Exercise is an important part of keeping your body healthy. Exercise can help you lose weight, boost your heart health, and prevent injury while doing everyday things. If you’re unsure where to begin or are overwhelmed with the number of exercise options, you’ve come to the right place.
Envision Fitness understands the importance of fitting exercise into your day, so we’ve put together four exercises you can do at home to stay healthy and strengthen your body!
1. Take a Walk
Taking care of your cardiovascular health is vital. That’s why walking is such a great option for at-home exercises. With walking, you can do it anywhere at any time, which helps fit it into your busy lifestyle. You can even make it an adventure by checking out places to get outdoor exercise.
Even if you’re already a gym-goer, you can benefit from walking. Brisk walks can burn calories just as easily as a hard workout, and it's much easier on the body for those just starting out. If you’re new to walking, don’t try to go too far at first. Start with a ten-minute walk, then increase at 5-minute intervals as you feel your body acclimate to the exercise.
If you have a dog, you can turn your dog walks into a full-body workout!
2. Squats
Just as walking helps with your cardiovascular system, strength training helps you build muscle which helps you burn more calories. That’s why you should incorporate squats in your everyday workout. Squats target several muscle groups: quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. Squats can also help with knee pain, which is usually a sign that your quads are weaker.
As with most exercises, having perfect technique and posture is essential. There is a proper way to do a squat: keep your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees, and lower your backside, keeping your knees aligned with your ankle as much as possible. If you’re worried about proper form, you can practice by literally sitting in a chair and standing up. Once you feel comfortable, remove the chair, but keep your posture.
Remember: Repetition is the best way to learn, so keep at it. If you’re comfortable with the posture and movement and want to work a little harder, you can always add dumbbells for additional strength training.
3. Push-Ups
After you’ve worked your legs, you can incorporate push-ups to strengthen your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. Push-ups are so great because they force you to rely on your strength to keep you stable while you do the movement.
Like squats, you can do push-ups at any level of fitness. If you’re just starting out, you can try pushing up from a kitchen counter, then work your way down to lower objects, like a desk, then a chair, and eventually to the floor.
To perform a proper push-up, follow these steps: While on the ground, face down, place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Place your toes or knees on the floor and create a perfect diagonal with your body. Keep your glutes and abs engaged, then lower and lift your body by bending at the elbow, keeping your torso steady throughout.
4. Crunches
To complete your at-home exercise routine, finish with crunches targeting your abdominal muscles. Your abs do more than look good in a bathing suit – they help keep your body stable as you go about your day.
One misconception, however, is that crunches will burn belly fat. That’s not true. Crunches strengthen your abs, and diet is the best way to lose belly fat through the calories in-calories out method.
To perform a proper crunch, you should lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, your fingertips supporting your head. Press your back down and peel your head off the floor, then neck, shoulders, and upper back off the floor. Do not pull on your neck with your hands, so keep your chin stuck out to avoid that.
Also, make sure you breathe through each crunch; don’t hold your breath. You can also do crunches with your feet in the air and your legs bent at a 90-degree angle.
5. Lunges
Lunges are excellent for building strength and stability in your legs and glutes. To perform a lunge, step forward with one foot, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle.
Ensure your front knee is directly above your ankle and your back knee is just above the ground. Push back to the starting position and alternate lets to complete your set.
6. Planks
Planks are a fundamental core exercise that engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Adding them into your daily routine enhances core stability, improves posture, and increases overall body strength. It's a multipurpose exercise for anyone looking to strengthen their fitness foundation.
To perform a plank, start in a push-up position with your forearms resting on the ground. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels and hold the position while engaging your core.
Start with 20-30 seconds and gradually increase the duration as you build strength and endurance.
Ready to Take Your Fitness to the Next Level? Call Envision Fitness for Personal Training
If you’re a beginner or a trained athlete, you can benefit from Envision Fitness. We are here to support you along your fitness journey. We focus on improving your health through empowerment to make the best version of yourself a reality.
Envision Fitness focuses on personal training, group exercise classes, and nutrition coaching, and we’d love to have you join our community. If you want to learn more about our personal training program or group classes, give us a call at 952-444-2791 or request a free consultation online. We’ll reach out to you from there to schedule your first visit.