At-Home Exercises: complete guide and two exclusive workouts

This is a complete guide with exercises and workout routines to get in shape in the comfort of your own home. It's a time saver, try it out!

For some people, working out at home seems an impossible task. However, with some basic tips and very simple guidelines, it’s a piece of cake! Equipment such as dumbbells or machines are optional; the most important factor is that you find a few minutes a day, some space where you’re able to move and lots of energy. Get into shape in no time with these at-home exercises.

At-home bodyweight exercises

Some advantages of exercising with your own body weight are how easy it is to manage the time between sets and the transition between one exercise and the other. It’s been proven that workouts without equipment, actually favor the pumping action of your heart, and develop your muscles and resistance at the same time.

By using your body weight to do at-home exercises, your core will strengthen and tone. This part of the body is made up of 29 muscles, including the abdominals. Workout routines use a wide combination of movements, variations and speed, which guarantees the engagement of all muscles.

Using equipment according to which muscles you want to tackle

Before you start a new at-home exercise routine using only your body weight, you should use some equipment to warm up. Of course, you’ll need to focus your warm up on cardio and muscle toning.

The goal of cardio is to raise your heart rate. To do this you can use a stationary bike, a treadmill or elliptical. These are the three most commonly used machines to control blood pressure and prepare for the exercises that follow.

When it comes to muscle toning, you’ll find even more options. You can use dumbbells, kettlebells, a mat, fit balls, bands, foam rollers, among others, to make muscle toning easier and profound.

Two at-home workout routines

Workout #1

Star jumps:

• Prepare your body to jump by keeping your knees slightly bent and your arms to your sides.
• Jump up, make sure your feet are off the ground. Raise your arms during the jump to recreate the shape of a star. 
• Once your feet touch the ground, return to the initial position.
• Repeat three times.

Cossack lunge: mobility exercise with weights from 4 to 8 kg.

• Standing straight, bring the left leg to the side and flex your right knee at a 90-degree angle.
• Place your hands next to your right foot and let the weight of your body fall on the right thigh.
• Go up and repeat the movement switching legs.
• Start by doing 8 repetitions with each leg, then increase this until you achieve three sets in 3 weeks.

Squats

• Stand with your legs slightly apart and your feet aligned with your shoulders.
• Lower your hips by flexing your knees, without moving your feet.
• You can put your arms up and down to your sides or ahead of you, with or without weights.
• You can start out with a fit ball, using the wall for support.

Workout #2

Fit ball Straight-Leg Heel Curls

• Lie down on the floor, on your back.  Place your arms on the floor for support.
• Raise your hips from the floor. Flex and extend your knees so that the ball comes back and forth.
• Keep the upper body suspended and straight.
• Repeat 10 times.

Step-ups (you may use dumbbells to tackle your arms as well)

• Use a step, which can be a resistant box or something of the kind.
• Start by standing on the box. Flex your leg forward at a 90-degree angle, and step down from the step leaving the other leg on top. 
• Repeat 12 times with each leg and add one set each week until you reach 3 sets.

Push-ups

• Lie down on your belly. Place the tips of your toes and your hands firmly on the ground.
• Push yourself up, so that you’re supporting your body weight with the palms of your hands and the tips of your toes. Flex the arms down and come back up. 
• Do 12 repetitions and add one set each week until you achieve three sets.

You can do these at-home exercises with a friend or by yourself. There are no excuses! All you have to do is find the time and space.

One important tip to keep in mind: it’s better to exercise for 20 minutes, three times per week than exercising all week and then giving up on the second week. As with all routines, the step-by-step method is the only way to make a habit stick!