If you’re stuck for ideas on how to stay active at home while you can’t get to the gym, why not give these six home exercises a go? This circuit has been designed by Everyone Active’s National Fitness Expert Robert Beighton. Rob’s an experienced Personal Trainer who is determined to help everyone stay active, even while they can’t get to their Everyone Active centres.
None of these exercises need any equipment, you just need to follow along with Rob and do each exercise for 20 seconds before resting for 20 seconds and so on and so forth. You’ll complete the circuit twice through. It’s a fantastic whole-body home workout that will help build strength and stamina in all the major muscle groups.
6 Home Exercises to try in your Living Room
Now, you don’t have to try these home exercises in your living room, but you do need a little bit of space. So wherever you are; your bedroom, hallway, living room, or even in the garden on a nice day, see how far you get with Rob’s six-exercise home exercise circuit.
Don’t forget, you’ll be doing each exercise for 20 seconds and then rest for 20 seconds. Complete the circuit twice.
Warm up
Warming up is a vital part of any workout. It helps us get ready for exercise and will help us avoid getting injured.
Do the following:
- Begin with jogging on the spot. Get the knees nice and high.
- Add in some arm swings, first forward, then backwards
- Alternate the direction of each arm’s swing if you can
- Add in some punches, keeping jogging on the spot
- Then swing your arms in front of you
- Do 10 squats, getting your bum as low as possible
- Finally, do some leg swings. Grab a chair to balance on and swing a leg as far in front and behind as possible. Do 10 reps on each leg.
1. Bear Crawl
This home exercise is a fantastic whole-body exercise, working your core, your shoulders, arms, legs and plenty more. Follow the video and complete these steps for 20 seconds before resting for 20 seconds:
- Kneel down with the balls of your feet on the floor
- Lean forward so your palms are flat on the ground
- Keeping your back flat and your lower legs parallel to the ground, raise your knees off the floor
- Once you’re in this position, walk forward using alternating hands and feet for 20 seconds
- Make sure you keep your back flat and your knees at 90 degrees and stay on the balls of your feet
2. Crab Walks
This is similar to a bear walk, but it really works the glutes and will help boost core stability. Follow Rob’s instructions’ on the video and do the following:
- Sit on the floor with your heels on the ground
- Place your hands on the floor behind you with your fingers pointing towards your body
- Raise your body up, lifting your bum as high as possible
- Walk around for 20 seconds, moving on alternate left/right hands and feet
- Make sure you keep your bum high, your hands turned in and stay on your heels
3. Frog Jumps
Don’t worry, not all these exercises are animal-themed! For this home exercise, you’ll again be targeting your glutes and your core, as well as your calf muscles, hamstrings and the rest of your legs.
- Begin in a traditional squat position
- Get as low possible, touching the floor if possible
- Then jump into the air, reaching as high as you can
- As you land back down, return to the squat position and touch the floor again
- Repeat for 20 seconds, trying to get as high as you can while maintain your squat form
4. Press-up Walks
This is a great home exercise. It targets pretty much the whole body, including the arms, shoulders, chest, core and legs. You know what to do, follow the instructions and carry on for 20 seconds:
- Start in a standard press-up position
- Keep your back straight and your hands under your shoulders at all times
- Take small steps, shuffling your hands forward, keeping the press-up shape constantly
- Continue for 20 seconds
5. Worms
This is similar to the press-up walk, but adds in an extra element of movement. As ever, follow the instructions and keep going for 20 seconds!
- Like the press-up walk, start in a push-up position
- Keeping your shoulders above your wrists and your back flat, walk your feet forward so your hips get nice and high
- Once they’re at a 90-degree angle, walk your hands forward to return to the press-up position
- Repeat for 20 seconds
6. Plank Walks
Again, these are similar to the press-up walks, but we do them in the low plank position instead, resting on our forearms, rather than our palms.
- Begin in the low plank position, resting on your forearms
- Make sure you keep your back straight throughout
- Walk yourself forward, using alternating left/right arms and legs
- Stay on the balls of your feet at all times
- Repeat for 20 seconds
Congratulations! You’ve completed the first circuit of this home exercise. Don’t spend too long patting yourself on the back, however, you’ve only got 20 seconds until you have to start all over again. Once you’ve done two circuits, though, that’s it you’re done!