Contrary to what you might believe, you can still have an effective and exhausting workout even from home. Get imaginative and see what limited space or equipment you have at your disposal not as a restriction, but as an opportunity to try something new and exciting.
Here are five highly effective exercises perfect for a home workout.
Elevated Split Squats Just because you don’t have gym equipment at home, it doesn’t mean exercises requiring equipment are totally off limits. If you want to change up your leg routine, try including variations on classic Squats and Lunges such as Elevated Split Squats. These especially target the glutes and quads while also forcing you to concentrate on your balance. Rather than a gym bench, try using a bed or chair to elevate your back leg.
Plank Switches Planks are great, but Plank Switches are even better. This exercise doesn’t just engage the core muscles, but forces you to use them to provide stability and control throughout the body. And it doesn’t end there; Plank Switches don’t just train your core, but your upper body too. By focusing on minimizing the rotational movement in your torso, your shoulders will have to work harder to get you through the movement.
Sprawls Let’s get one thing straight: Sprawls are not the easy alternative to Burpees. Just like their cousin, Sprawls are a great exercise both for lower body strength and for the cardiovascular system and, even better, they only need a 2x2m space.
To really nail this exercise, make sure to maintain a straight line from your neck down through your spine throughout the movement, avoiding any bending of the back.
Spiderman Pushups Like a regular Pushup, Spiderman Pushups are a great upper body exercise, but unlike their more common counterpart, Spiderman Pushups are more challenging for the core. The fact that you have to touch your elbow with your knee, by bringing your leg to side, temporarily removes a stabilising element from your starting position. This same leg movement to the side also increases the rotational forces your body and core have to counteract. These two elements combined are the reasons why your core is slightly more stressed.
Assisted Pistol Squats Finally, who says home workouts have to be confined to your room? A balcony with railings or a stable outdoor table are perfect supports for Assisted Pistol Squats. When doing these, rotate the leg on the ground out slightly, keep your foot flat on the ground and aim to get your hips below your knee at the bottom of the movement, using the table or railing to help you return to standing. Don’t hesitate to adjust your level of assistance and depth so that you can adapt the exercise difficulty to match your capabilities.
Let’s recap: Working out from home doesn’t have to mean your fitness goals are put on hold. Try including these exercises in your at-home training to guarantee an effective and efficient workout, wherever you are in the world.
