Staying in shape and living healthy doesn’t necessarily mean signing up at premium gyms or leaving your house to make the hard journey of reaching the gym. Working out at home has never been easier as it is in the present day. There are hundreds of videos and apps that give you different forms of home workout routines to follow. The only important thing you need is the willingness to set goals and the refusal to stop till you have achieved them. That is the only underlying formula.
Body weight exercises require moves that use only your body’s weight as resistance, such as push-ups or lunges. No matter where you work out, you will definitely want to stretch and warm up before your actual workout. It is an extremely important step as it helps improve muscle flexibility, which in turns prevents injury, reduces soreness and helps you perform the best range of motion for your workouts. Jumping jacks, push ups, skipping or jogging are some examples of easy warm-up exercises. Keep it light and under five minutes to prevent early tiredness. Similarly, perform basic post-workout cool down stretches for better recovery.
Whether you are looking to lose weight, get in shape, build muscle mass or just want to start the healthy habit of regular exercise, here are six of the best home workout exercises.
1. Beginner Home Workout (20 minutes)
If you are just starting out and do not want to put your body under too much pressure, this workout is a great way to do just that. It covers a number of important basic exercises without pushing you too much and will help keep you motivated to see through every day! If you do not have dumbbells, go ahead and replace it with a stack of books or water cans.
- Air Squats x 20 repetitions Simple squats with your hands in front of you, in line with your shoulders
- Walking lunges x 10 repetitions each leg One lunge with each leg while continuing the movement of walking
- Push-ups x 10 repetitions Push up your body using the strength of your arms, chest and shoulders
- Dumbbell rows x 10 repetitions
- Plank x 30 seconds Hold a plank position for a period of 30 seconds
- Jumping Jacks x 30 rep
- Complete entire circuit five times
Time: 20 minutes
Rest: 10 seconds between exercises
Repetitions: 5 circuits
2. Full Body Cardio Challenge (20 minutes)
There is nothing like a good old, simple cardio workout on busy days. You don’t need a treadmill or bicycle for this. Just focus and perform as many repetitions as possible (AMRAP) of the following exercises:
- Side Plank Twist x 30 seconds AMRAP A plank but on your side and hold for 30 seconds
- Squat Pulse x 30 seconds AMRAP A variation of the usual air squats
- Tuck Up x 30 seconds AMRAP
- Plank Rock Back and Forth x 30 seconds AMRAP Continued movement from the plank position
- Push Ups x 30 seconds AMRAP Push up your body using the strength of your arms, chest and shoulders
- Mountain Climbers x 30 seconds AMRAP
- Bicycle Kicks x 30 seconds AMRAP Repeated movement of your leg up and down from a stationary position using your core muscles
Time: 20 minutes
Rest: 15 seconds between exercises
Repetitions: 5 circuits
3. The 7-Minute HIIT Workout
All you need is 7 minutes for this scientific workout to improve your overall fitness and even help with weight loss. Just follow the below exercises and do them for 30 seconds each with a 10-second break between each exercise.
- Jumping Jacks
- Wall Sit: a to and fro movement with you back against the wall
- Push Ups: push up your body using the strength of your arms, chest and shoulders
- Abdominal Crunch: up and down motion of your upper body using your core muscles
- Step-Up onto Chair: up and down onto a chair or any other object
- Air Squats: Simple squats with your hands in front of you, in line with your shoulders
- Triceps Dips on Chair
- Plank: hold a plank position for a period of 30 seconds
- High Knees Running in Place: stand in one place and lift your knees as if running
- Lunge: one lunge with each leg while continuing the movement
- Push-Ups with Rotation
- Side Plank: a plank but on your side and hold for 30 seconds
Time: 7 minutes
Rest: 10 seconds between exercises
Repetitions: 1 circuits
4. Advanced 7-Minute HIIT Workout
As you progress with your workouts and get into the groove of regularly exercising and feeling better, you may start to find some of your routines are either easy or boring. Try this advanced 7-minute workout to mix up your exercise schedule.
- Reverse lunge, elbow to instep with rotation, alternating sides
- Lateral pillar bridge – left
- Push up to row to burpee
- Lateral pillar bridge – right
- Single leg dead lifts – left (use each leg for a dead lift)
- Single leg dead lifts – right (use each leg for a dead lift)
- Plank Taps
- Lateral lunge to overhead triceps extension
Time: 7 minutes
Rest: 10 seconds between exercises
Repetitions: 1 circuits
5. Core Focus
The combination of exercises listed below will ensure great core strength. Your core is a very important muscle group often neglected for the more visibly obvious muscle groups like biceps or legs. Do these carefully and focus on performing each movement properly. These exercises warrant some speed, but proceed as safely as you can.
- 10 Plank Taps
- Jumping Jacks (until minute 1)
- 10 Walkouts
- Jumping Jacks (until minute 2)
- 10 Single Leg Dead Lifts
- Jumping Jacks (until minute 3)
- Finish the circuit with 10 Jumping Lunges
Finish the circuit and repeat another five times. Switch your standing leg for the dead lifts for each circuit. Reduce the number of repetitions for each exercise per round to make it easier (do 5 instead of 10) and increase the number of repetitions when comfortable and ready.
6. Upper Body Workout (20 Minutes)
This simple combination of 3 exercises focuses on the upper torso muscle group – biceps, chest and shoulder. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds while focusing on the movements and as fast as you can.
- Push Ups
- Plank Taps
- Walkouts
Time: 20 minutes
Rest: 10 seconds between exercises
Repetitions: 10 circuits
7. Lower Body Workout (20 Mins)
Start the clock; do as many as you can for 30 seconds while maintaining perfect form. Then move on to the next exercise after a ten second break.
- Squats – 30 seconds AMRAP
- Single Leg Deadlift – 30 seconds AMRAP
- Glute Bridges – 30 seconds AMRAP
Finish the circuit, rest for a minute and start all over again! Repeat the circuit for 10 times. Switch your standing leg for dead lifts at the end of each circuit.
Bonus: Nutrition
What you eat defines a huge part of your workout and the subsequent results. Just like a well maintained engine, our body needs the right foods, right fluids in the right amounts and at the right times. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, “Adequate food and fluid should be consumed before, during, and after exercise to help maintain blood glucose concentration during exercise, maximize exercise performance, and improve recovery time.”
The College also says that athletes should be hydrated before the exercise routine begins, and build a plan such that the fluid retention remains balanced even during the course of the workout; that means you must compensate for all the fluids that you lose regularly during exercise.
When you are low on energy or hydration, you won’t be able to maximize your workouts and limit your ability to do more. Split your nutrition into three phases– before, during and after.
Before: Fuel Up
Ideally, fuel up two hours before your workout. Hydrate well and load up on carbs. If you do not have two hours before a workout and need a quick energy boost before you begin, eat a simple banana or an apple.
During: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Be sure to take small sips of water at regular intervals during your routines. For routines longer than an hour, involving high intensity workouts, low-fat yogurt, raisins or bananas are recommended during the workout.
After: Refuel
Drink lots of water, as much as you can along with natural fruit juices. Replenish your body with carbohydrates to restore all the used up carbs during your workout. Include proteins, based on your workout and body type, etc. Use this as a general guide to structure your nutrition but be sure to tailor it according to the intensity of your workouts. It is recommended that you consult a nutritionist for a tailored diet plan suitable for you.
Featured Image by: Caley Vanular – @caleyvanular – unsplash.com
