Staying Fit At Home Starts With These 6 Exercises

The first thing any doctor will tell you can improve overall health is to get adequate exercise. However, working out all the time can be difficult. Gyms are very expensive and they can be annoying to get to. A lot of people turn to working out at home. However, what exercises are the ones that can help? The reality is that almost any exercise you do at home needs to be simple, but effective. You want to make sure that you maximize your time exercising. This article is going to look at a number of simple but effective exercises that you can do from the comfort of your own home. There’s no need for any equipment aside from some good workout clothes and some athletic shoes. Try these exercises and get a leg up on your fitness needs. 

1 - Planks

Planks are an exercise that is designed to engage the core and increase a person’s balance. A person will need to hold a straight plank position with their body for a length of time. Typically this lasts about 30 seconds, though versions where you go for 10 seconds also exist. There are also many variants of planks where you adjust how you are holding your upper body up. For example, in forearm planks, you place your entire forearm on the ground for support. 

2 - Lunges

Lunges are a very simple exercise that you can always do in your home. Simply spread your legs out with one leg forward. The forward leg should be flat on the ground, while the other should be on the toes. Just bend your knee and lunge forward until the forward thigh is parallel to the ground before you push back up. Repeat this as many times as you want. Lunges can be done stationary to do the same lunge repeatedly, or done while moving. Moving lungers alternate which leg plunges down. 

3 - Squats

This is another easy exercise to do at home. In addition, there are a wide variety of squats for people who can do them from beginner to fitness pro. A good beginner option is the chair squat. You just have to stand in front of a chair with your feet naturally shoulder width apart. Bend your knees and lower yourself down while keeping your back as straight as possible. Once your buttocks hit the chair, stand back up. This is improved by keeping your arms out in front of you. 

4 - Bicycle Crunch

Everyone has tried a crunch at some point. A bicycle crunch also engages your core, but adds some additional punch to your exercise. When you crunch up, bring your left or right arm forward. The opposite leg should be pulled up at the same time and you touch the opposite knee and elbow together before you repeat on the opposite side. This can turn intense, but is still a good exercise to do at home. Just rest in between the reps. 

5 - Pushup

Okay, this may be a boring exercise that everyone is used to, but the pushup is an important exercise. To really do a pushup right, you want to be in a quality plank position. From there, you can lower yourself down until your arms are at a proper 45 degree angle. After that, you move back up until they are fully extended. Repeat until you have completed your desired number of reps. 

6 - Side Hip Abduction

This is a very simple exercise which is good for strengthening your hip muscles. This is an area of the body that is often overlooked. Strong hip muscles can support numerous other parts of the body quite easily. Simply lie on your side and raise your top leg up while keeping your body from moving. Don't allow the hips to open. It should be a straight movement to get the most out of it.