought some hand weights.  I have a flight of stairs in my home.  I'm not trying to build up.  I use my body weight for resistance as I just purchased the hand weights.  I had rigged up some milk containers to act as weights, but now I do have a set of 2 - 5lbs. 

I alternate riding the bike with running in place in my house (I actually run back and forth from LR to Kit.  I do 30 minutes of cardio where I'll break it up with 3-4 quick running in place sprints (or if I'm on the bike 30sec - 1min sprints). 

I do a belly dance video on Sunday and another video (i.e. biggest loser) another day during the week to keep from getting bored and hopefully train other muscles.  I do my abs with my own resistance (unless instructed otherwise by video). 

I really don't have room for anymore equipment.  I think I'll get a pilates/yoga ball (because I do like them for muliples  and it's fairly easy to keep) but I can't buy or store other equipment. 

any ideas for alternate in home workouts just to keep myself having variety and making the most of my work out?

A jumprope shouldn't take up any extra space, and I think it's more effective than running in place.

I've thought of getting a jump rope. 

• Jump ropes are awesome and cheap!
• Those giant inflatable ab balls...you can do so much with them!
• DVD's
• Heavy housework..I'm serious

Jillian Michael's 30 day shred DVD is great and very effective combination of strength, cardio and abs. Squats with weights will give you great buns and legs while pushups are awesome for your upper body, my hubby was really impressed with my shoulders after 3 weeks of this program. Go to http://hundredpushups.com.

I am also mostly confined to the house with my kids.  I love to use Fit TV which is channel 261 for direct tv,  I don't know if you have cable or satellite but if you do check it out.  I usually either do 10 to 11 am or 7 to 8 pm.  They always have a different workout so you always exercise different muscles. 

If you don't have that option then other work out dvd's are great too.  I used to use them before I had satellite, but they do get boring after awhile and it stinks when you spend money on a bad one. I have a really good one that I can recommend, let me know if you want the name, I will dig it up.  It is about 45 mins and is low and high impact with plyometrics (is that how you spell it?)

I don't have any equipment other than weights.  I am trying to get outside to bike and walk/run now that it is nice out. 

Original Post by healthmd:

Jillian Michael's 30 day shred DVD is great and very effective combination of strength, cardio and abs. Squats with weights will give you great buns and legs while pushups are awesome for your upper body, my hubby was really impressed with my shoulders after 3 weeks of this program. Go to http://hundredpushups.com.

 Jillian's  "Boost your Metabolism" and "No More Trouble Spots" (or something like that) are really kick butt, too

exercisetv.com

...there are also no equipment work out ideas on CC

Netflix offers "watch instantly" movies and they have a bunch of work outs.  I've been using them for a few weeks, and there's plenty of variety, plus user reviews to help me pick good ones. About $10 per month, plus you get movies too : )

Good Luck!

buy a calistenics workout book - there are millions of exercises and you never have to do the same, so you won't get bored. plus, you don't need equipment for them - it's training with your own body weight, very effective!

There's lots you can do without equipment.

Press ups, Sit Ups, Jumping Jacks, Star Jumps, Burpees

People often underestimate the power of calisthenics!  Do 10 of each of those exercises I gave you continually for 2 mins.  Have a 1 min break then repeat.

Give it a try!

:-)

Women's Health Magazine's website has a bunch of workouts that require only limited equipment such as bands and hand weights--they have some designed just for working out at home too!

Here's a great article with exercises for Hard-Core Training at Home

I'm accumulating my equipment now and will begin the workouts on Monday.