Using Bodyweight Exercises At Home For Fitness

Almost everyone wants to enhance their physique one way or another. The common concern is excess body weight. Our modern diets and lifestyles aren’t conducive to having a healthy body. These days, we sit around all day while we work and keep ourselves energized by eating too many sweets. We get bulging tummies and flabby arms as a result. It’s not just cosmetic. We actually increase our risk of developing serious ailments later in life such as diabetes, heart problems, and much more. Start cleaning up your act today to enjoy the benefits tomorrow. You can do this right away using body weight exercises:

Running

The running motion is basically leaping controlled distances in sequence over a certain distance. You are carrying your own body weight across the road or trail, just like in walking, but at a much faster speed and higher vertical displacement. Your heart rate will quickly get elevated. Temper your effort so that you can last longer and don’t forget to breathe deeply all throughout. In terms of calorie burn, this is the most effective exercise out there. You can rip through hundreds of calories in an hour depending on the intensity of your workout. For beginners, it is much better to go slow and long to avoid injuries.

Stair-climbing

This is another excellent bodyweight exercise that you can do at home. If your house has a staircase, then turn it into a workout machine by climbing up and going down repeatedly. You don’t even have to hurry either way because you are sure to sweat despite going at a slow pace. It would be great if you can climb hills mountains on a regular basis or access the stair-master at the gym but these aren’t always possible. City dwellers must be creative to get the same type of workout where they are, especially if they don’t want to spend a lot of gym membership. Be careful when going down to prevent slips and falls.

Squats

If you don’t have stairs in your home, then try to do squats instead. This exercise will get your leg muscles stronger with a simple motion that doesn’t require a lot of space. Just stand with your feet apart and lower yourself by bending your knees. Advanced individuals can go as low as they can while novices probably should stop before their thighs get parallel to the ground. Hold for a second and slowly go back up. You are effectively using the weight of your upper body as resistance. If this becomes too easy, then you may add more weight by using dumbbells or anything heavy at your disposal.

Push-ups

So far, we have discussed bodyweight exercises that focus on the legs. They will tone your lower body while reducing fat all over because of the way energy stores are burned. You will still want to do things that specifically target other muscles just to get a more even physique. For instance, you may want to perform push-ups for your arms, chest, and back. Everyone should be familiar with this exercise. Just drop down to the floor with your hands on the ground at your sides, keeping a straight body from head to heal. Maintain this form while bending your elbows until your chest touches the floor and push yourself back up.

Sit-ups

Now it’s time to pay attention to one of the biggest trouble spots: the midsection. Having washboard abs is a dream of millions but it is incredibly difficult to do. Note that you cannot focus on the ab muscle alone by doing an infinite amount of crunches. Much of the secret lies in the kitchen. Healthy eating is crucial in reducing the amount of fat covering your tummy. Kick out the refined sugars and excess calories from your diet. Replace it with fiber-rich food that is natural in origin, as well as lean meats. Perform all the exercises mentioned above as they will help burn fat around your midsection. Supplement with sit-ups that will strengthen various muscle groups around this area.

Jumping Jacks

Another excellent cardio workout is the jumping jack which everyone should be familiar with from PE class at school. It is quite simple but incredibly effective in elevating heart rate and strengthening the lower legs. It also improves circulation all around the body since it makes full use of the arms. Begin in the standing position. Jump up slightly, spreading your legs as you land while raising your arms until they meet with a clap above your head. Jump again, this time landing with your feet near to each other and your arms hanging at the sides. Repeat for as many counts as you can. Start slowly and increase the pace as you go.

You can combine all of these exercises in a sequence, performing each within 30 seconds to 1 minute then moving to the next as soon as possible. This is called circuit training. Use these along with other programs for a holistic fitness routine. Check out posts that review Bodyweight Burn and Trouble Spot Nutrition review for more ideas.