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We've already taken a look at five items you could repurpose for an effective workout, but we're not finished there. Below are five more household objects and accompanying exercises for you to try.

1) Broom

Exercise one: Good mornings

What it’s good for: Targeting your hamstrings and lower back.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Place a broom on your shoulders.
3. Brace your abdominals and take a good breath in.
4. As you exhale, bend at the hips until your hamstring muscles start to limit your movement.
5. Remember to keep your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
6. Make sure your head and chest are up and forward.
7. Inhale as you return to the starting position.
8. Do 3 sets of 12 reps.

Exercise two: Calf raises

What it’s good for: Strengthening your calf muscles.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
2. Place a broom across your upper back, while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
3. Press onto the balls of your feet, lifting your heels off the floor.
4. Pause, then lower your heels back down to the starting position.
5. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

2) Cans of beans

Exercise one: Chest press

What it’s good for: This works your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

How to do it:

1. Lie down on your back with your feet flat on the ground.
2. With a can of beans of identical weight in each hand, extend your arms directly over your shoulders, palms facing towards your feet.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and slowly bend your elbows, lowering the cans out to the side, parallel with your shoulders, until your elbows form a 90-degree angle.
4. Slowly drive the cans back up to the starting position.
5. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Exercise two: Shadow boxing

What it’s good for: This works your arms, shoulders and legs, as well as allows for some cardio exercise.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. If you're right-handed, step straight forward one stride with your left foot, with your back foot at a 45-degree angle. If you're left-handed, step forward with the right foot instead.
3. Get up onto the balls of your feet and keep your body weight evenly distributed between the two legs.
4. Grab two cans of identical weight in your both hands.
5. Throw basic boxing punches such as:
   • The jab – a straight, or stiff punch with the lead hand.
   • The cross – a straight power shot with the rear hand.
   • An uppercut – an upward swinging blow with the rear hand.
6. Practicing all four of these basic punches will build hand speed, power and stamina.
7. Do 20 straight of each punch.
8. Repeat this twice.

3) Bottles of water

Exercise one: Farmer walks

What it’s good for: This exercise targets both your upper and lower body muscles, improves your posture, and develops core stabilisation.

How to do it:

1. Standing with feet hip-width apart and two bottles of water of identical weight at the outside of your ankles, hinge your hips back and bend your knees. Keep your back flat.
2. Tighten up your lower back and abdominals before reaching down to grab the bottles.
3. After gripping the water bottles, begin to stand tall by driving your heels into the ground, maintaining a tight form.
4. Finally, begin to take small steps forward, maintaining a strong grip and form.
5. If you're returning in the opposite direction, set the bottles down first, turn around, and then pick the bottles up again.
6. Perform this for 2 minutes at a time, and repeat this 3 times.

Exercise two: Shoulder press

What it’s good for: Working your shoulders and triceps.

How to do it:

1. Set up for the exercise by grabbing two bottles of water of identical weight and stand straight up with your feet about shoulder width apart.
2. Raise the bottles to shoulder height on each side, and make sure your palms are facing forward.
3. Keep your head up and eyes facing forward too.
4. Slowly raise the bottles above your head until your arms are almost fully extended.
5. Then begin lowering the bottles of water back down to the starting position.
6. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

4) Large pan

Exercise one: Overhead tricep extensions

What it’s good for: SFocussing on building strength in your shoulders and triceps.

How to do it:

1. Stand tall and hold a large pan with both hands directly above your head.
2. Slowly flex your elbows and lower the pan behind your head as you keep your upper arms still.
3. Extend your arms and repeat this movement.
4. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Exercise two: Russian twists

What it’s good for: Strengthens your core, oblique muscles and spine.

How to do it:

1. Sit with your torso leaning back at a 45-degree angle, knees bent and your feet either on the floor or elevated a few inches.
2. Brace your abdominals to engage your core.
3. Hold the large pan in front of your chest and twist your torso from side to side, without moving your legs.
4. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

5) Laundry basket (loaded)

Exercise one: Deadlifts

What it’s good for: Working your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, abs and lower back muscles.

How to do it:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a loaded laundry basket in front of your hips.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to keep the spine in a neutral position.
3. Inhale, first hinging at the hips then at the knees to lower the laundry basket along the front of legs.
4. Pause when your torso is parallel to the ground.
5. Exhale to return to standing, maintain a neutral spine and keep the laundry basket close to the body throughout.
6. Fully extend your hips and knees, and squeeze your glutes at the top.
7. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Exercise two: Bent-over row

What it’s good for: Working your upper back and shoulder muscles.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend your knees and lean forward from the waist.
3. Your back should stay straight, with your neck in line with your spine.
4. Grab the loaded laundry basket with your hands.
5. Brace your core and squeeze your shoulders together to row the laundry basket up until it touches your sternum, then slowly lower it back down again.
6. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

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Val Vik

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