Bodyweight exercises are a great way to stay fit and healthy without having to get to the gym. You can have a complete and total body workout right from your home. These exercises are beneficial for many reasons. They are convenient and require no equipment. They can be adjusted to different levels of intensity and body types. They promote functional fitness and are obviously cost-effective.
So, on the next rainy or cold winter day when you don’t feel like getting out and traveling to the gym, these exercises are a great way to stay fit and keep your health routine.
Here are the top 5 bodyweight exercises that we would recommend to stay in shape and see results:
Squats. Squats are a great way to work your lower body and core muscles. To do a squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure to keep your back straight and your chest up. An advanced variation of this exercise would be to rest one of your feet on a bench or chair behind you, and do a squat with just one leg.
Push-Ups. Push-ups have been around forever. It’s a great way to work out your chest, shoulders, and triceps. To do a push-up, start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend at your elbows and lower your body until your chest touches the ground, then push your body back up. You add various pushup styles to this workout to maximize the impact and muscle groups worked. Try elevating your feet higher up than your hands are by putting them up on a stool. Or maybe move your hands in closer and doing pushups with a closer grip.
Planks. Speaking of planks, you can really give your core muscles a great workout with planks. Holding in the plank position works your abs and obliques as well as your arms and back. A plank is simply the start of a push-up but on your elbows instead of your hands. Your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. Just like in push-ups you want to make sure you keep your back straight and core tight.
Lunges. Lunges work your legs and core. The primary leg muscles targeted in a lunge are your quads, hamstrings, and calves. To do a lunge, stand with your feet hip-width apart and take a big step forward with one foot. With that foot extended out, lower your body until your back knee is almost touching the floor and then stand back up.
Burpees. Burpees are a total body exercise. In a burpee you are working nearly every part of your body. To do a burpee, start in a standing position and then lower your body into a squat position. From there, jump your feet back quickly to land in a plank position and then back up into a standing position. Repeat. Here are some photos for guidance.
