So you’ve been thinking about going to the gym but your current budget doesn’t allow it. It turns out you can create your own little gym in the comfort of your backyard!

Here are ways to create four types of homemade gym equipment:

1. Farmer’s walk
Imagine a farmer who’s carrying two 25l buckets or a villager who’s coming back from fetching water in the dam. This exercise helps build endurance, strength (which will help you do all the other exercises) and gives you stronger shoulders.

What you need: Two 25l buckets of filler (either water, sand, or gravel)

Method:
Pour 20l of the filler into the buckets and make sure you close each tightly so the filler doesn’t spill.
Holding both buckets, walk up and down as many stairs as you can manage, or simply walk to the gate and back a couple of times.

2. Sandbag
Like in military training, imagine yourself going up and down with a sandbag on your shoulders. This doesn’t only help you enhance strength and stamina, but it’ll help you crack those legs and give them that ‘V-shape’!

What you need: 2x cable ties, 1x canvas laundry bag, sand (enough to fill laundry bag)

Method:
Stand the laundry bag upright and open at the top.
Fill the laundry bag with sand until it is about two-thirds full.
Tightly close off the bag with the cable ties (but leave some space so that the sand has room to ‘slosh’ around).
Importantly, only fill the laundry bag with the amount of sand that you can carry on your shoulders as you don’t want to strain your back.
Ask someone to help you put the bag over your shoulders.
Walk up and down the stairs as many times as you can manage, or simply walk to the gate and back a couple of times.

3. Battle rope
On every kasi street corner you’ll find children playing skipping rope in the streets. Battle rope is similar to that childhood game but slightly different as it requires two ropes or – in this case – two old hosepipes. This workout will strengthen your abs, arms and shoulders, and it will engage your legs – all in one go.

What you need: A long old hosepipe cut into two, and one big rock.

Method:
Place both ends of your hosepipes underneath the big rock.
Stand opposite the rock and grasp one end of the rope in each hand so that your palms face each other.
Bend knees slightly, and move both arms up and down rapidly, creating waves with the rope.

4. Four-pound Hammer
We all have seen that oversized hammer with a big head that WWE’s ‘Triple H’ used to hit people with back in the day. But have we ever stopped and thought what a good squat tool it’d make? Because the hammer has its own weight, this exercise will not only crack your legs but will work on those arms as well!

What you need: Four-pound hammer, and old clothes

Method:
Wrap the old clothes over the hammer so it’s not rough on your hands.
Have the head part of your hammer in your right hand.
With your left hand grasp the other side of the hammer.
Stretch your arms in front holding on to the hammer.
Keep your back straight, with your spine in neutral position, and your chest out and shoulders relaxed.
Turn your feet out 30°. Keep your whole foot flat on the floor. Don’t raise your toes or heels.
Keep looking straight ahead at a spot on the wall.
Squat down and focus on keeping your knees in line with your feet.
Do five reps and switch the head part to the left hand
Do five more reps to conclude one set.
Take a five minute break.
Repeat according to your ability.

Now that the burden of gym subscription is out of the way, take a look around your house for anything else you could use for your next home exercise.

Tell us: Do you have tips on keeping fit without having to join the gym?