Efficient, Effective, Safe for Everyday & No Equipment Required! Woo Hoo!
You’ll be surprised how these exercises energize and challenge you, without leaving you depleted. I LOVE body weight exercises for many reasons, but mostly because they are
- Efficient : You can perform these body weight exercies at home, at the park, or on vacation. You only need your body!
- Functional: These exercises improve your posture, mobility, flexibility and core stability. All of which enhance your total health.
- Challenge your Aerobic endurance and burn calories!
- Easy to modify {or level up!) based on ability
Let’s Move Y’all!
1. Forearm Plank: Planks strengthen your core and your spine both of which naturally supports good posture. Good posture in your daily life means your bones are aligned and you are able to breathe and move more efficiently. If you find yourself “bored” with a basic plank, never fear, there are so many versions to spice it up! My favorite variation is a One legged plank!
*Challenge yourself to a 1 minute plank every single day!
2. Lateral Side Lunge: As humans we move forward and backward most of the day. We run, we walk, we cycle, all in a front to back motion. It’s important to challenge our balance and move side to side. As we move side to side, we increase hip mobility and activate our inner/outer thigh which tend to be a lot weaker than our quads and hamstrings. Start with 2 sets of 20 on each side.
3. Pull Ups: My personal favorite, and extremely humbling! Pull ups strengthen your scapula muscles and upper back, which are often rounded forward as we drive or sit at the computer. Pull ups are extremely effective in correcting bad posture while also activating the entire center core. Simply start with 3 reps and work up from there.
4. Front Squat: A functional movement that activates your entire body. Hold a broomstick {or a ball} in both hands at chest level and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Stand tall and brace your core, then drop your glutes back and down as you keep your chest up. Driving through your heels, come back up to standing and give your glutes a squeeze. That’s one rep. Aim for three sets of 12 reps.
5. Push Ups: Strengthen your pectorals, triceps, shoulders and abs. Fast and effective exercise to build strength! Modify on your knees, or lift a leg to increase the challenge. Aim to do 4 sets of 10 for a challenge
5. Glute Bridge: A low impact way to work your back body! Simply lie on your back, place your feet under your knees and push your butt up off the mat; activating your hamstrings, glutes and abdominal muscles. Aim for a set of 20 full range movements, a set of 40 pulses and finish with a hold!
6. Good Morning: A hip hinge movement that targets your hamstrings and lower back. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart standing up straight. Lightly rest your hands behind your head. Maintain a soft bend in your knees, engage your glutes, and hinge at your hips. Keeping a flat back Lower so your chest is parallel with the ground. Drive your feet firmly into the floor, brace your core, and reverse the movement, pushing your hips forward as you stand tall. Aim for 12-15 slow and controlled reps!
7. Down Dog Shoulder Press: Begin in Down Dog: Hands and feet placed on a mat, shoulder-width apart, with your hips raised so that your body forms an inverted V. While pressing your hands into the mat, slowly bend at the elbows using the strength of your shoulders and chest muscles. Push back to down dog. Aim for 8 reps!
8. Bicycle Crunch: Ending with my favorite abdominal exercise! Lift one leg just off the ground and extend at 45 degree angle. Lift the other leg and bend your knee towards your chest. As you do so twist through your core so the opposite arm comes towards the raised knee. You don’t need to touch elbow to knee, instead focus on moving through your core as you turn your torso.
9. Jump Lunge: I had to provide one plyometric option just in case there are some cardio lovers out there! The jump lunge is an advanced variation of a basic walking lunge exercise, bumping up the intensity by adding a jump. The plyometric transition consists of jumping high in the air and switching your forward foot before landing. If this sounds way out of your comfort zone, simply do 30 walking lunges. Super effective and low impact!!
