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13 Body Weight Moves You Can Do Anywhere

You just got home from work. You think to yourself, “I should really get some exercise in before I settle down for the evening”.  So you change into your work-out clothes, fill up your water bottle, get back in your car, wade through rush hour traffic, pay the gym entry fee, and finally… start working out.

While you are working out you might think to yourself, “there has to be a better way to avoid all this hassle, a way to avoid spending the time, spending the money on gas and entry fees, the awkward interactions with the other gym goers”. Well there does happen to be a better way.

You don’t need to drag yourself to a gym to get a great workout. Everything you need to get your body in tip-top shape lies within you. You could have the ability to get fit right in the comfort of your own home, if only you knew how. Well today is your lucky day because today is the day you discovered all of the great body movement exercises your gym doesn’t want you to know about. Read on for tips on how to strengthen every part of your body including your legs, chest, arms and abs without any gym equipment.

Abs

Reverse Crunch

With Your back on the floor, your legs stretched out in front and your arms pointed towards the ceiling, bring your knees into your chest. Upon doing this, immediately point your knees into the air. Then, bring your legs back into the original position. Do this in one smooth motion and you have done one reverse crunch.

Bicycle Abs

With your back on the floor and your legs stretched out before you, put your hands behind your head so your elbows point towards your left and right. Then, move your body so that your right elbow touches your left knee while your right leg remains out-stretched. Then do the same with the opposite limbs. If you think you can handle it, you can hold a small weight behind your head to put some extra pressure on your abs.

Scissor Kicks

With your back and hands flat on the floor, straighten your legs out before you so they are slightly off the ground. Then, alternate between bringing one leg up, and then the other with a 1 foot range of motion. In addition to your abs, this exercise gives your hip flexors a good workout.

Opposite Arm Leg Reach

Start with your back and right foot flat on the floor. Point your left leg toward the sky and extend your right arm out toward your right side just off the floor. In one smooth movement, move your left leg to the left and your right arm to the right and then bring them both in to the center. After 10 reps, switch sides and repeat the process.

Legs

Invisible chair

Got a wall handy? Of course you do. Put your back against it and slowly slide your back down until you appear to be sitting in an invisible chair. Ensure that your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are directly above your ankles. Hold this position for one minute.

Lunges

There are many different kinds of lunges you can do. The standard lunge involves starting in a standing position with feet straight about hip length apart. Step forward with one foot while keeping the other foot in position to the extent that the back knee almost touches the floor. Alternate legs with this movement. You can also do the lunge in reverse by stepping back into it. You can also extend the exercise by grabbing some weights, and lifting your leg up along with the weights after coming back into starting position.

Squats

Starting in a standing position, crouch down slowly until you are in a squatting position. Ensure that feet are flat on the floor during this exercise. If you want to go the extra mile, jump up in the air with arms pointed towards the ceiling immediately after each squat.

Steps

Find a sturdy elevated surface that you can step on and step off of, and then do just that. If you have stairs in your house, you’re all set. But even if you don’t it shouldn’t be too hard to find something to step on. Enhance this exercise by carrying weights with you.

Calf Raises

While standing with your feet together, lift your heels off the floor so you are standing on your tippy-toes and hold the position for a moment. Then, slowly come back down and repeat. Keep this exercise up, and you’ll be on your way to having the calfs of a Tour de France contender.

Upper Body

Arm Rotations

Stretch your arms out to either side of your body so they are parallel to the floor. Then, trace small circles in the air with your outstretched hands. Do this for about half a minute and then switch the direction of the rotation.

Push Ups

Yes, push-ups strengthen your shoulders and biceps, but they are also great for your abs and chest as well. For best results, make your body face the floor with your back straight in a plank position. Hold your body up with the balls of your feet and both hands flat on the floor. How far apart you position your hands is up to you. The farther apart your hands are, the more effective the exercise will be in strengthening the chest muscles. For an added challenge, step to the right or left with your arms and legs between each push up.

Tricep Bench Dips

Find a bench that is about 1.5 feet off the ground. Now, position your body facing away from the bench so your feet are flat on the floor with your thighs parallel to the ground in front of the bench. Hold yourself up with your hands on the bench behind you and slowly dip your body below the bench and bring yourself back up using your tricep muscles.

Inch Worm

Start from a standing position and put your hands flat on the floor as close to your feet as possible. Then, without bending your legs, walk your hands forward until you are in a planked push-up position. Then, walk your hands back up until you are in a standing position.

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