Whether you’re stuck at work, visiting your parents for the week or on a business trip, check out these travel-friendly bodyweight workouts.
What are bodyweight workouts? As the name suggests, a bodyweight workout relies on one’s own weight to provide resistance and build strength. These workouts are perfect to do at home or on the go because they don’t require any special equipment. Are you ready to get moving?
1
Pump your arms
- Arm circles. This workout is the perfect way to tone your arms without leaving your desk chair. Simply raise both arms to your sides, holding them level with your shoulders, and begin to move them in a circular motion. Complete 12-15 reps.
- Front arm raises. Arm raises are great for building your tricep, bicep and shoulder muscles. To perform this exercise, stand with your arms extended in front of you, thumbs pointed upwards. Raise both arms until they are parallel with your ears then lower them back to the starting position. Repeat for 10-20 reps.
- Push-ups. Oh, push-ups. This classic workout may give you flashbacks to high school gym class, but there are plenty of modifications if you’re not a fan of the traditional plank push-up. Try resting your knees on the floor while keeping your upper body straight or stand with your arms extended against a wall. Lower your body toward the ground or toward the wall and push back out for 10-15 reps.
2
Crunch your core
- Glute bridges. As long as you’ve got a floor, you can do a glute bridge. Lay flat on your back with knees bent and push up with your legs and glute muscles. Once your pelvis has lifted off the ground as high as it can, lower your glutes back to the ground and return to the original seated position. Repeat for 3 to 4 sets of 15 reps.
- Russian twist. This simple workout will have your core feeling the burn. Sit on the ground with your back straightened and your knees bent. Lean back slightly so your feet come off the ground and move your arms back and forth between each side of your body. Aim for 20 reps.
- Planks. Know the feeling of your core muscles trembling from a good workout? A plank is notorious for that burn. Try the traditional plank form, extending your arms downward and aligning your legs with your back, or add a shoulder tap. For this modification, bring one arm up at a time and tap your opposite shoulder, then repeat with the other arm. Plank for 1 minute.
3
Don’t skip cardio!
- Jumping jacks. Jumping jacks are one of the easiest at-home workouts to get your blood pumping. Though the traditional form will burn plenty of calories, you can increase the difficulty by doing a push-up into a jumping jack (also known as a burpee) or by adding a squat between each rep.
- Go for a walk or run. You don’t need a treadmill to get your legs moving. Head outside on your lunch break and go for a walk, light jog or run. To burn more calories, try pumping your arms more quickly as you move forward.
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