Some might think with the reality of staying at home, and gyms closing due to the recent COVID-19 response, not getting any exercise is bound to happen. To many people, the gym was their only means of exercise. Not everyone feels comfortable working out at home, and many think that they need all the fancy equipment that the gym offers to get a legitimate workout done. This is simply not true. Let me show you ten easy workouts from home that will get you in shape, or that will keep you in shape if you are worried about losing all of the solid “gains” that you’ve put on at the gym.

Keep in mind, you do not need any equipment for these exercises. When performing these exercises, always aim for three to four sets of eight to twelve repetitions for each exercise.

1. Burpees

The first exercise one should do when beginning a workout is a warmup. An excellent warmup exercise is a burpee. A burpee is considered a high-intensity calisthenic workout so it will surely get your heart going and help push you through the workout that lies ahead. Burpees are one of the most effective exercises for conditioning so not only will burpees get you going in the beginning of a workout, but they will help burn calories right away. No need to go on a mile run when you can burn calories by doing burpees.

2. Squats

Squats are the most important workout to do if you want to see results. A squat can be performed with absolutely no weight. The benefits of doing squats are that it will help with overall body strength because the squat is a full-body workout. The primary focus for a squat is leg strength and definition in the leg area. Most importantly, of course, squats will help build your butt. Squats have always been known for building and adding size to the booty, so make sure to include these in your at-home workout routine.

3. Lunges

If you want a well rounded and toned butt, include lunges into your at-home workouts. Lunges are a bit more advanced than a squat because of the coordination and balance that is needed to perform the lunge, but with a bit of practice, anyone can do them no matter where they are. Lunges are great for toning the leg area and outer part of the glutes. Not to mention the calories that are burned while performing the lunge.

4. Push-ups

Upper-body strength is essential to building and maintaining your physique. Push-ups are one of the most simple, yet effective workouts to do at home. They will help tone the chest area, as well as the tricep. There are different variations of push-ups. Three simple ones to do from home are the standard push-up which is keeping your arms shoulder-width apart. This variation puts more focus on the chest area. Another variation is a narrow push-up, an easy way to perform these push-ups is placing your hands in the shape of a diamond and keeping your elbows tucked into your sides. This variation puts emphasis on your triceps. Wide push-ups are another great variation of performing the push-up, these will target the outer portion of the chest area and the shoulder area.

5. Superman

The back muscles are one of the most important muscle groups in the body, and they play a big role in shaping the physique. The superman is one of the simplest, but most effective back workouts to do if you do not have access to weights. This exercise not only targets both lower and top back muscles, but it will also help tone hamstrings, and glutes as well as help with core strength.

6. Seated Dips

Toned arms are what everyone wants. Seated dips will help you build those arms and maintain them as well. If doing body weighted dips becomes too easy for you, you could always place a couple of makeshift weights like textbooks or bags of rice on your lap to add more resistance to the dip.

7. Romanian Deadlift

People tend to neglect the hamstring when working out legs. The hamstring is one of the biggest muscles in the body, so working them out is essential. Romanian deadlifts will specifically target the hamstring. This variation of the standard deadlift focuses on the hamstring and lower back muscles and will help with overall body strength.

8. Planks

Core strength is very important when exercising because the core helps stabilize the body and helps prevent injuries. Building core strength does not have to be miserable. No need to do 1,000 sit-ups, or endless crunches for core strength and abs. Instead, try to do four sets of planks for 30 seconds to one minute each set. This will help build the core strength, and tone it as well.

9. High Knees

This is my personal favorite cardiovascular exercise to perform at home. If you don’t have a jump rope, this is a great alternative for a finisher exercise. Perform these in sets as well, and remember that the higher the knee goes, the more intense the workout becomes.

https://youtu.be/Ji9vKgfWK88

10. Stretch

I cannot stress enough how important stretching is. Whether it is at the beginning of a workout, or at the end of a workout, stretching is crucial. Stretching will help prevent injuries and also help with the dreaded soreness after a workout. I’ve had my share of exercise-related injuries over the years, and the one takeaway from the injuries was that I did not properly stretch beforehand. Whether it be 5 minutes of stretching, or twenty — make sure you stretch.

I know that the most difficult part of exercising is finding the motivation to actually get up and start the workout. And I know without the act of physically going to the gym (especially because you pay the membership right?) is a big motivator in itself. It’s hard to get in that mindset when your couch is calling your name. Keep in mind, however, if you start exercising regularly now, and you keep these at-home workouts in mind, you will have built or maintained your physique well enough that you will not feel like a newbie when the gyms reopen, because you took the initiative to maintain your workout during this quarantine. I sure hope these home workouts help you as much as they have helped me.