Quick Bodyweight Exercises For Busy People – The day before the wedding, my best friend got stuck at the airport. His flight was delayed.
Because sitting on those hard plastic seats in the terminal is a waste of time and not a piece of bread.
Quick Bodyweight Exercises For Busy People
You don’t need expensive equipment or a gym membership or a personal trainer. All you need is a floor and some instructions on how to do these quick bodyweight exercises for busy people.
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Maybe you’re too busy to hit the gym regularly? Or is the gym expensive and you want something else?
Bodyweight lifting allows you to do strength training (as well as some cardio) without the need for expensive equipment or memberships. And you will get great results!
Doing bodyweight exercises for your abs, legs, and arms will build muscle, burn calories, and help you incorporate exercise into your daily routine (even if you only have 10 minutes).
You can turn simple bodyweight movements into a full workout routine, including cardio that keeps your heart healthy (and burns extra calories…bonus!).
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So whether you have 10 minutes or 60 minutes, do some (or all) of the exercises below 2-4 times a week to get fit and have happy, strong muscles!
One of the main reasons people fail to keep up with exercise is because they try to do something their body isn’t ready for. Very complex movements. Or instead of doing 8-10 reps, they go straight to 30 reps.
Be gentle with yourself and start easy. It’s all about what you do. Then you can always increase the intensity.
How to Lunge: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on your hips. Next, step forward with your right foot and bend your knee to a 90-degree angle, making sure your right knee is over (and not in front of) your foot. The left knee should also come down at a 90 degree angle and almost touch the floor. Now stand up and repeat with the left leg.
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Do a few: Start by doing this 8 times (1 time = both legs once) and repeat 2-3 times.
Crunches look pretty simple. But they’re very effective at building a stable, happy core (and rock-solid abs). They are a “must have” for starters.
How to do crunches: Slow and steady wins the race here. Lie on your back, feet flat on the floor, about a foot from your body, and bend your knees. Place your hands behind your head (but never crane your neck for leverage!).
Gently contract your abdominal muscles and lift your shoulders off the floor. Don’t go all the way up as you sit down. Instead, go as far as you can see in the image above. Then, slowly (and in a controlled manner), return your shoulders to the floor. Move on to the next crisis to get your stomach under control.
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How to do a push-up: Lie flat on the floor. Pull the toes down. Place your arms at your sides and extend your arms at a 45-degree angle. Spread your toes for better stability. Engage your core and arms and push up off the floor to lift your flat body until your arms are straight. Then slowly lower your body slightly off the floor (don’t lie down). Then move on to the next stress level.
Multitask: Start at 5 and rest. Repeat 2-3 times. As the 5 repetitions begin to ease, gradually add reps.
Planks have been called the “golden child” of bodyweight exercises because they work so many muscle groups. A pill a day keeps the doctor away (not a word? Yes, I’m saying it now because pills are so good for you).
How to Plank: For push-ups, lie in the same position as above. Now press all the way and hold as shown above. Make sure your hips don’t go too high or too low. You want to maintain a nice straight line from your head to your core and your feet.
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You need to engage your core, glutes, quads, arm muscles and more to perform this move correctly!
Multitask: Hold for 20-30 seconds, then rest. Repeat 2-3 times and increase to 5-10 seconds as you feel comfortable.
Planking Tip: To increase the difficulty of this move, lean on your wrists instead of your hands (as in the second photo above).
This bodyweight exercise can be a little uncomfortable at first, but once you get the hang of it, your legs will thank you for the amazing workout.
Full Body Workout For Busy People (at Home)
How to Squat: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Turn your feet slightly (but not too much – see photo above). Keep your arms straight or in front of you to help balance while squatting. Then slowly lower to a standing “sit” position. Keep your hips as far back as possible, keeping your knees over your feet. Arch your back (instead of rounding it) and focus on maintaining good form throughout the movement. Finally, return to a standing position.
Work a little: from 8-10, rest. Repeat 2-3 times, resting between sets. Increase the repetitions over time.
How to do a wall sit-up: Stand flat against a wall. For support and stabilization, place the hand palm side up against the wall. Now, keeping your legs in front of you, slowly slide your body down the wall and hold this “sitting” position. You want your knees to be at about a 90 degree angle.
Do a few: Start with 20 seconds each time. Repeat 2-3 times. Add 5-10 seconds to increase the intensity.
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I remember doing this as a warm up before ball practice in high school (that’s all I did back then…oh how times have changed). Arm circles are a better bodyweight exercise than you think – just wait until you build up the reps!
How to do hand circles: Stand. Bring your arms to your sides. Slowly make tight circles with both hands simultaneously.
Optional: Once you’ve mastered free weights, use lighter weights to increase the intensity. You don’t need actual weights—try something pre-made at home, like canned vegetables or canned pasta sauce.
How to do a donkey kick: Lower your hands and knees to the floor. Contract your abs and make them work. Next, slowly lift your left leg into the air (as shown above) while engaging your glutes and hamstrings. Keep this movement slow and continuous up and down.
14 Quick Bodyweight Exercises For Busy People
How much to do: Start with 8-10 (each leg) for 1 set. Do 2-3 sets with little rest in between.
Tip: If this move really hurts your knees, try placing a folded towel or blanket underneath for extra cushioning.
Squats are a dynamic exercise that works the leg muscles while adding to your cardio routine. Speeding up or slowing down, either way, provides a good workout.
How to perform the long knee kick: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. First, bend your left knee to 90 degrees (see photo above). At the same time, raise your right arm and pull your left arm slightly back. Place your foot on the ground, lift your right leg and raise your left arm to take the next step. You get into a rhythm very quickly!
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How many to do: Start with 8-10 (1 = movement on both legs). Repeat 2-3 times, resting between sets. If 8-10 seems too easy, start with 15-20.
Tip: Practice this dynamic movement to get your blood flow and heart rate up a bit. Alternatively, use this movement as a mid-to-late workout and increase the speed to include cardio.
How to raise the calf: Keep your feet together. Slowly lift your heels off the floor and hold for a second or two. Then slowly lower your heels to the floor and repeat. Keep the movement slow and steady (don’t go too fast).
Burpees have a bad reputation. Yes, they are difficult. But they’re also a very effective full-body workout that gets easier the more you do it! Try them while you’re doing other bodyweight exercises consistently for a few weeks.
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How to do burpees: Confession: I didn’t know how to do burpees properly when I started. I had to see someone make them before I really understood. That’s why I’ve included an animated image from Self.com above to demonstrate the movement.
Multitask: Start with 3-5, then rest. Repeat 2-3 times, resting between sets. If 3-5 seems too easy, increase the repetitions to 5-10 (depending on your fitness level) (but don’t be discouraged if 3-5 is hard at first…it’s the tougher order!)
Again, another full body movement
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