5 Exercises You Can Do At Home to Stay in Shape

The past few months have been a bit of change for most Americans. Ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, many people find themselves stuck at home due to forced quarantines and social distance policies. 

Sports are on hold.
Many businesses are temporarily closed.
Churches are empty and online.

And, oh yeah, gyms are closed too! 

So what’s a guy or gal to do when they want to stay in shape but have no access to treadmills, stairclimbers, dumbbells, and multi-station gyms? Just eat doughnuts, sit on the couch, and see all that weight pile on?

Absolutely not!

There’s no reason to abandon your health routines.. We’ve put together a list of exercises below that you can do from the comfort of your home with little to no equipment needed, so you can keep all your hard-won health routines.

(As always, consult your physician before beginning any new exercise regimen. Pain during exercise is not normal; to prevent injury, do not continue any exercise that causes pain.)

Standard push-ups

Push-ups are an old classic that work your chest, triceps, core, shoulders, and (believe it or not) back. If you are new to push-ups, try doing them on your knees and work your way up to a full push-up stance when you feel ready. 

Movement description:  Lay with face, palms and toes facing down. Hands should be shoulder-distance apart. Keep your legs and back straight. Extend arms straight to push the body up and back down again. 

Pull-ups  

If you have access to a pull-up bar, this exercise is a tried and true way to increase back, arm, and even ab strength while shaping your figure and burning calories. If you are new to pull-ups you may want to purchase a band to assist you.

Movement description: Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip and begin from a dead hang (arms fully extended, about shoulder-width apart). Pull up toward the bar by bending at the arms and clear it with your chin. Pause at the top of the movement and then lower back down under control. Return to your starting position and repeat. 

Air Squats

This quad-burning exercise can be done with no weights needed. Be sure to observe proper form throughout the movement. A slow and steady approach will minimize injury risk and tire you out quite effectively. Since legs are a major muscle group, you will also see an increase in your pulse rate.

Movement description: Keep your feet at shoulder-width apart and pointed straight ahead. When squatting, your hips will move down and back. Your knees should always stay behind your toes and try to keep your chest up. (Note: If you want to increase the intensity, add a small jump at the top.)

High Plank

Planks are an excellent exercise for strengthening your core muscle group. There are many variations of it but the basic plank is an isometric exercise movement that you hold for a specific period of time. Start with a short duration that you can complete without breaking proper form and work your way up as you go.

Movement description: Slowly bend over and touch the floor in front of your feet with both hands. Keep your legs as straight as possible and core tight as you walk your hands forward, without letting your hips drop. Once you reach a high plank position, hold.

Glute Bridges

This movement is one of the best booty burning exercise options and will help strengthen your hamstrings, thighs, hips, and butt. It is a basic bodyweight exercise and requires no equipment.

Movement description: Start in a lying down position with your face up to ceiling and legs bent.  Squeeze your glute and abdominal muscles then lift your hips off the ground until your knees, hips, and shoulders are in a straight line. Hold for a few seconds and slowly return to starting position. Repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Need help visualizing these exercises? There are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube that can help you out – just do a quick search!

These five basic exercises will provide an excellent total body workout, burn calories, and increase muscle mass. As with all exercise routines, make sure you eat well before and after your workouts for fuel and recovery needs.

Good luck and good strength! 

When you’re ready to jumpstart your health and weight loss routine, reach out to Bee Healthy Clinics.