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Fitness. Work outs. Losing weight. Five words most of us homeschool moms laugh at because come on – what homeschool mom really has the time to head to the gym every day and get a workout in? I try, trust me. But more often than not, I just can’t swing it!

As a homeschool mom, kind of shifts your time availability for these sorts of things to very little, or none at all. By the time your school day is finished, you’re getting dinner ready, the house picked up and looking forward to when the kids go down to bed. And in the morning, even if you did have a half hour or an hour to work out – it just seams impossible to get out the door to head to the gym. Or maybe, you just can’t afford the monthly gym memberships, and if you can – the gym day care is never open when you need it to be.

I think I’ve faced each and every one of those obstacles. And for those of you who share the same obstacles, I’ve compiled a list of items that will help you set up your own home gym, and easily get a full body workout without ever having to step foot in a gym.

1. Free Weights

Free weights are the essential to get a good work out.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you found a pair or two at your local thrift store. I would even check out Craigslist or local garage sales. You ideal set would be a light weight, medium weight, and a heavy weight. For the heavy weights, you don’t really need two. I use my heavy wight for overhead tricep extensions. It’s easier to grab one heavy weight with both hands, than trying to isolate muscles with two individual weights. But, it’s totally up to you.

2. Resistance bands

I think I avoided resistance bands like the plague. But when I finally picked up a pair, I ended up loving them! The best kind are the ones that come with three options for resistance – light, medium, and heavy.

3. Medicine Ball

Over the last year, I’ve really fallen in love with medicine balls. Ideally, you would toss one back and forth with someone else as a warm up. Fully extending your arms on each throw. If you don’t have someone to do that with, you could do the following as part of your warm up:

• Stand straight up. Arms relaxed. Now bring them to the front of your hips, just right below your belly button, where they fall naturally when your hands are holding each other. Right there is where you will be holding your medicine ball.
• Next, do a squat. When you are in the seated position, fully extend your arms (medicine ball in hands).
• To end. Stand up, and extend arms above your head, with the medicine ball in hands.

That’s the whole move. Repeat about 10 – 15 times, or more if you feel you can go more. It’s a great warm up!

4. Balance ball

I have a love hate relationship with my balance ball. Most of them come with ideas for workouts you can do with them. I like to use them for sit ups, push-ups (legs on the ball, hands on the floor), and to balance on while I work out my upper body with free weights.

5. Pull up bar

A pull up bar can be a bit intimidating, but it’s awesome for upper body workouts. I would suggest buying this pull up bar because it has multiple grip options allowing you to target specific areas of your upper body, working muscles from different angles. If you have ever done P90X, you’ll recognize it.

So that’s it! Just those 5 things and I promise, you’ll be fully equipped and ready to do full body workout at home!