Top 5 exercises to do at home

Exercising from home has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. There are many benefits to working out in the comfort of your own home, including convenience, cost-effectiveness, privacy, and the ability to customise your workout to your specific needs and goals. By eliminating the need for gym memberships or expensive equipment, exercising at home can save you money in the long run. Additionally, the privacy of your own home can provide a comfortable and familiar environment, free from distractions or self-consciousness. With so many different exercises and workout routines available, you can experiment with different forms of exercise to find what works best for you. Furthermore, exercising from home can be a safer option during the pandemic or other situations that make going out risky. With all these benefits, it’s easy to see why more and more people are choosing to work out at home.

Benefits of exercising from home, include:

1. Convenience: Exercising from home allows you to fit a workout into your schedule whenever it’s most convenient for you, without having to worry about commuting to a gym or waiting for equipment.
2. Cost-effective: Exercising from home eliminates the need for gym memberships or expensive equipment, which can save you money in the long run.
3. Privacy: Exercising from home allows you to work out in a comfortable and familiar environment, without the distractions or self-consciousness that can come with working out in a public space.
4. Customization: Exercising from home allows you to tailor your workout to your specific goals, fitness level, and preferences.
5. Variety: There are countless exercises you can do at home, from bodyweight exercises to yoga and Pilates, you can experiment with different forms of exercise to find what works best for you.
6. Time-saving: Exercising at home eliminates the need to travel to a gym, so you can spend more time working out and less time commuting.
7. Safety: Exercising from home can be a safer option during the pandemic or other situations that make going out risky.

Overall, exercising from home can be a great way to maintain or improve your physical fitness while also saving time and money.

Top 5 exercises to do at home

1. Squats: They work your legs and core, and can be done using just your body weight or with added resistance.
2. Push-ups: They target your chest, triceps, and core, and can also be done using just your body weight.
3. Lunges: They work your legs and glutes, and can also be done using just your body weight or with added resistance.
4. Planks: They target your core, and can be held for increasing lengths of time as you get stronger.
5. Burpees: They are a full-body exercise that works your legs, arms, and core, and can be done quickly for a cardiovascular workout.

Here’s how to do squats at home:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
2. Place your hands on your hips or extend them out in front of you for balance.
3. Initiate the movement by bending your knees and sitting back with your hips, as if you were sitting back in a chair.
4. Keep your chest lifted and your back straight as you lower your body.
5. Lower yourself as far as you can while still maintaining proper form, ideally until your thighs are parallel to the floor or lower.
6. Push through your heels to stand back up to the starting position.
7. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

It’s important to maintain proper form throughout the exercise to avoid injury and maximise the effectiveness of the exercise. Make sure your knees stay aligned with your toes and don’t cave inwards. Also, keep your weight on your heels as you lower, not on your toes.

Here’s how to do push-ups at home:

1. Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your arms straight. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to your heels.
2. Lower your body by bending your arms, keeping your elbows close to your body.
3. Lower yourself until your chest is just above the ground, then push back up to the starting position.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

It’s important to maintain proper form throughout the exercise to avoid injury and maximise the effectiveness of the exercise. Keep your core tight and your body in a straight line. Avoid sagging your hips or raising them too high, and also avoid locking your elbows when your push back up to the starting position.

If you’re new to push-ups or have difficulty with them, you can start by doing them on your knees instead of your toes, or doing them against a wall instead of on the floor. As you get stronger, you can work your way up to doing them on your toes.

Here’s how to do lunges at home:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or extended out in front of you for balance.
2. Take a large step forward with your right foot, and lower your body by bending both knees.
3. Your left knee should be hovering just above the ground, and your right thigh should be parallel to the ground.
4. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position, then repeat with your left leg.
5. Continue to alternate legs for the desired number of reps.

It’s important to maintain proper form throughout the exercise to avoid injury and maximise the effectiveness of the exercise. Keep your chest lifted and your core engaged. Make sure that your front knee is aligned with your ankle, avoid letting it cave inwards, also, make sure your back knee is hovering just above the ground, and not touching it. As you progress, you can add resistance with weights or a band, or increase the number of reps to make the exercise more challenging.

Here’s how to do planks at home:

1. Start on your hands and knees. Place your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
2. Straighten your legs and bring your body into a straight line, balancing on your hands and toes (or your forearms and toes for a forearm plank)
3. Keep your core engaged and your body in a straight line from your head to your heels (or from your head to your toes if in a forearm plank). Hold this position for the desired amount of time.
4. To make it more challenging, you can add variations like lifting one arm or one leg off the ground or adding a small movement like rocking back and forth.

It’s important to maintain proper form throughout the exercise to avoid injury and maximize the effectiveness of the exercise. Keep your core tight and your body in a straight line. Avoid letting your hips sag down or rise up too high. Also, make sure to breathe evenly throughout the exercise and focus on keeping your body steady and still.

Here’s how to do burpees at home:

1. Start in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Lower your body into a squat position by bending your knees, and place your hands on the ground in front of you.
3. Kick your feet back into a plank position, while keeping your hands on the ground.
4. Lower your body to the ground by bending your elbows, then push back up to the plank position.
5. Jump your feet back up to the squat position, then jump straight up into the air, raising your arms overhead.
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps

It’s important to maintain proper form throughout the exercise to avoid injury and maximise the effectiveness of the exercise. Keep your core tight and your back straight when jumping your feet back, also make sure to land softly when jumping back up to the squat position and straight up in the air.

Burpees are a high-intensity, full-body exercise that can be modified to suit your fitness level. If you’re new to burpees or find them too challenging, you can start by skipping the jump at the end or stepping your feet back instead of jumping. As you get stronger, you can add the jump and increase the number of reps.

In conclusion, exercising from home has many benefits that make it a great choice for people of all fitness levels. The convenience and cost-effectiveness of working out at home make it an accessible option for many people, while the privacy and customisation options allow you to create a workout that’s tailored to your specific needs and goals. With so many different exercises and workout routines available, you can experiment with different forms of exercise to find what works best for you.