Workout without Equipment – The Best At-Home Workouts You Can Start Today!
A fit lifestyle is a dream for nearly everyone. Unfortunately, it is often endlessly postponed because not everyone has the time to join the gym or to set up a home studio. The good news is that you don’t really need equipment to start working out! There are several at-home exercises that trainers around the world recommend. These are often just as effective as getting a gym membership. All you have to do is pick the exercises that work best for you and stick to a routine!
Can You Effectively Work Out At Home?
There is a common misconception that working out at home without the aid of professional equipment fails to yield results. In fact, if you pick the right exercises, you can not only burn fat, lose weight, and also build muscle mass – all without going to the gym.
Getting a gym membership is certainly ideal because it helps one stick to a routine in a motivating environment. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t begin your fitness lifestyle at home. Create your own workout regime with at-home exercises and make sure you exercise at least 3-4 four times a week to see optimal results.
Cardio Exercises without Equipment
A cardio workout can be extremely beneficial. It burns calories, speeds up your metabolism, and even improves overall heart health. An ideal workout at the gym includes 10-15 minutes of cardio on equipment like treadmills and stationary bikes. However, you can achieve the same results at home if you are motivated enough! Here are a few cardio exercises that will get your heart racing without any equipment. All you need is yourself and some space around you.
Start by warming up. Prepare your body for a workout by marching in place for one minute. Follow this with jogging/running in place for another minute. You can then follow this entire routine, or pick out the exercises that work best for you. Repeat each of these for one minute, or as long as you comfortably can.
1. Jumping Jacks/Jump-Rope
Starting with a jumping-focused exercise will ensure your heart rate increases, providing the same benefits as working out at the gym. 1-2 minutes of jumping jacks or a jump rope are ideal. You can also do both!
2. Toe-Touches
Stand with your feet a little more than hip-width apart. Bend over and touch your right and to your left foot. Come back up to stand straight, raise your hands, and do a little jump. Then, bend down again to touch your left hand to your right foot.
3. High-Knees
Stand at hip-width apart. Bring your right knee up as high as you can, then jump to switch legs and repeat with the other leg. High-knees are essentially like jogging but with bringing your knees up high.
4. Butt-Kickers
This is another version of jogging, but this time with your feet going high up behind you so that they touch your butt. Aim to kick your behind with your heel each time your foot goes up.
5. Dancing
You read that right! Free-style dancing with lots of foot movement and some jumps thrown in is a great way to keep your heart rate high. It can be done in a quick burst to wrap up a workout. You can also do a longer stand-alone cardio dancing session!
Fat-Burning Exercises without Equipment
At-home fat-burning exercises are also considered cardio, but these are usually exercises that are a little harder to do and begin to strain specific parts of your body. Here are some of the most effective ones. These should be repeated for 30-60 seconds each.
For these exercises, make sure you wear comfortable shoes and start at a slow pace so as not to injure yourself while landing.
1. Jump Squats
Squats are hard and jump squats take them a notch higher, but they are also more effective! Start with your feet shoulder-length apart and lower yourself into a squat till your thighs are parallel to the ground. Return to a standing position but go directly into a jump, and land back into a squat. Repeat
2. Jump Lunges
Lunges are excellent for burning fat, and even more so when you add in a jump. These are often also called Screamer Lunges. Stand straight, then extend one leg backwards and lower into a lunge position. Go as low as you can. Then, push both feet up into a jump and switch the position of both feet, and lower into a lunge with the opposite leg backward. These are simply lunges with a jump in between instead of a standing position when switching legs.
3. Mountain Climbers
This is another great exercise that works your entire body. Start in a push-up position. Bring one knee up towards your chest. Take it back and bring the other knee forward. Quickly alternate both legs and increase the pace, as if climbing.
4. Plank Push-Up
Place your right hand flat on the floor and lift your body up. Place the other hand on the floor and lift. You should now be in a push-up position. Then, bring your right arm back into the plank position, followed by your left arm. Keep alternating your arms and switching between the plank and the push-up postures.
5. Burpees
This is perhaps one of the most deceptively difficult exercises! Stand with your feet at shoulder-width. Lower into a squat and put your hands flat on the floor. Kick out your legs behind you so that you are in a plank position (or a starting push-up position). Jump your feet forward to the squat position and return to standing upright. You can add a little difficulty to this by raising your arms up and adding a hop between the burpees.
Muscle-Building Exercises without Equipment
Several exercises, including some mentioned above, can help you gain muscle at home. These are ideal to explore once you have been working out at home for a few weeks. At-home muscle building exercises include:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Push-ups
- Pull-ups
- Tricep dips
If you are ready to purchase some home-workout tools to progress onto exercises with weights, bands, exercise balls, and more, find them at quality gym equipment suppliers such as Nirvana Fitness.