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Everything you need to tone your problem areas and get fit is right in front of your eyes. You don’t need a gym membership and you definitely don’t need expensive gym equipment. It just takes a little imagination to transform everyday objects into body shaping tools.

1. Hardwood Floors and Socks: When it comes to home decor, hardwood floors really are in fashion, but when you step on them with a pair of socks, you’ve unknowingly created a brand new piece of fitness equipment that will take your workouts to a whole new level. The hardwood floor beneath your socks creates a slippery surface that engages more muscles as you try to control your movements. The constant contact with the ground as you slide back to the starting position targets your inner thighs and core in a way that a standard fitness routine will never match. Side lunges and scissor planks are two great examples:

Side sliding lunges:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your hands in front of your chest for balance.

Shift your weight to your left leg.

As you slowly bend your left knee and squat, slide your right foot to the side.

While straightening your left leg, slide your right foot back in. Your right foot is in constant contact with the ground. Focus on bringing your leg back in with your inner thigh.

Perform three sets of 15 reps on each side.

scissor board:

Start in a full plank position with your hands under your shoulders and arms straight.

Slide your feet apart and open your legs as wide as you can without lowering your lower back. Squeeze your inner thighs while sliding your feet back together. Perform three sets of 15 reps.

2. Your couch: This versatile piece of furniture is not just for lying down. Not only does it serve as a great fitness tool for all exercise levels and for full-body fitness routines, its multiple heights (couch cushion versus armrest) allow you to target different parts of your muscle that you may find harder to tone. Raising your legs on the couch cushion while doing push-ups makes this upper body exercise more advanced. It targets the upper part of your chest while shaping your shoulders and arms. Beginners practice perfect form while standing over the armrest and leaning into the push-up. Standing allows you to control the amount of bodyweight you press and gives you the benefits of defined arms and chest.

3. Your purchases: Whether it’s once a week or once a month, every bit of exercise helps. Groceries are a great activity to strengthen your arms. If you don’t want to draw attention to yourself, don’t move. Hold a grocery bag in each arm at a 90 degree angle and keep it there for as long as possible. This exercise is known as an isometric hold. The longer you stay in place, the more muscle fibers you’ll recruit, and the more fibers you recruit, the more beautiful your arms will look. As simple as that.

4. Your body: Your body is the only all-in-one cardio and resistance training machine you own. In fact, some would say that store-bought fitness equipment is a thing of the past as newer and more creative body movements banish the tedium of exercise. The burpee is a great example of a full body toning and cardio exercise:

Burpee:

Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body into a squat while placing your hands on the floor in front of you.

Kick your feet back so you are in the push-up position. For extra intensity, jump back.

Bend your elbows and lower your chest into a push-up.

Put your feet in their original position. Get up and then jump in the air.

5. The Stairs: Stairs are the best butt lifting gym equipment you will ever own. The main muscle in your buttocks, the gluteus maximus, works to straighten your hips. Every time your hip is flexed, your gluteus maximus has to work to straighten your leg. This is why stair climbing is so effective. The higher the step, the greater the hip flexion and the more your butt works.

It doesn’t end there. At the end of the movement, stand up straight and shift all of your weight onto the leg you’re pushing up. This works another gluteus muscle called the gluteus medius. This muscle tightens the side of your butt as it flexes to keep your hips aligned.

It doesn’t stop there. Almost anything can become your brand new piece of fitness equipment, adding fun and innovation to any fitness routine.

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