All articles tagged with #home workouts
New ACSM guidelines say any amount of resistance training boosts strength, muscle, and function, with the biggest gains from choosing a routine you can maintain long-term; emphasize all major muscle groups at least twice weekly, and you can achieve results with bands, bodyweight, or a home workout—gym access isn’t required.
A major update from the American College of Sports Medicine concludes that any amount of resistance training improves muscle strength, size, and physical function. The guidance emphasizes doing resistance training regularly—focusing on all major muscle groups at least twice weekly—over pursuing a perfect, complex program. It also notes you can train effectively without a gym, using bands, bodyweight, or simple home routines, making consistency and enjoyment key to long-term success.
As people pass 45, age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) increases fall risk and makes daily tasks harder. Experts advocate five daily, full-body moves—Bodyweight Jump Squats, Plank-to-Pushups, Step-up Into High Knee, Sumo Squat Into Reverse Lunge, and Deadlift/Hip-Hinge—to rebuild strength faster than isolated gym machines, while improving neuromuscular control, balance, and functional fitness.
You can build muscle and functional strength effectively at home using just your bodyweight, with exercises like push-ups, squats, glute bridges, planks, lunges, superman holds, and wall sits, which target major muscle groups and can be scaled for all fitness levels.
Jessica canceled her gym membership and found that she can stay just as fit at home and outdoors by exploring diverse workout videos, outdoor activities like running and hiking, and focusing on bodyweight exercises and kettlebell training, all while enjoying the benefits of a routine that suits her lifestyle better. She notes the social and motivational advantages of gyms but emphasizes that the best workout is the one you enjoy enough to stick with.
A former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and personal trainer, Lisa Morton, recommends five resistance band exercises—squats, overhead presses, single-leg deadlifts, bent-over rows with rotation, and triceps presses—that are effective for building full-body strength and are suitable for home workouts and travel.
The article recommends seven functional exercises—dynamic stretching, active walking, squats, fire hydrants, push-ups, split squats, and Pilates chest lifts—that can be performed weekly at home or in the park to meet government physical activity guidelines and improve overall health, mobility, and strength.
Regular at-home exercises like walking, step-ups, squats, modified push-ups, single-leg stands, and planks can significantly boost lifespan and support healthy aging without the need for a gym, emphasizing consistency and variety.
You can effectively lose body fat at home through activities like walking, running, high-intensity interval training, and weightlifting. Intermittent fasting and a balanced diet can also aid in fat loss, while getting enough quality sleep is crucial. Studies have shown that these methods can lead to significant reductions in body fat percentage and overall weight.
Fitness trainer James Stirling, also known as the London Fitness Guy, suggests six equipment-free moves to strengthen the core, including bird dogs, hollow rocks, shoulder taps, hip dips, reverse crunches, and single-leg jacks. These exercises can be incorporated into a regular workout or combined into a standalone core session. Strengthening the core is essential for improving performance in sports, exercise, and everyday activities, as it helps with posture, balance, stability, and spine support.
Cosy cardio, a fitness trend popularized on TikTok by influencer Hope Zuckerbrow, focuses on making exercise enjoyable and accessible. It involves activities like walking on a treadmill while watching TV or sipping on a drink in a cozy environment. While it may not provide significant improvements without progression, it can be a great starting point for those who feel intimidated by the gym. The key to success in fitness is consistency, and finding a workout plan that you enjoy and can stick to long-term.
BuzzFeed has compiled a list of 29 fitness products under $50 that can be used for at-home workouts. The list includes items such as reversible yoga mats, illustrated yoga mats, push-up bars, adjustable punching bag sets, door anchors for resistance bands, exercise balls, release rollers, yoga straps, weighted fitness hoops, exercise kits, jump ropes, yoga wheels, dumbbell sets, dumbbell exercise cards, exercise dice, ab roller wheels, ankle weights, medicine balls, and mini Pilates balls. These affordable and versatile products can help individuals stay active and maintain their fitness routines without the need for an expensive gym membership.
Not all home workouts are effective for building strength. To truly challenge your muscles, opt for bodyweight exercises that require you to rest between sets and can only be sustained for a small number of reps. Some examples include jackknife pullups, pike pushups, shrimp squats, two-chair dips, step ups, inverted rows, harop curls, Nordic curls, reverse Nordic curls, Copenhagen planks, negative pullups, and ab rollouts. These exercises target various muscle groups and can be modified to suit different fitness levels.
Body by Simone, a fitness program favored by celebrities like Taylor Swift and Jennifer Aniston, has created a weighted ab workout that targets the core using four exercises. The workout includes weighted single-side dead bugs, weighted dead bugs, weighted toe taps, and reverse crunches. Adding weights to ab workouts can help increase muscle mass and strengthen the core, providing benefits such as improved posture, stability, and balance. It is important to choose weights that challenge but do not compromise form, and beginners should consult a doctor or personal trainer before starting.
Staying fit and maintaining a healthy weight becomes increasingly important as we age. For individuals over 40, fat accumulation, especially around the midsection, can be a common concern. Certified personal trainer Andrew White recommends three beginner-friendly, at-home exercises to tackle fat loss: squats, push-ups, and standing leg lifts. Squats engage multiple muscle groups and boost metabolism, push-ups target the upper body and core muscles, and standing leg lifts strengthen the lower body while engaging the core. These exercises can be easily incorporated into a home workout routine without any special equipment.