If you’re stuck in quarantine, there are many exercises you can do to get a great workout, even in small spaces with no equipment. This post will talk about the benefits of bodyweight movements and some of the most effective exercises to incorporate into your workout routine.
Benefits of bodyweight exercises
Build Strength
Even without any weights, you can still build strength by using your body’s weight against gravity. Doing squats, push-ups, or lunges regularly will activate different muscle groups and build more strength and muscle than you may think. Building muscle has many benefits, such as increasing metabolism and energy, protects joints and ligaments, changes body composition, and increases the ability to live an active life.
Improve Flexibility
Incorporating bodyweight movements into your workout routine will increase your overall flexibility, which helps prevent injury, increases range of motion, posture, and coordination. While walking or running are great cardiovascular activities, they do not help with flexibility. By doing bodyweight movements, you’ll get a great workout and work on flexibility at the same time!
Preparation for Life’s Activities
Life requires our bodies to move in different ways. Standing up, sitting down, moving furniture, picking up kids, dodging a speeding car, etc., all require different muscles to be activated. By incorporating bodyweight movements in your workouts, you’re also preparing your body to perform anything that life throws at you.
Cost-Effective
The great thing about doing bodyweight movements is that you don’t need to purchase any additional equipment. However, if you have a set of resistance bands, check out this post for more exercises with bands.
Bodyweight Exercises To Incorporate
Bodyweight Squats
One of the best ways to activate all muscles in your lower body is bodyweight squats. They engage everything from your glutes to calves. If you are limited in mobility, consider squatting to a chair. If squatting below parallel isn’t a problem. Consider adding explosive jumps to increase intensity.
Push-ups
Push-ups are not only a great chest and shoulder workout, but when performed correctly, they also engage your back and core muscles. If you cannot do a full push-up, consider modifying them by dropping your knees to the ground or even leaning against a wall at a 45-degree angle. If push-ups come easily to you, you can elevate your feet on a stair or chair to increase the intensity.
Burpees
Burpees are a full-body workout that works your core, arms, back, and even glutes and calves. They are a high-intensity, heart-pumping movement that requires coordination and strength. To perform a burpee, start standing straight up. Bring your hands to the ground, jump back to a plank position, lower your body to the ground, so you are laying on your stomach, and then push back up to plank, and finally, jump up to a standing position. You can always modify burpees by stepping back, rather than jumping, and doing a modified push-up.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers work your arms and core. They are sure to spike your heart-rate quickly! Start in a plank position and bring one leg up to the same elbow. Then, jump or step your foot back to plank and switch sides. You can modify this movement by leaning against a wall at a 45-degree angle and lifting kees as high as possible.
Lunges
Doing one-legged movements are beneficial because they activate your stabilizing and balancing muscles. Lowing on one leg takes more concentration and balance than squatting with both, so you’ll be getting a great workout and increasing your coordination as well! If you cannot lunge to the ground or have trouble balancing, you can modify it by hanging on to a chair or a wall for assistance.
Conclusion
Bodyweight movements are a great way to build strength, increase flexibility and get a great workout without having much space or equipment. If you’re doing a bodyweight workout, we recommend picking 3-4 movements, doing each exercise 10-15 times, and repeating the exercises 3-4 times. Remember to modify based on your ability and to speed up or add jumping to the movements to increase your intensity. Happy quarantining!
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