No dumbbells? Your kitchen is a strength studio

Canada's 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week. You don't need a gym to get there. The American College of Sports Medicine notes that body weight or many kinds of equipment can do the job.

Look around your kitchen. A full 1 L water bottle weighs about 1 kg. Soup cans, a bag of rice or a backpack with a few books inside all work too.

Try this today: pick up two household "weights" and do 10 to 15 slow reps of each move:

• Biceps curl: palms up, bend your elbows to bring the weights toward your shoulders, then lower slowly.
• Overhead press: start with the weights at shoulder height and press up, without locking your elbows.
• Seated version: do both moves sitting tall on a sturdy chair, feet flat on the floor.

Choose a load that feels challenging by the last few reps but still lets you keep good form. Leave at least one rest day before working the same muscles again.

Safety note: Breathe steadily and don't hold your breath. Stop if you feel pain, skip the overhead press if lifting your arms overhead bothers your shoulders, and check with your doctor first if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure.

Sources

• Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults 18-64 (CSEP) (opens in a new tab)
• ACSM Position Stand: Quantity and Quality of Exercise (Garber et al., 2011) (opens in a new tab)
• Heart & Stroke: Taking Control of Your Physical Recovery (opens in a new tab)