Workouts are one of the best ways to boost your mood for the rest of the day. The rush of endorphins leaves your body feeling good and your mind feeling calm and collected. It gives you the boost of energy you need to take on the rest of the day,
But it can be hard knowing where to start.
Paying for a gym membership is not something a lot of people can afford, especially with the rising cost of living, the costly process of divorce, and most people having a family to feed. Eventually, exercising your body ends up lower and lower on your priority list.
But having to pay a monthly fee isn’t the only option to get your daily workout in. You can get your body feeling great straight from the comfort of your home.
Exercise doesn’t have to be expensive.
Here are 5 quick workouts that you can do at home.
1. Burpees
Most people dread the thought of including burpees into their workout routines. But these, along with the other workouts listed, can give you the much needed kick of endorphins to carry you through the rest of the day.
- For the standard burpee, begin with your feet standing parallel to your shoulders.
- Keeping your back straight, bend your knees into a squat and place your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart.
- Leaning your body onto your arms and hands, jump back with your legs until you are in the push up position. If you feel up to it, add a push up each time you are in this position.
- Jump forward until you are squatting once again and jump up into the air with your hands above your head.
Start with 10 burpees, take a 1 minute break, and then do another 10 burpees. Keep doing this for approximately 5-7 minutes. As you become more confident with this exercise, gradually add more minutes and burpees to each session e.g. 15 burpees and then a one minute break repeated for 10 minutes.
2. The Mountain Climber
This exercise is great for strengthening your upper back, shoulders, and core muscles.
It might sound scary at first (I mean, climbing a mountain doesn’t exactly sound like a piece of cake) but it’s not as daunting as it sounds and can be a great addition to your routine.
- Begin in the push up position. Place your hands shoulder-width apart and your lift your feet onto your toes.
- Bring your right knee forward to approximately your chest area before returning it back to the plank position.
- Repeat this with the other knee and continue alternating between them.
Start slowly. Begin with 20 mountain climbers, take a 30 second break, and then do another 20 mountain climbers. As you become more confident with this exercise, you can increase the number of mountain climbers you do and the speed at which you alternate between each knee.
3. Bicycle Crunch
This exercise builds strength in your core and can be helpful for improving your posture and back pain. It can also be modified if you find the exercise too difficult to begin with.
- Position yourself flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head and your feet flat on the ground with your knees bent.
- Lift your legs into a 90 degree angle.
- Keeping your lower back on the ground and your hands against your head, extend your right elbow towards your left leg.
- Whilst you do this, extend your left knee up to meet with the tip of your right elbow.
- Repeat with your left arm and right leg. Keep alternating with each opposing arm and leg.
If this is too difficult to start with, try standing instead of lying down whilst doing the exercise.
Begin with 20 crunches, take a one minute break, and then do another 20 crunches. Do this exercise 5 times. As you become more confident with this exercise, you can increase the number of crunches and number of sets you do in your routine.
4. Side Lying Hip Abduction
A side lying hip abduction is an exercise that is great for preventing hip and knee pain. Exercising the hip area helps to maintain your body’s flexibility and improves your ability to move around.
- Position yourself on the ground, lying on your left side with your head either resting on your left arm or being held up by your left arm and elbow.
- Your right leg should be resting on top of your left leg. To improve stability, feel free to bend your left leg.
- Begin the exercise by repeatedly lifting your straightened right leg as high as possible before lowering it back down.
- Repeat this with the other leg.
Start by doing 10 leg raises on one side, then do this with the other leg. Continue doing so until you have completed approximately 3-4 sets of 10 leg raises. As you become more confident with this exercise, you can increase the number of leg raises and the number of sets you do in your routine.
5. Bird Dogs
This is a simple exercise that is effective in relieving lower back pain whilst strengthening your core.
- Begin by positioning yourself on your hands and knees. Your knees should be in line with your hips and your hands beneath the shoulders.
- Extend your right arm forward. Whilst you do this, extend your left leg backwards until both your arm and leg are straight. Hold them in the air for approximately 2-3 seconds, then return to the original position.
- Repeat this with your right arm and left leg.
Start by doing approximately 10 lifts on each side, take a one minute break, then repeat the exercise. Repeat the exercise until you have done approximately 3-4 sets. As you become more confident with this exercise, you can increase the number of lifts and the number of sets you do in your routine.
It is important to keep your body flexible and your mind calm, especially if you are sitting down in one position for hours on end or are constantly on the go completing one job after the other. So give these workouts a go and let us know how you get on in our forum and social media! Tell us how you stay healthy and happy.
