I am in desperate need of a routine that I can do in my home that is easy on the joints that I can use as a full workout (or supplement to) when I can't get outside to walk. With the nor'easter that hit again today, I'm stuck inside and looking for ways to move around a rather small and cramped home.

I do have an old stationary bike but it kills my butt no matter how many times I use it to "build up resistance" or what kind of seat cushioning I use. Plus it never seems like it does much for me in terms of burning calories.

So with that said, does anyone have any suggestions for any great at home workout tapes or routines that I could try? I'll give you an idea where my fitness level is at by stating the following:

1. Squats and lunges are out of the question due to my knees
2. I am a weakling with push-ups but am willing to try a extremely beginner routine that may involve it
3. I don't have any free weights right now at my disposal
4. I have very little room to move around so jump roping and hula hooping are not possible inside at this time
5. Due to being so sedentary for so many years, I now have very limited flexibility. Therefore, yoga, although great, would just end up being 20 minutes of me trying to stretch my extremely tight hamstrings and only serve as a warm up to the actual routine.

Thanks in advance!

What about Tai Chi? It's gentle, can actually improve mobility, and is also relaxing and you don't need much space.

Oh, that's an idea I've never considered. Have any suggestions for good videos to use? Thanks!

i would suggest pilates, can do with no equipment and loads of videos on youtube with varying levels of difficulty

Yes! That is a great suggestion, too. I actually have some Pilates books that I bought at a yard sale now that you've mentioned it. Thanks for the inspiration!

Beachbody has a video series call "Tai Cheng" taught by a master Tai Chi instructor, Dr. Cheng. If you're a subscriber to Beachbody on Demand it is included, I think if you want to buy the DVD set it's like $60. It's the only one I'm actually familiar with.

Thank you! I will look into it.

If you're too weak to do push-ups, that's the perfect reason to start doing push-ups. If you do them, it'll become easier.

You can start with modified push-ups and later move onto regular push-ups when you're strong enough. There are two common ways to modify push-ups to make them easier, so choose whichever one feels more comfortable.

1. Do push-ups with your knees on the floor (instead of you feet), so you'll be lifting less weight.
2. Do push-ups with your feet on the floor and your hands are on a staircase. The higher your hands, the easier the push-ups will be, so you can start 3 or 4 steps up, and gradually reduce the number of steps as you get stronger.

Thanks so much for the tips! I really like the stairs idea-- I'm going to have to try it today!

Push-Ups at an angle: You can perform this exercise while lying on a bed, couch, sturdy chair, or a box that won't move. It's a more advanced version of the push-up. Standing in front of the chair or bed, place your hands on the surface. They should be separated by shoulder space.