Happy Hanukkah!

Yeah, yeah. It's nice to work out at a club—there's the camaraderie, the invigorating music, the sense that you're not alone in your efforts—but sometimes a girl just wants to work out at home, and save a few bucks in the process.  Here's what you really need to work out at home—and why.  It’s Hanukkah - ask for it :).

1. Medicine ball. Medicine balls are great because they can be used for abs exercises and core and lower back strengtheners. Mine is a 6 pound ball, and I like it for the  versatility and the fact that it doesn’t take up much space!
2. Stability ball. Also called a core ball or balance ball, this giant beach ball–like apparatus adds major bounce to your workout. An ordinary pushup is much more advanced and challenging performed on a stability ball. Because the surface is unstable, which means you have to work harder to stay upright and stabilized—which means you engage your core muscles with every single move. I especially use this for my abs!
3. Dumbbells. Remember if you are scared of bulking up, start with lower weights and do more reps.  I have put my 2 pounds away and now working with 3 pounds and I have a set of 5 pounds to use for one of my routines.
4. Resitance bands. These long rubber bands (some are tubular, some are wide and flat) are less intimidating than weights and even more versatile—you can target calves, thighs, glutes, biceps and triceps with a wide range of moves. And they take up no space at all. 
5. Stairs. Stairs are great for doing lunges, step-ups, or simply getting a
   cardio workout in without a pricey treadmill by running up and down a few
   dozen times. If you live in a one-story home with no stairs in sight, that's no excuse to skip the cardio—you can always take a run around the neighborhood, or mix in jumping jacks or even a jump rope routine to keep your workout challenging and fresh.