Is getting into shape one of your resolutions this year, but you are just not ready for a gym membership? If so, home workouts will be a perfect choice.
At-home workouts simply refer to exercises you can do from home. These exercises can be great options if you work from home, have a tight schedule, have no gym near you, or can't afford gym membership fees.
Before diving deeper into the workouts' details, always remember that your safety is key. That means you will need to exercise in your right form and not push yourself too much if you feel pain.
Also, ensure you complement your workout routine with a balanced healthy diet.
With all that in mind, let’s see the best home workouts you or your kids can comfortably do. But to begin with, let’s first discuss whether home workouts are indeed effective.
Are Home Workouts Effective?
The answer is a solid “yes.” Provided you are ready to put aside a little time and effort for your home workouts, they can be effective, just like gym workouts.
So, it all depends on the person. Some people prefer to go to the gym since they only get motivated to exercise when they see others exercising. Others find going to the gym daunting and instead enjoy exercising at home.
What if you are unsure whether to work out at home or at the local gym? If that is your situation, you can start by checking for trial memberships at the gym to see if you will enjoy training there.
Many gyms offer promotions during certain periods of the year, and you can get an excellent deal out of this. That way, you will assess if the gym will be great for you without committing to an annual subscription.
Home Workouts for Children and Adolescents
Workouts for kids and adolescents help improve their academic performance, mental health, muscular fitness, heart & lung health, and cardiometabolic health.
Also, exercising for this age group lowers the risks of cardiovascular illnesses, increases bone strength, and helps regulate body weight.
Here are the various exercises that children and adolescents can do at home:
Type of exercise | Preschool-aged children | School-aged children | Adolescents |
|---|---|---|---|
Moderate intensity aerobic exercises | ● Games like tag and follow a leader ● Cycling ● Walking, running, jumping, skipping, and dancing ● Games that entails kicking, throwing, & catching ● Swimming ● Gymnastics and tumbling | ● Brisk walking ● Cycling ● Active recreation like hiking, swimming, and riding a scooter without a motor ● Games that involve throwing and catching like baseball and softball | ● Brisk walking ● Cycling ● Active recreation like hiking, kayaking, and swimming ● Games that involve catching and throwing like softball and baseball ● House and yardwork like sweeping and lawn mowing ● Video games requiring continuous movement |
Vigorous aerobic exercises | ● Games like tag and follow a leader ● Cycling ● Walking, running, jumping, skipping and dancing ● Games that require throwing, catching and kicking ● Swimming ● Gymnastics and tumbling | ● Running outside or indoors on a kids treadmill ● Cycling ● Jumping rope ● Vigorous dancing ● Martial arts ● Cross-country skiing ● Sports like soccer, tennis, basketball and swimming | ● Running ● Cycling ● Jumping rope ● Martial arts ● Vigorous dancing ● Cross-country skiing ● Sports like soccer, tennis, basketball and swimming ● Active games that include running and chasing like flag football |
Muscle-strengthening exercises | ● Games like the tag of war ● Gymnastics ● Climbing on playground equipment | ● Games like the tag of war ● Resistance exercises using resistance bands or body weight ● Some yoga forms ● Rope tree climbing ● Climbing on playground equipment | ● Games like tag of war ● Resistance exercises using weight machines, resistance bands, hand-held weights or body weight ● Some yoga forms |
Bone strengthening | ● Running ● Jumping rope ● Hopping, skipping and jumping ● Gymnastics | ● Running ● Jumping rope ● Hopping, skipping and jumping ● Sports involving jumping or rapid change of direction | ● Running ● Jumping rope ● Sports involving jumping or rapid change of direction |
Source: Physical Activity Guidelines
Home Workouts for Adults
Physically active adults are healthier, feel better and have a lower risk of getting chronic diseases like heart illnesses, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
Also, exercises, whether moderate or vigorous, reduce someone’s anxiety & depression, improve sleep & quality of life, and enables one to do daily activities without undue fatigue.
With that in mind, hereunder are different workouts adults can do at home:
Best cardio workouts to do at home
Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|
● Marching in place ● Single leg stand ● Dancing ● Supine snow angel (wipers exercise) ● Trunk rotation ● Air squats ● Arm circles | ● Jogging in place ● Air jump rope ● Jumping jacks ● Squat to front kick ● Stair climbing ● Lateral shuffles | ● Rope jumping ● Squat jumps ● Screamer lunges ● Mountain climbers ● Burpees ● Bear crawl ● Inchworms |
Source: National Library of Medicine & ACE
Best home workouts to build muscle
1. Exercises that will work upper body and core:
● Pushups
● Handstands against a wall
● Dips
● Planks
● Crunches
● Carrying weight (e.g., dumbbells, gallons of water, etc.) and try out bicep curls, tricep workouts, bent over rows, and shoulder raises
2. Workouts for your lower body:
● Jumping jacks, lunges, high knees, lateral jumps, oblique twists, and box jumps
● Wall sits
● Squats
● Donkey kicks
● Glute bridges
● Lunges
Best home workouts for biceps
● Diamond push-ups
● Reverse hand push-ups
● Side plank
● One arm push-ups
● Plank up-down
● Pull-ups
● Curls
● Chin-ups
● Breakdancer
● Wall handstand
Best home workouts for chest
● Standard push-ups
● Decline push-ups
● Plyometric pushups
● Wide push-ups
● Diamond push-ups
● Shuffle push-ups
● One-leg push-ups
● Offset pushups
● Spiderman pushups
Best home workouts to lose weight
Moderate intensity activities | Vigorous intensity activities |
|---|---|
Brisk walk (15-minute mile) Playing with kids Light yard work (raking, using a lawn mower, etc.) Biking at a relaxed pace Light snow shoveling | Jogging or running Swimming Cross-country skiing Jumping rope Most competitive sports (soccer or basketball) Incline skating at a brisk pace |
Source: CDC
Home Workouts for Older Adults
Workouts are vital even for older adults. Exercising delays the health issues that tend to come with age. Also, exercising strengthens your muscles, thus enabling you to become more independent and do your daily activities more easily.
Below are examples of exercises for seniors. And remember to consult your doctor when creating your workout schedule. Also, observe workout safety measures to prevent injuries.Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 |
|---|---|---|
Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., brisk walking for 30mins per day for 5 days each week)
AND Muscle-strengthening workouts (two or more days each week.) Exercises that work all major muscles (shoulders, arms, chest, abdomen, hips, legs and back)
AND Balance exercises (e.g., standing on one leg, walking backward,or using a wobble board) 3 days per week | Vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., running or jogging outside or on a treadmill) for 75 minutes each week
AND Muscle-strengthening exercises (two or more days per week) Exercises that work all major muscles (shoulders, arms, chest, abdomen, hips, legs and back)
AND Balance exercises (e.g., standing on one leg, walking backward, or using a wobble board.) 3 days per week | A mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic exercises (two or more days each week)
AND Muscle-strengthening workouts (two or more days per week) Exercises that work all major muscles (shoulders, arms, chest, abdomen, hips, legs and back) AND Balance exercises (e.g., standing on one leg, walking backward, or using a wobble board.) 3 days per week |
Warm-ups and Cool-downs
According to the American Heart Association, warm-ups and cool-downs are vital for any workout.
Doing warm-ups before a workout increases your flexibility, raises your temperature, and ensures your workout is more efficient and safer.
You can start your workout by stretching, running, or jogging slowly on a treadmill. And remember, the more the workout intensity, the longer the warm-up.
On the other hand, a cool-down activity gradually decreases your heart rate and temperature. Stopping a workout too soon can make you feel sick or pass out.
To cool your body down, you can consider a 5-minute walk or until your heart rate falls under 120 beats per minute.
Before You Go
You now know the best workouts you and your loved ones can do at home. So, it’s time to drop the procrastination, grab your exercise gear, and let the sweat drop.
To find out how much exercise will be enough for you, check out this article - How Much Exercise Is Really Enough To Hit Your Fitness Goals?
Resources
1. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
4. National Library of Medicine
5. American Council of Exercise
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
7. National Institute on Aging