The Easiest Under 30-Minute, Equipment-Free Workout Ever!
Posted by Maria Altieri on
There's no excuse for not fitting in a workout when you can accomplish an equipment-free workout in under 30 minutes while in the privacy of your own home. There's no gym memberships needed, no fancy equipment, zero investment needed other than your time and dedication. Getting in shape doesn't require you to have all of those things. By utilizing some creative exercises, you can work your entire body – helping to tighten, tone, and build lean muscle.
To complete the equipment-free workout, all you'll need is some comfy clothes that you can move around in freely, as well as enough room around you that you aren't going to knock anything over or potentially hurt yourself.
*Before you start any exercise program (including this equipment-free workout), speak with your doctor to ensure you are healthy enough to engage in such a program.
The Easiest Under 30-Minute, Equipment-Free Workout Ever
Begin your equipment free workout with a 5-minute warm-up consisting of walking around your home or up and down a flight of stairs. Once you have completed your warm-up, move directly into the workout itself. Upon completion, end with a 5-minute cool-down in the same manner as your warm-up.This workout is to be done as a circuit. What that means is, you will move from one exercise directly into the next. Once you have completed each exercise, start over and repeat. Beginners can start by only completing 1-2 full circuits. More experienced exercisers can increase the number of circuits to 3-6 depending on your fitness level and endurance. Do not use this workout on consecutive days. Leave a minimum of one day's rest in between the workouts.
Squat Jumps – To complete these, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down by kicking your butt backward at the hips as if you were trying to sit on a chair. Once your upper legs are parallel with the ground, in an explosive movement, jump straight up into the air and land back on your feet. Lower yourself back down and repeat for 10-15 repetitions.
Push-Ups – If you have enough strength, you can do these on your toes. If not, complete them on your knees until you build enough strength that you can lay yourself out flat on your hands and toes to complete the movement. To perform a push-up, lay face down on the floor with your hands in line with your chest and slightly out to the sides of your body. Brace your lower body by having the tips of your toes (shoes) in contact with the floor. Complete the movement by pushing yourself straight off the floor until your arms are almost fully extended (don't completely lock out your elbows). Your toes should still be firmly planted on the floor. Slowly lower yourself, just shy of touching the floor, and repeat. Strive for 10-15 repetitions either on your toes or knees.
Crunches – Lay on your back with your arms straight out in front of you. Bend your knees so that your feet are in the air and your lower legs are parallel with the floor. Slowly lift your upper back off the floor by engaging your core. Complete 10-15 repetitions.
Triceps Dips – Find an extremely stable chair. Facing away from the chair, reach back and grab the front edge on the seat of the chair (palms down and fingers pointed towards your body) while slowly moving your feet out in front of you and in contact with the floor. Make sure your grip is secure, so your arms won't slip forwards or backward. The only body parts in contact with anything at this point should be your feet and hands. Your knees should be bent at 90 degrees. Slowly bend at the elbows and lower yourself down in front of the chair until your upper arms are at 90 degrees with the floor. From there, use your triceps to push yourself back to the starting position where your arms are almost locked out.
Corner Rows – Find a corner of your house (where two walls meet to form a 90-degree angle) that has enough room for you to stand in. Place your back in the corner and have your triceps placed at shoulder height against both walls (bend your elbows to form a 90-degree angle). Move your feet out in front of you on the floor so that the weight of your body is being pushed into the corner of the wall. Using the muscles of your upper back, push yourself off of the wall by pinching your shoulder blades together and using your arms as a bracing point, so you don't fall. Additionally, when pulling from your back muscles, tighten and squeeze your biceps at the same time. Slowly allow yourself to move back to the starting position against the corner. Repeat for 10-15 repetitions.
Supermans – Lay on your stomach again as if you were in the push-up position. Have your arms extended above your head and toes pointed downward away from your body. Using your lower back and glutes, lift your lower legs off of the ground while simultaneously having your chest come off the floor. Allow your shoulders to extend your arms directly off the ground in front of you and hold this pose for 2-3 seconds. If you took a snapshot of this position, you would look like Superman flying through the air, and the only portion of your body touching the floor would be your stomach/hips. Bring yourself back down to the starting position and repeat for 10-15 repetitions.
And there you have it! An equipment-free workout you can do whenever!