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10 Exercises To Do At Home— No Equipment Necessary!
If you have ever resisted exercising due to lack of time, space, equipment, or hesitancy about visiting a gym, worry not—you aren’t alone! To bring in the new year, here’s the good news: you can engage in an effective workout just about anywhere, simply by using your own body weight! While not as complex as the machines at the gym, bodyweight exercises are simple, sufficient, and can help to improve strength, coordination, flexibility, and endurance. Here are 10 at-home exercises to try out and see for yourself! For beginners, 3 sets of 10 repetitions of these exercises are standard, unless otherwise noted. Can’t seem to figure out how to do one of the below exercises? A quick YouTube or Google search will teach you instantly!
1. Regular Push-Ups: Everyone knows what a push-up is, and there’s a reason for that: push-ups work many parts of your body, from your chest to your legs. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart, bend your elbows to bring your chest as close to the floor as possible, and then push back up. 2. Planks: Planking is infamous for building abs and core strength. Lie on your stomach with your forearms on the floor, extend your legs, and push up on your toes. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds until you can no longer hold it. 3. Glute Bridges: Sitting for long periods of time, whether it be for work, travel, or another reason, can cause your hip and thigh muscles to tighten up. Glute bridges instantly combat this. Lie down on your back with your legs bent, feet flat on the floor, and arms by your side. Squeeze your abs and glutes while pushing up through your feet to lift your hips off the floor until your body is in a semi-straight line. Slowly lower your hips back to the ground and repeat.
4. Squats: Similar to glute bridges, squats are great for activating leg and glute muscles that tighten up during the day. Stand up with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width distance apart, slightly turning your toes outward. Bend your knees while keeping your chest up, clasping your hands in front for extra balance, and then press through your feet to stand back up. 5. Burpees: Burpees are one of the most effective full-body workouts, and while they may seem intimidating, they aren’t—they are merely a mix of squats and push-ups, two exercises that we have already covered! Start in a low squat position with your hands on the floor. In one motion, kick both of your feet backwards to put you into a push-up position; do one push-up, bring your feet forward to return to a low-squat, leap up as high as possible, and then return to a low squat position to complete one round. 6. Wall Sits: Another great way to work your glutes and legs are through wall sits—who even needs a chair? Stand with your back against a wall and slowly slide down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. This should resemble what it looks like to sit in a chair. Keeping your back straight, hold this position for at least 30 seconds. 7. Flutter Kicks: Like a plank, flutter kicks are a surefire way to fire up your abs. Lie down on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing down. Extend your legs, lift your heels a few inches off the floor (4 to 6 is ideal!), and move your legs up and down in quick, small pulses. 8. Bird Dogs: Despite its name, the Bird Dog is a great exercise for building balance and endurance. Get down on all fours with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your
hips. Extend your neck to a neutral position by looking down at the floor and simultaneously extend your left leg back and right arm forward. Hold for a few seconds, and then repeat with your right leg back and left arm forward, alternating every time. 9. Crunches and Sit-Ups: While to some these exercises are synonymous, they differ in movement and activation of certain muscles. If you’re looking for a sole core workout, do crunches: lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands behind your head. Use your core to curl your abs and neck slightly, then return to the starting position. If you want to work your core, lower back, legs, and hips, opt for sit-ups: start in the same position as a crunch, but instead of only lifting slightly, lift your body until your chest reaches your knees. It may help to hook your feet under the couch or put a heavy book on your feet in order to lift all the forward. 10. Dancing and Running in Place: Dancing and/or running are two good ways to increase your heart rate and achieve aerobic exercise. To run in place, utilize the same movements used when running distance: pumping your arms while alternating legs. To make this as effective as running outside or on a treadmill, challenge yourself to lift your legs higher than your normally would, and move quickly for 30 to 60 second intervals. A less rigid and arguably more fun alternative to running in place is dancing. Whether you learn a routine from YouTube or move freely to the music, dancing to a few songs in a row has the same effects as running, while also sending a good boost of dopamine to the brain. For more information on The Flats Apartment Living in Downtown Avalon Park, call 407-273-4337 or email Info@TheFlatsAtAvalonPark.com.
