Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be costly especially with a gym membership, modified diet, and other fitness equipment that you might need. Aside from financial costs, the schedule could be an obstacle for busy people who want to keep up an exercise routine. Thus, exercising at home can be enticing for most people since it is cost-effective and does not require the travel inconvenience and most of all privacy while doing exercise.
The problem with exercises that you can do at home are the limitations on the exercises. Some exercises may require more space that your home cannot provide, or some exercises may require sophisticated equipment that your local gym has. Thus, most of the exercises that you can do at home consist of bodyweight exercises. Bodyweight exercises are exercises that exploit the pull of gravity that acts as resistance to your own weight. Basically, these exercises make use of your own individual weight for strength training. Bodyweight exercise routines are highly ideal to be performed at home because it does not need machines or equipment to continue. These are the top exercises that you can do at home, along with simple steps on how to perform them
Push-ups
This is a classic bodyweight exercise that you can perform at home. It perfectly represents the bodyweight training in itself and is easy to perform.
- Face the floor, balance on your toes and lay your palms flat on the floor, making sure that your arms are straight.
- Lower your body down by bending your elbow until your chest touches the floor.
- Push the floor with your arms to push your body up
- Lower your body again then push it up again
- Repeat until the desired set is complete
Jumping rope
Jump rope is a very good cardiovascular exercise and can be performed well indoors. Studies have shown that 10 minutes of consecutive jumping ropes are equivalent to 30 minutes of running. This suggests that jump ropes are an effective exercise for calorie burning. To do jump ropes, you have to own a jumping rope which could be bought almost anywhere. Or you may use thick ropes as an alternative, but make sure to cut them on the appropriate length. Too long or too short rope may lead to unnecessary injuries while doing the exercise.
- Hold both ends of the jumping rope in each of your hands
- Swing your rope forward with appropriate strength to extend the rope extremely
- Jump to let the rope pass through below your body
- Swing your rope again from the back forward
- Repeat until the desired set is complete
Crunches
Crunches are mainly focused on building the core. This exercise is preferably performed in a yoga mat to reduce the likelihood of injuring your lower spine. Crunches are everyone’s favorite since this is very rewarding and easy to do at home.
- Lie down face up on the yoga mat
- Pull your legs up to bend the knees on a 90-degree angle, hold this position
- Elbows output the palm of your hands at the back of your head
- Lift your upper body up, you may support your head using your hands
- Do not lower down your legs
- Lower your head slowly
- Repeat until the desired set is complete
Planking
Planking also helps in shaping your core. Compared to crunches, planking does not put pressure on your spine, so it reduces the risk of injury when building your core. Planking can also be modified to a side plank.
- Assume the push-up position on the mat, but rest on your forearms instead of your hands
- Maintain a straight back
- Hold the said position until the desired period of time has passed
For a side plank, just lie on your side and support your body using your elbow. Maintain your legs and body straight. Do not let your hips sag. Repeat on the other side after your desired duration.
Squats
This exercise works for your core and leg muscle groups. This helps you develop stronger thighs and lower back muscles.
- Stand straight, feet apart, arms forward with palms facing down
- Lower your thighs until it lines horizontally. Keep your head and arms forward
- Slowly lift your body again
- Repeat until the desired set is complete
Mountain climbers
This is a great exercise which involves most of the muscle groups to work. It acts as a good cardio and core exercise when performed at high intensities. Mountain climber is a bodyweight exercise that makes you feel like hiking an inclined plane at a fast pace.
- Assume push-up position
- Pull the top of your knee close to your chest, feet touching the floor
- Stretch your leg back
- Pull the other leg up, touching the top of the knee close to your chest, feet still touching the floor
- Stretch the leg back
- Perform at a faster rate
- Repeat until the desired set is complete
Jumping jacks
Jumping jacks is a good cardio exercise and it is easy to perform. Without any sophisticated equipment, jumping jacks work on your legs, shoulders, and cardio.
- Stand straight, feet very slightly apart, arms on your side
- Jump and spread your legs, at the same time stretch your arms upward in a circular motion and clap them
- Jump then move your arms back to the side with the same circular motion, close your feet together again
- Repeat until the desired set is complete
Sit-ups
This is also a popular home exercise. It is similar to crunches both in form and target muscle development. You may need a yoga mat or any similar matting in order to reduce the risk of injury for your lower back.
- Lay down, feet flat on the mat, knees up and close together
- Elbows out, palms on the back of your head
- Slowly lift your head, making your forehead touch the top of the knees
- Slowly lower your head, make sure that your forehand does not touch the floor
- Repeat until the desired set is complete
These are the eight of the top exercises you can do at home. These home routines can be easily performed with no risk of injury. They are handpicked to target all the muscle groups in your body while you’re at home, giving you full coverage in your chosen home exercise routine. Also, you may adjust the sets and repetitions for all this exercise according to your desires. Have fun to attain fitness at home with these exercises!
