Diana Kelly

Yes, you'll save on commuting—but probably not as much as you think you will.

While ranch homes may call to mind cookie-cutter suburban developments, the core of its design is proving to have a timeless appeal to young, working families—even if it's not what they first had in mind.

It’s all too easy to squash the best intentions of working out at home once you decide to chill in your favorite chair. So here are some chair exercises you can do any time, from any chair—seated, standing, and even without equipment!

Don't let crowded gyms deter you from fitting in a workout.

If you’re seeking stronger abs, you’ll be hard pressed to find a core routine that doesn’t include planks. Gone are the days when people crunched to oblivion (while wearing headbands and leg warmers) in order to build core strength. The plank is in, and it’s here to stay. Planks are one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do to strengthen your abs.

No space to work out? Been there, tried that excuse.

You’re trying to save 20 percent to put down on your first home, but do you know exactly why you’re striving for that amount? Though you don’t need to put down that percentage of your home purchase price in order to buy, it does help in two major ways: It saves you money in the long run by shredding off interest and makes you a more attractive loan applicant. And while all that sounds like a great goal, it can feel impossibly to many.

Anyone who’s buying their first home has probably gotten used to stalking their bank accounts leading up to their closing making sure they’re beefing up their savings for a down payment and closing costs. According to Zillow, the median price of a home sold in America is $230,800. Putting 20 percent down on that home will cost you $46,160.

Grab your roommate, romantic partner, or friend and try this living room partner workout. These workouts are fun, fresh and can be done in any size apartment. Some require equipment—like a dumbbell or kettlebell—but could be substituted with something else your already have lying around your apartment. Send this to your workout buddy and plan a workout sesh—stat. You’ll probably burn just as many calories laughing as you do moving through these exercises.

Whether you’re starting the process of buying your first home or want to sell the home you’re in to upgrade or change neighborhoods, the process of buying a new home can seem daunting. From finding a great real estate agent, working with a lender, acquiring a real estate lawyer, and getting a home inspector—all on a short deadline—buying a home can often feel like writing the most overwhelming and emotional college research paper.

Whether your day job involves sitting at a desk, driving to sales calls, or bent over your phone responding to emails and texts while you run around town, we all could use stretching breaks throughout the day. “Stretching is very important, but not in the way people think, says K. Aleisha Fetters, M.S., C.S.C.S. You’re not thinning out your muscles, she says.

When you’re hunched over a desk for hours on end, you’re likely to feel tight in a number of places by the time you head home. Sure, a “desk job” isn’t considered physical labor, but tell that to your aching neck, shoulders, back, and hips. Then after a day of typing away and staring at a screen, many of us revert to lounging on our couches, watching a TV screen, and scrolling through our phones. We’re not doing our bodies any favors.

Whether you’re watching a “House Hunters” reunion, catching up on the nightly news, or tuning in to the latest fall premiere, you can squeeze in a quickie workout during commercial breaks when you have the right tool in your living room: A kettlebell.

Introducing the workout of our dreams.

You might have planned to fit a workout in… but it’s freezing cold, pitch black outside, and The Bachelor is coming on. If the living room is looking a lot more appealing than the gym, the good news is that you don’t have to leave it. “What if told you that you could mesh training with your favorite television show?” says Chicago-based trainer, Liu Gross.

When it comes to exercise, you’ve probably heard that doing something is better than doing nothing. Turns out, science supports that adage. People who did 150 minutes of moderate-intensity leisure activities (which could simply be walking) had a 14 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared to those who reported no exercise or physical activity, according to a 2011 meta analysis of 33 studies published in the journal Circulation.

If only couch sitting and thinking about exercising burned calories—we’d all reach our fitness goals in no time. For me, turning the idea of working out into actually motivating myself to do it is a bigger challenge than the exercise itself. The fact is that sometimes finding the will to, well, move can be hard when the temps are subzero and the living room is wildly appealing—give yourself a break.