How Do I Start to Workout at Home If I Don’t Have Weights?

Hey JJ Here. Every year around this time, I get the urge to make my home feel a little extra special. A space that feels just like the holidays. And Wayfair is my go to for that. Think cozy textures, twinkly decor, warm lighting, and all those little touches that make you want to curl up with a good book and a blanket. You'll usually find my books stacked on a great little end table I got from Wayfair, proof that function and style can coexist. Now, whether you're adding last minute hosting essentials, picking out gifts for loved ones, or refreshing your decor for the season, Wayfair makes it easy with beautiful finds, great prices and fast delivery. And when the holidays wind down, Wayfair has everything you need to tuck it all neatly away. Smart storage solutions for every room from the kitchen to the closet. Plus, with free shipping for any order over $35, that's fast delivery and a total peace of mind. It's the perfect mix of joy and order, bringing the holiday spirit in, then storing it all with ease. If you're ready to make your home feel as good as it looks, get organized, refreshed and ready for the holidays. For way less head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair Every style, every home. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R.com hey, it's JJ here.

You know, I've been talking about environmental toxins forever, and laundry detergent is a sneaky one. A lot of them contain harsh chemicals like dyes, preservatives, and even UV brighteners.

Those brighteners don't actually clean anything.

They just coat fabric so your eyes think things look whiter or brighter. That's more chemicals I don't want on my family's sheets or skin. And if you've got sensitive skin or allergies around the house, this can be a big problem. That's what got my attention about Earth Breeze.

It looks like a dryer sheet, but.

It'S actually laundry detergent. You toss one in the washer and that's it. No pouring, no mess, and no heavy plastic jug. Their packaging is lightweight cardboard, which helps reduce plastic waste. And if you choose the fragrance free option, it's gentle, hypoallergenic, non irritating and non sensitizing. I really like how simple it is.

And how fresh and clean everything comes.

Out without those unnecessary chemicals. Right now you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off with free gifts@earthbreeze.com virgin that's earthbreeze.com virgin for up to 40% off plus free gifts on your first order.

Welcome to Walgreens. What can I help you with today?

Hi, I need a last minute gift for a secret Santa. Something thoughtful, impressive, not a fruitcake.

We've got Ferrero chocolates, artisan coffees, even a spa kit. Any vibe you're going for?

Whatever says wow, this guy's great at giving gifts.

How about this premium skincare gift set? Just needs a bow. Will look like you planned it weeks ago.

Well, happy holidays.

Gifts, holiday decor and more. The holiday road is long. We're with you all the way, Walgreens.

How do I start to work out at home if I don't have weights? This is JJ Virgin, four time New York Times best selling author, celebrity nutrition expert and fitness hall of famer. I've been on a lifelong quest for answers to the toughest health questions and now I'm sharing what I found with you. Welcome to Ask the Health expert. Norma from Thyroid Strong Facebook group asks, how do I start to work out at home if I don't have weights? Hey, it's JJ and I have thyroid exercise expert Dr. Emily Kaibard here to answer this question. She's a New York City chiropractor, strength enthusiast, and mama to Elvis and baby Brooklyn. She helps women struggling with Hashimoto's learn how to work out without burning out. With using her own program, Thyroid Strong and making lifestyle changes, she has put her Hashimoto's into remission and fun fact. Emily used to work for bear management in Yellowstone National Park. She'll be right back with the answer. Stay with me.

Hey, jj, Virgin here.

Okay, real talk.

So often the holidays sneak up on.

Me, travel, gifts, hosting, you know, all the things and suddenly it's like, wait.

Who spent what and where?

And I know I'm not the only one who's looked at a bill in January and thought, wow, that escalated quickly. If you want to keep your finances under control this holiday season, you need to be using Monarch. It's rated the Wall Street Journal's best budgeting app of 2025. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface. On your laptop or on your phone, Monarch lets you link everything and gives you real time visibility so you're not shocked later. Right now, I've been checking the holiday spending category so I don't accidentally start the new year with that dreaded debt hangover. And honestly, just seeing everything laid out is already helping me stay more aware this season, Monarch does the heavy lifting. It links your accounts in minutes, gives you smart categorization and super clear visuals. Yes, that end of year reset could be a real goal. This time, don't let financial opportunities slip through the cracks. Use the code virginonarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year@monarch.com with the code Virgin Toyotathon is on.

So stop by your local Toyota dealer and test drive a stylish new Camry or sleek and capable Corolla with great financing and lease options available to qualified customers. Visit buyatoyota.com for more toy Yoga let's go places.

So I think a lot of us get stuck and attach ourselves to what we think we need to get results. The perfect gym equipment setup and the people who get results do the basics consistently. There's no fancy sexy moves, there's no fancy equipment. They use what they have, they do what they can and they do the basics consistently. So a great, great starting place to work out at home if you do not have weights is to start with your own weight, your body weight you could use. You could do squats to a chair, right? Oftentimes with an autoimmune condition, our knees will be achy and squats can aggravate the knees. So if you, and you're, if you're first starting out, you could just do squats to a chair, right? Sit the, sit the tush back into the chair, stand back up, squeeze the tush as you're standing up. You could do a plank on your forearms, you could hold it for a breath, then the next round, two breaths and working up to 15 breaths, which is about a minute, right? And that would take probably a couple weeks. But doing the basics consistently, an elevated push up from your, from your kitchen counter is a great way to do a push move to create shoulder stability, core strength while using what you have. And then once the kitchen counter gets easy, you could drop it down to the bathroom counter. And once that gets easy, you could drop it down to the the side of your couch and then slowly down to the floor. So the most important piece is to learn to build tension in the body and get the muscles to wake up and fire. And then when you feel comfortable with good form, you can MacGyver your weights. MacGyver it. You can fill two tote bags with gluten free flour and do some farmer's walks, also known as a heavy carry. If you don't know what this is, think as if you are like carrying your groceries with the handles in your hands down towards your side and you're really gripping the handle to create good grip strength because there is a correlation of grip strength to shoulder stability. So the stronger your grip is, the more stable your shoulders would be. And especially with an autoimmune condition like Hashimoto's, we as women have a higher propensity to get frozen shoulder syndrome. So fill a tote bag up with gluten free flour, do some farmer's walks. You could put books in a backpack or a duffel bag and use it as a deadlift or a squat. So again, don't you know, don't attach yourself to what we think we need to get results. Just do the basics consistently.

This is JJ with Ask the Health Expert. I do this five times a week, so make sure you never miss a show by going to subscribetojay.com.

Hello listeners, this is Anne Bogle, author, blogger and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week I tag all things books and reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately, and I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment, whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change, or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything. You'll learn something about yourself as a reader and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and visit our website what Should I read next podcast.com to find out more.