Portability, intensity and convenience are three main factors people look for to get an effective workout on-the-go. Check out the pros effective exercises that are sure to help you burn calories!
Looking for effective exercises?
You can get great results at home with effective bodyweight exercises. It’s all about intensity. Exercising at a high intensity with little to no rest between sets is a great way to improve your cardio, burn calories, build muscle and save you time!
Give these simple moves a try – see if you can get 3 sets of 12 reps for each!
Chest and Triceps: Pushups & Dips
Get into a high plank, with hands directly under shoulders. Lower your body (keeping back flat and gaze focused in front of you – not at the floor) until your chest grazes the floor. Keeping your core engaged, push back up into a plank position.
For dips, position hands shoulder-width apart on a bench or chair, with your bottom off the bench/chair and legs extended in front of you. Slowly bend elbows to lower your body to the floor until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Slowly return to the starting position.
Shoulders: Piked Pushups
Get into a high plank, with hands directly under shoulders. Lift up your hips so that your body forms an upside-down V, keeping arms and legs as straight as possible. Bend elbows and lower your upper body until the top of your head grazes the floor. Push yourself back up until your arms are straight again.
Legs: 1 minute squats, 1 minute lunges
For a perfect squat, place your feet shoulder width apart and sit back like you’re going to sit in an imaginary chair, keeping your head forward. Lower down so your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible, with knees over ankles. Push back through your heels to return to the starting position.
When doing lunges, remember to keep your upper body straight. Step forward with one leg, lowering hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle and that your back knee doesn’t touch the floor. Keep the weight in your heels as you return to the starting position.
Core: 1 minute plank, 1 minute crunches
When in a plank, keep hands directly under shoulders, with your back and spine in a neutral position. Also, imagine lengthening your entire body into one long line. And don’t forget to keep your core tight and engaged.
When doing crunches, begin flat on your back with your knees bent and the heels of your on the ground. Bring your hands to head, elbows out from the body at about thirty to forty-five degrees. Exhale and bring your shoulder blades a few inches off the ground. Hold for a one to two second count, then slowly release.
Increasing Difficulty
Therapy bands and body weight exercises are great options for strength training during an at-home winter workout, because they take up very little space and multiple movements can be done using the bands and your own body for a complete workout.
Combining two or more bands together can make at-home workouts more difficult – even for seasoned weight trainers! Jump ropes are a great portable aerobic option – using a rope with weighted handles is an option for exercisers who want to increase the intensity of their cardio work.
Wrap-Up
These effective exercises are successful because they only require a few minutes of your time, can be modified based on personal fitness level and use affordable, accessible exercise tools.
Doing these effective exercises just three times a week can make all the difference in maintaining your fitness.
