I decided a while back to make some form of daily exercise a regular part of my life. The secret to consistency? I can literally roll out of bed and be in the gym.
Taking a cue from Isaac Morehouse, I set my sights stupidly low. Even 10 crunches might count for the day.
But I’ve made a few fitness acquisitions over the years that have added up to make a convenient “bedside gym” so I can do as much as I’m motivated to do.
1. Yoga Mat
I usually start the morning with an abbreviated, accelerated stretching routine, which I learned from a good yoga teacher (who also happens to be a friend).Yoga mats are cheap to acquire, easy to transport, and make a great place to stretch out, lay down for crunches, or do some for push-ups.
2. Pull Up Bar
This hangs niftily in the door frame of my bedroom-bathroom entry-way, in easy wait for me in between waking up and taking a shower. I can get in pull-ups, chin-ups, or both in a morning. These make for great arm workouts and (so I’ve read) can help boost testosterone levels.3. Barbell
The barbell has fixed weights on the end, so it’s not good for muscle-building (go to the real gym for that), but it is good for maintaining muscle and doing exercises like squats.When I do push-ups, I’ll occasionally lift up one arm and make a ringing “ding” against the bar before letting myself down. I also find the bar useful for holding my feet when I need to do sit-ups.
With just these three tools, I can manage a good range (though definitely not all) of the activities that help me stay fit. And I don’t have to go far from bed to do it.
James Walpole is a writer, startup marketer, intellectual explorer, and perpetual apprentice. He is an alumnus of Praxis and a Foundation for Economic Education’s Eugene S. Thorpe fellow. He writes regularly at jameswalpole.com. This article was originally published on FEE.org
