Let’s face it, with the year we just had, indoor exercises have become a necessity. Gyms are closed, and the winter weather can make exercising outside difficult. So, give these 10 indoor exercises a try while in the safety and comfort of your own home. All you need are some comfortable shoes, music to jam out to, and yourself! Let’s get started!
Get ready to tone your quads and glutes. Begin by standing with your legs shoulder-width apart while holding your arms out in front of you for balance. Next, lower yourself towards the ground by bending your knees; it helps to pretend you are sitting in a chair. As you squat, look down at your knees and make sure they are not going past your toes (this means you are bending too far forward). Try and get in 3 sets of 3 reps, and trust me you will start to feel the burn!
Although this exercise is typically done with weights, you can still have a great workout without them! Start by standing with your legs shoulder-width apart, with a slight bend in the knees. Next, hold your arms out in front of you parallel to the ground, or you can even place them on your hips. Keeping your shoulders pulled back, drive your chest towards the ground while still maintaining that good upper body posture. At this point, you will feel the stretch in your hamstrings, and you can stand up straight.
Repeat this twenty times and do at least 3 sets. If you have weights, feel free to incorporate them in! You might not feel sore at first, but the next morning when you get out of bed, you will!
As Dwight Schrute from The Office one said, “Reject a woman and she will never let it go. One of the many defects of their kind. Also weak arms.” Come on girls, let’s prove Dwight wrong! Begin by getting down on all fours and placing your arms a little bit wider than your shoulders. Keeping your body straight, bend your arms and try to get as low to the floor as possible, then push back up. If this is too hard at first, don’t worry! You can always modify this exercise by bending your knees instead of keeping your legs out straight. Work your way up to 3 sets of 10 reps, and before you know it, you’ll be able to add in the clap!
Disclaimer: This indoor exercise does not give you spidey senses. Instead, spider-man crunches target your abdomen muscles, getting your abs ready for that summer bikini bod! Start in a push-up position by getting down on all fours. Next, you will keep your right leg in place while you bend your left knee and drive it towards your left arm. Once you complete this motion, return your left leg back to the starting push-up position, and then repeat this movement with your right leg. Remember to tighten your core as you go, and try to get 20 reps in.
Lunges are a perfect exercise that you can adjust to fit your needs! For beginners, start by standing tall, then take one step forward and bend your knee. You want to make sure your leg reaches a 90-degree angle before you come back to the standing position. Alternate between both legs while keeping good upper body posture. If you want to take this workout to the next level, you can always add dumbells.
This indoor exercise helps improve hip mobility while engaging the core, and the best part is, it’s simple! Start by standing up tall with your legs shoulder-width apart. Keep one leg firmly on the ground and extend the other leg outwards to the side of your body. Make sure to keep the moving leg locked with toes pointed. If you’re clumsy like me, you can hold onto a table for balance. Try doing 10 reps for each leg.
You might be tired at this point, but the chair is not for sitting! Begin with the chair behind you, lower yourself down while gripping the front of the chair with your hands. At this point, your arms are behind you and your butt is hovering just in front of the chair. Make sure your feet are flat and your knees are bent parallel to the ground. Next, lower your body to the floor until you have formed a 90-degree angle. Repeat this motion and strive for 20 reps.
An oldie but goodie, planks are a perfect indoor exercise that targets multiple muscles at a time. Start in a push-up position, but instead of having your arms extended, rest your elbows flat on the ground underneath you. As the name suggests, keep your body as straight as a plank, and hold this position for as long as you can while engaging your glutes and core. A great starting point is planking for 1 minute, but try and go longer if you can!
If you have ever played a high school sport, you might remember this exercise. Coaches of all sports like to use burpees at practices because they really make you feel the burn! This is a fast-paced, explosive exercise that’s made for burning calories.
Start by standing with your legs shoulder-width apart and then move into a squat position. From here, lower your hands to the ground in front of you and then let the weight of your body fall to your hands. Next, kick your legs out behind you into a push-up position. At this point, you will complete one push-up, then reverse back into a squat position. In the same movement jump quickly into the air with your hands raised above your head. As soon as your feet touch the ground, begin again!
Wall sits may seem a little boring, but you can strengthen your glutes, quads, and calves while also improving your posture! Simply start with your back straight against a smooth wall, and then sink your knees down until they are at a 90-degree-angle. Hold this position for however long you can. A good starting point is 3 uninterrupted minutes. If you want to take these to the next level, try holding some extra weight.
Another great thing about this workout is you can pretty much do it anywhere while incorporating it into your daily routine. Instead of being a couch potato while binging Netflix, try wall sitting!
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