5 No-Equipment Exercises You Can Do Anywhere
Updated: Mar. 20, 2019
The latest exercise craze doesn’t involve bells, whistles, flexy bands, or any other special equipment. Instead, it uses you. Try these five exercises to get fit without a costly gym membership.
Push-Ups
• Lay belly down on the floor, with your feet roughly 15-20 centimeters apart. Place your palms flat on the ground and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Keeping your body straight and long, come up onto your toes and lift your body off the floor with your arms until they are fully extended.
• Slowly bend your arms at the elbows and lower your chest towards the floor. Stop roughly 10-15 centimeters before touching the ground with your belly. Try to keep your back and legs straight and in a single plane.
• Push back up into the original position. That’s one push-up.
• If this is too hard, do the exercise with your knees on the floor. Or even simpler, do the exercise standing, using a wall. Start with your feet roughly 50 centimeters from the wall.
• Aim for doing three sets of 8 reps.
Plank
• While in the push-up position, move your right foot next to your left foot and straighten your body. This is the the plank position.
• Spread your fingers wide so your middle fingers are pointing forward. Your hands should be on the floor directly beneath your shoulders.
• Tuck in your tailbone so your legs, hips and torso form a straight line.
• Push the crown of your head forward, tuck your toes and press your heels back, stretching down the entire length of the back of your body.
• Hold this position, breathing deeply, for as long as you are able to without straining yourself. Work up to 2 minutes.
Chin-Ups
• Grasp a chin-up bar with your fingers with your palms facing you.
• Before pulling up, take a deep breath.
• Begin pulling up with your chest forward and shoulders back while looking up to where you’re pulling yourself.
• Point your elbows to the floor as you exert yourself.
• Bend your legs and cross your feet, squeezing your glutes as you reach the top.
• Do as many reps as you can, maintaining proper form.
Lunges
• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart or slightly closer.
• Raise your chin slightly throughout this exercise.
• Take a large step forward with your right leg, planting your foot firmly on the floor with your toes pointed forward or slightly inward. Align your right knee over your right foot.
• Keeping your back straight and upright, bring your left knee straight down until it is 2.5-5 cm from the floor.
• To raise yourself, press firmly into the floor with your right foot while extending your right knee. Return to the initial standing position and repeat with your left leg forward.
• Make a goal to do three sets of 20 lunges with each leg.
Squats
• Stand in front of a chair with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your body erect and your chin raised slightly throughout this exercise.
• With your arms extended forwards, slowly lower your bottom towards the chair as if you’re about to sit. Just before your body touches it, return slowly to a standing position. Repeat, doing three sets of 12 squats.
• As you do this exercise, keep your back straight, your knees behind your toes, your weight centered over the middle of your foot and heels (not over your toes), and your feet flat on the floor. If you need help with balance or flexibility, use a chair that has arms, and use them as needed.
