Upcycling For Your Body

It the massive empire that is gym memberships, workout DVDs and programs, and expensive home gyms it’s easy to overlook one of the best ways to get a good pump going: at home, with your own gym of upcycled equipment (and/or household things doing double duty)! 

Broom

That broom you’ve been meaning to replace because it doesn’t sweep well anymore? Replace it! But save the old one and unscrew the head now you have a bar that can be used for shoulder, back, oblique, and abdominal stretching like you find in many gyms. As a bonus practice your deadlift form with no weight and no risk of injury. 

Towels

Not every ratty towel needs to be turned into rags, they can have multiple purposes in a home workout as well. keeping them intact you can use them like a resistance band, holding constant pressure will create resistance in your muscles while you do other exercises. You can also use smaller towels to reduce flood friction and resistance under your hands and/or feet to do all kinds of abdominal and body workouts like mountain climbers or to make your planks more challenging, not too mention you can stack them under various parts of your body like hips to elevate them and add a little more to things like sit ups. 

Food Cans

I always buy beans and soups I think I’ll eat but never do, these are a great size to grip well in your hands for overhead workouts with little danger of dropping them, and nearly all cans weigh about a pound so they are good for lower weight higher rep workouts, at least until the next food drive. 

Laundry Basket/Duffel Bag

Any sturdy container, low to the ground, with equidistant handles that ahas fallen out of use, can serve double duty in this upcycled workout. It can be the home for all your new found workout equipment and once full can be used to up the weight on those deadlifts

OR

Backpacks

like the Laundry Basket/Duffel Bag option these can also whole your equipment however instead of deadlifting you can wear it as added weight for body weight workouts like squats and lunges without having to worry about holding oddly shaped household objects. 

Water Gallon

My personal favorite as when you’re done with your work out, you can drink it down, and refill it for next time. In my house our well water is pretty icky so we have all sized of water bottles around the house all the time, while we do recycle them, this is even better! A full gallon weighs about 8 pounds, so if you’re a lighter lifter they can be a great sun for kettle bells and if you want to go heavier bra one for each hand and use them as dumbbells! 

There has been a huge uptick in home workouts lately, often by people who are unaware they are even upcycling! The beauty of this means that there is a near endless about of information of the workouts that can be done with all of these objects at home. 

Like all upcycling and reuse, it’s beneficial for the health of the planet, but this is also beneficial for your health! Win-win!