February 12, 2018
You don’t have to go to a gym or buy special equipment to stay in shape. There are a variety of exercises that you can do from the comfort of your own home. Here’s five moves you can try to squeeze in a workout from just about anywhere:
By strengthening your core muscles, planks keep your mid-section toned and may help ease back pain. Planks also increase flexibility in posterior muscle groups, improve balance and posture, and help elevate your mood by allowing certain muscles to release tension and relax.
Place your wrists on the ground in line with your elbows and hold your elbows right under your shoulders. Next, push your body up and keep your chin close to your neck. Contract your abdominals, tailbone, and thighs, and hold for at least 15 seconds. Rest for one minute and repeat three to four more times.
Squats help work the whole body, increasing metabolism, burning fat, and improving posture. When not performed correctly, however, you can get injured. To avoid injury, make sure you have the proper technique down before you start.
While standing, keep your back straight push and your backside out. This means keeping a neutral spine with your shoulders up. Next, as you squat downwards, keep your knees in line with your feet and lower yourself until your hips are lower than your knees.
Push-ups not only build chest strength, but work core muscles as well. This supports better posture and prevention of back pain. Because push-ups require the work of so many muscles, they can also be a big calorie-burner, which is great if you’re looking to shed pounds.
On the ground, place your hands underneath your shoulders and extend your legs straight out behind you. Make sure to keep your core muscles tight as you lower your body. After your chest touches the ground, push back up into the starting position.
As a complete lower body exercise, side lunges not only strengthen and tone inner and outer thighs, they help develop the quads, hamstrings, and glutes as well. Because the leg muscles are one of the largest in the body, the energy required to truly work them burns a ton of calories. Side lunges are great for those looking to enhance athleticism as well as lose weight.
With feet hip-width apart, stand straight. With either your right or left leg, step out to the side, transferring your weight. Next, let your lead foot push you back to the starting position, and repeat while switching sides.
If you want to strengthen your upper-body, tricep dips are your ticket. The major muscle located at the back of your arm, the tricep, gets the most focus with this exercise. Your upper chest and shoulders will be worked as well.
With your legs extended, place your hands behind you on a secured surface such as a bench or chair. Straighten your arms, but keep a bit of a bend in your elbows. Lower your body to the floor by bending your elbows until they are at a 90-degree angle, at which point you’ll press upward to return to the starting position.
Getting enough exercise doesn’t require a gym membership or special equipment. You can do bodyweight workouts from any location and reap the benefits without ever having to step foot in a gym. This year, make an effort to get healthy and fit — and actually enjoy doing it!
With bodyweight workouts, you don’t need a gym membership or special equipment to get and stay fit. Know the right moves, and you can exercise any location and reap the benefits.
