What if we say you can get in shape without going to the gym? Does that sound a bit difficult? But no, it’s not!
Maintaining a healthy body doesn’t have to be hectic; all you need is dedication, consistency, and personal trainer guidance.
Here, we are going to explain ten easy exercises that you can easily do at your home.
Let’s begin!
Easy Exercises to Do at Home
01. Pushups
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It is one of the most basic yet effective exercises you can do at home. Beginners can start with easier versions and upgrade to challenging variations.
How to do pushups?
- Get down on the floor with your hands a bit wider than your shoulders. Keep your knees off the ground and your body straight, like a plank. Your weight should be on your hands and toes.
- Suck in your belly towards your spine. This helps keep your body stable.
- Slowly and firmly bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the floor. Stop when your elbows make a right (90-degree) angle.
- Push yourself back up by straightening your arms. Imagine pushing the floor away from you. Exhale as you push up. (That’s it, you are done!)
Pro Tip: Make sure to keep your body straight and your tummy tight while doing the exercise.
Benefits
- According to a report, individuals who can do 40 push-ups have fewer chances of cardiovascular diseases than those who cannot complete ten push-ups.
- In day-to-day life activities, you need strength to lift or push objects, which can be easily gained by doing regular pushups.
- It is a fact that push-ups do not burn fat directly, but resistance training does.
02. Bicycle crunch
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The next exercise that you can easily do at your home is bicycle crunch. It is an effective ab exercise that works for upper ab muscles, deep abs, obliques, and the ab muscles on the sides of the body’s torso.
How to do a Bicycle crunch?
- Lie down on your back on a comfortable surface with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your head, but don’t pull on your neck.
- Suck in your stomach muscles to keep your back flat on the floor. This helps protect your spine.
- Bring your knees up towards the chest side so they’re at a right angle. Your feet should be off the ground.
- Imagine you’re riding a bicycle. Straighten one leg out while bringing the other knee towards your chest. Twist the upper body to touch your elbow to the opposite knee.
- Keep pedaling, alternating your legs, and touching your opposite elbow to knee each time.
Benefits
- Bicycle crunches are great for strengthening abdominal muscles.
- It improves the strength of core muscles, which will help you lower back pain and maintain good posture.
- Boost heart health and cardiovascular endurance.
03. Burpees
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Burpees is a full-body exercise, but honestly, it’s a bit challenging. The results of this are worth doing as it works many of the major muscle groups in your body.
How to do Burpees?
- Begin by standing up straight with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Let the arms hang down naturally by your sides.
- Lower the body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
- Once your hands touch the ground, kick your legs straight back behind. You’ll end up in a plank position, like a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Jump your feet back towards your hands by bending at the waist. Try to get your feet as close to your hands as possible, landing them outside your hands if needed.
- Straighten your legs and stand up tall, lifting your arms above your head as you do so.
- Finish the movement by jumping up into the air as high as you can. Reach your arms towards the sky when you jump.
- Land softly and immediately go into the next burpee by squatting down again and following the same sequence of movements.
Benefits
- Burpess provides a complete full-body workout as it targets various muscle groups, including the chest, triceps, shoulders, abdominals, quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
- Regularly doing this exercise will improve your cardiovascular fitness, balance, and coordination.
04. Mountain Climbers
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Doing mountain climbers does not mean you have to climb a mountain, but what if the mountain is the floor? It combines cardio and strengthening all into one workout.
How to do Mountain Climbers?
- Start by getting into a plank position. Your hands should be under your shoulders, and the body should form a straight line from your head to the heels.
- Make sure your back is flat, your abs are tight, and your head is in line with your spine. This helps prevent injury and ensures you’re working the right muscles.
- Lift the right knee towards your chest as far as you can.
- Quickly switch legs, bringing your right knee back to its starting position and pulling your left knee towards the chest.
- Alternate bringing each knee in and out as fast as you can while maintaining good form. Remember to breathe steadily as you go.
Benefits
- Helps in building cardio endurance, core strength, and agility.
- Provides heart health benefits and stabilizes the whole body.
05. Lunges
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Lunges is a powerful exercise that shapes and strengthens almost every muscle in the lower body.
How to do Lunges?
- Start by standing with one foot in front of the other, about 2 to 3 feet away. Keep your torso straight, shoulders relaxed, and hands on your hips.
- Lower your body down by bending both knees. Keep going until your back knee is just a few inches from the ground. Your front thigh should be parallel to the ground, and your weight should be evenly disbursed between both legs.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your legs. Keep your weight on the heel of your front foot as you rise.
Benefits
- This exercise helps tone and strengthen muscles in the lower body.
- They are functional exercises that you do consistently in your daily activities, like picking something from the floor.
06. Squats
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If we have to choose one exercise that challenges most of the muscles in the human body, then it would be squats. Here are some of the benefits!
How to do Squats?
- Start by standing up straight with your feet a bit wider than your shoulders. Let your arms hang by your sides naturally.
- Tighten the tummy muscles to stabilize your spine. This helps protect your lower back.
- Imagine you’re going to sit in a chair. Push your hips back and bend down your knees, keeping your chest and chin up. Make sure your knees stay in line with your toes as you lower yourself down.
- Lower down until your thighs are about parallel to the ground. You can bring your arms out in front of you for balance if you like.
- Hold for a second, then straighten your legs and push yourself back up to standing. Keep your weight in your heels as you rise.
That’s one squat! Keep going, doing as many as you’re comfortable with. Make sure to keep your core engaged and your chest up throughout the movement.
Benefits
- Strengthens your core muscles and reduces the risk of injury.
- The best part is that you can do squats anywhere; all you need is enough space to lower your hips.
07. Forearm Plank
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Forearm plank works for your entire body at once, as it helps build strength in the abs, shoulders, chest, upper back, and thighs.
How to do Forearm Plank?
- Start by lying down on a plank position. Bend your elbows and place your forearms on the ground, with the elbows directly below the shoulders.
- Straighten your legs out behind you and balance on your toes.
- Keep your core tight and your body straight.
- Squeeze your tummy muscles to protect your lower back.
- Try to hold this position for 20 seconds, if you can. Remember to breathe steadily throughout the hold.
Benefits
- If you do a lot of sitting, then this exercise is a must-do.
- Boost energy and fight fatigue.
08. Arm Circles
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The next easy exercise to do at home for beginners is arm circles. This is more of a pre-workout exercise that must be done before intense bodywork. Why? It loosens up shoulders that hold a lot of tension.
How to do Arm Circles?
- Stand in a straight position and extend your arms parallel to the floor.
- Make small circles and move in a reversible motion.
- Complete 10 rotations and change between small and large circular motions.
Benefits
- They’re a simple exercise that anyone can do, whether you’re at home, at the gym, or even outside.
- It relieves tension in the shoulders.
- So, if you want to keep your shoulders feeling good and your upper body strong, try adding arm circles to your workout routine!
09. Side-lying Hip Abduction
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Side-lying Hip Abduction is the perfect exercise for strengthening hip muscles. This can be performed in different ways, with or without equipment. But as we are talking about beginner’s exercise, here’s the easy way to do it.
How to do Side-lying Hip Abduction?
- Lie on your side with your legs straight and your hips stacked on top of each other. Bend the bottom arm and rest your head on it, keeping the head in line with your spine.
- Place your top arm on your top leg for support. This helps you stay balanced.
- Keep your feet together and your top hand resting on your top leg. This is where you’ll start the exercise.
- Slowly raise your top leg upwards, keeping it straight. Breathe out as you lift.
- Hold the lifted position for one or two seconds, then slowly lower the leg back again down to the starting position. Breathe in as you lower your leg.
- Once you’ve done the desired number of repetitions on one side, flip over to your other side and repeat the exercise with your other leg.
Benefits
- It provides better stability while standing, especially when on one leg.
- Doing this exercise gives the human body a better posture and recruits other muscles to perform an activity.
10. Bird Dog
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It is a bodyweight exercise that strengthens the core and can be easily integrated into any workout routine.
How to do Bird Dog?
- Start on your hands and knees, with the hands directly under the shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Keep your left arm and right leg straight out, keeping your hips level with the ground. Hold for 2 seconds.
- Bring your arm and leg back again to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement again with your right arm and left leg.
- Keep alternating sides, lifting one arm and the opposite leg at a time.
Pro Tip: Take it slow and focus on keeping your body stable throughout the movement.
Benefits
- By lifting your arm and leg at the same time, you’re challenging your balance. Over time, this can help you feel steadier on your feet.
- Doing this exercise regularly can help give your arms, shoulders, back, and butt a more defined look.
The Bottom Line
Incorporating the above 10 exercises into your home workout routine can be a great way to kickstart your fitness journey as a beginner. All of these will target various muscle groups and promote overall strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Also, it is suggested to do these exercises under personal trainers‘ personalized guidance. Get started today and take the first step towards a healthier, stronger you!