Exercising Without Equipment
You don’t need a gym membership to maintain optimal health and fitness levels. You don’t even need any equipment. Your body alone is the perfect tool to help you accomplish your goals. With a body weight workout, you can burn fat, tone muscle, increase strength and improve your overall health.
Squat: Stand feet shoulder width apart. Extend your arms in front of your body to help balance. Bend your hips and knees to lower your body. Keep your heels on the floor and make sure that your knees are over, not ahead of, your feet. Do not round your low back. To go up, squeeze your butt muscles together and push your hips forward.
Lunge: Stand with feet hip width apart and take a big step forward. Lower your body allowing your back knee to almost touch the floor. Pause then come back up. In the bottom position your front leg shin should be perpendicular to the ground. If the knee of your front leg is coming out over the toes then step farther out. Your front knee should also be tracking over your front foot, do not allow it to fall in or out. Remember to switch legs.
Push up: Lay face down on the floor with hands resting under your shoulders. Push up with your arms lifting your body off the floor. Keep your back straight and tighten your core muscles. Lower and repeat.
Glute bridge: Lay face up on your back with bent knees, feet flat on the floor and hip width apart. Contract stomach muscles to flatten your low back into the floor. Lift hips up off the floor. Avoid pushing hips too high and arch your back. Hold for a second then lower yourself back to the starting position.
Front plank: Lie on the floor face down with your elbows close to your sides and directly under your shoulders, palms down and fingers facing forward. Pull your belly button to your spine and hold. Slowly lift your body off the floor. Keep body and legs rigid. Keep your shoulders pushed down and away from your ears. Hold for five to 20 seconds while continuing to breathe normally. Slowly and gently lower your body back toward the floor.