Be your own personal trainer

Exercises to help you shape up at home

You can't afford a gym membership? You've got no room at home for a treadmill? Sorry, couch potato, these aren't valid excuses anymore.

Because we're all looking to get in shape and save a few bucks, Chatelaine asked fitness trainer Marie Bodine to show us some simple exercises we can do at home. "Most people, when they are at home, don't want to spend a lot of time and they want to exercise several different muscles at once," says Bodine. "I like to couple different exercises together so my clients end up expending the same amount of effort as they would if they were doing each exercise separately, but they spend less minutes doing it," she adds.

There's no equipment required here and working these exercises into your regular walking or running routine is a great way to stay fit and toned.

One-legged squat (glutes, stabilizers, legs)

For this exercise you'll need an object that comes up to about knee-level to use as a landmark. Place this object about two feet in front of you.

This exercise can be done with or without a hand weight. If you're using a hand weight, hold it on the same side as your standing leg.

Start by standing erect on one foot with the other foot raised slightly off the ground.

One-legged squat (glutes, stabilizers, legs)

When you're doing this exercise make sure that you are keeping all of your weight on your standing leg. Stick your hips back first and make sure that your knee doesn't pop in front of your toe as you squat with your standing leg. Bend down with your back straight, touch your landmark and push back up. Repeat until you are fatigued, and then switch legs.

Plank triceps (abs and triceps)

Lie in a standard plank position (feet shoulder-width apart, balancing on your fists, the sides of your forearms and your tiptoes). If you don't have carpeted floor, do this exercise on a yoga mat or a few towels.

Plank triceps (abs and triceps)

Next, using your left palm, push yourself up until your left arm is almost straight.

Plank triceps (abs and triceps)

Then push up on to your right palm until your right arm is almost straight.

Plank triceps (abs and triceps)

Then lower your left arm to its starting position.

Plank triceps (abs and triceps)

Finally, lower your right arm to return to a complete starting position. Repeat this exercise as one continuous movement, without breaks, until you are fatigued.

Plank triceps (abs and triceps)

Tip: If you find balancing on your tiptoes too difficult, try the same exercise on your knees.

Renegade rows (chest, abdominals, back, arms)

If you're not exercising on a carpeted surface, turn your yoga mat or towels horizontally so that you have some cushioning for your palms.

Start this exercise as if you were getting ready to do pushups – facing downwards with your arms straight out underneath you, palms shoulder-width apart and with your tiptoes on the ground.

Renegade rows (chest, abdominals, back, arms)

Lower into a pushup.

Renegade rows (chest, abdominals, back, arms)

Then, straightening up, raise your left palm off the ground without twisting your body, squeezing your back as you raise your arm. The more you keep your shoulders parallel to the ground the more you will work your core.

Renegade rows (chest, abdominals, back, arms)

Lower back into a pushup.

Renegade rows (chest, abdominals, back, arms)

Then raise your right palm off the ground as you did your left. Repeat this exercise as a continuous motion until you are fatigued.

Renegade rows (chest, abdominals, back, arms)

Tip: If you find this exercise too difficult, try lowering onto your knees so that both your knees and toes are on the ground.

Semi boat position with a twist (abs)

Start out sitting on the ground with your knees slightly bent and your heels on the floor. Raise your ribs as high as you can. Touch your hands together. With your elbows out to your sides, lean back.

Semi boat position with a twist (abs)

Then keeping your back straight, pivot your core left and touch your left elbow to the ground.

Semi boat position with a twist (abs)

Then turn and touch your right elbow to the ground. Continue repeating this motion until you are fatigued.

Tip: If you have trouble touching your elbows to the ground, start out just pivoting side to side as far as you can until you become familiar with the exercise.

T-position bench row (glutes and back)

With this exercise you'll actually be working your glutes and doing a row at the same time. You'll need a knee-level chair or another piece of furniture to lean on and a ten-pound hand weight. If you don't have access to a hand weight, try this exercise with a bag of books or canned goods – in the summer try lifting a bag with a watermelon inside! Start out standing on just your right leg, with your left hand balancing your body on the chair and the weight in your right hand. Lift your left leg so that it and your back are parallel to the ground. Your right arm should be parallel to your right leg and you should be looking down so your spine remains straight.

T-position bench row (glutes and back)

Now bend your elbow and lift the weight until your upper arm is parallel to your upper body. Your arm will now be at a 45-degree angle. Make sure you are squeezing your back as you lift, but keep your chest parallel to the ground. Then lower and repeat until you are fatigued. Then switch legs. You should be putting the majority of the weight on your standing foot during this exercise. The idea is that you are doing a basic dumbbell bench row, but you're working the standing leg a lot harder than if you were kneeling on a bench doing the standard version of this exercise.

Tip: Make sure whatever you're leaning on during this exercise is not going to move. If you think the chair that you're using for balance may start to slide while you're exercising, try positioning it up against a wall or putting the chair on a yoga mat.