3 Tips on How to Exercise at Home & 4 Exercises To Do Without Weights

With the current situation regarding COVID-19 in the world, many of us are confined to our homes. 

Going out is not recommended (even restricted in some places), and going to our regular gyms for our exercise sessions is impossible.

So, what can we do then? Give up and forfeit all of our hard-earned fitness progress?

No. We should actively seek out ways to stay fit, even during quarantine for COVID-19. 

To that end, we’ve put together this short guide for you. In it, you’ll learn what at-home exercises you should do to lose weight and get fit while under quarantine from the corona virus.

 

How to Exercise at Home: Three Tips On Effective Fitness Training At Home

Here are the three most important things to remember when exercising at home:

 

The Basic Equipment You Should Have

If you’re tight on a budget, a few resistance bands and a jump rope will do the job. But, if you have a few extra dollars, you can get yourself a cardio machine such as an elliptical trainer, a few pairs of dumbbells (for example, 10-, 15-, and 20-pound ones), and a squat rack with a barbell and some weight plates.

But, even with the most basic of equipment, you can make a great routine for exercises at home.

 

How to Organize Effective Circuit Training For At Home Workouts

In circuit training, the exercise order matters because you’re doing exercises back-to-back. So, avoid doing more than one activity for a given muscle group. Instead, you can alternate exercises. Here's a sample to use for at-home circuit training:



 

Bicep exercise (curls) ⇒ chest exercise (push-ups) ⇒ whole-body cardio exercise (jumping jacks) ⇒ back exercise (pull-ups) ⇒ lower body exercise (squats) ⇒ tricep exercise (overhead extensions) ⇒ core exercise (planks)

That way, you can go down the list of exercises and not over-fatigue any given muscle group. While one to three muscles are working, the other ones are at rest. Then, while other muscles work, the ones you trained previously now have some time to recover.

 

Do Aerobic and Strength Training for Best Results

For best results and the best possible health benefits, you should incorporate both aerobic and strength exercises. This will increase both your endurance and strength while also improving your cardiovascular health.

So, for example, you can do three strength workouts and do two cardio sessions per week.

 

Exercises To Do At Home - Four Great Ideas

 

Jump Squat

Jump squats are an incredibly fun and dynamic exercise, designed to strengthen and develop the lower body while burning a lot of calories and helping us lose weight.

Plus, thanks to the jumping element, this squat variation is excellent for building explosiveness and power.

 

Push-Ups

While not as dynamic, the push-up is a must-do exercise because it helps keep our shoulders healthy, and it develops our chest and triceps incredibly well.

What’s more, as you get better at push-ups, you can begin doing plyometric push-ups (where your hands leave the ground), which also build explosiveness and burn a lot of calories.

 

High Knees

High knees are a cardiovascular exercise that does a great job of strengthening the lower body and developing our glutes.

Plus, they don’t require any equipment, burn a lot of calories, and are a great fat loss option.

 

Jump Rope

When it comes to aerobic exercises at home, nothing beats the jump rope. This exercise is incredibly versatile and effective.

When done correctly, the jump rope builds coordination, strength, endurance, explosiveness, and power. What’s more, the exercise helps us lose weight and develop our shoulders, forearms, back, legs, and calves.

 

Here is a sample circuit that is ready to go!

1. Jump Rope  - 2 Minutes

2. High Knees - 1 Minute

3. Bicycle Ab Crunches - 1 Minute

4. Jump Rope - 2 Minutes

5. Push Ups (optional hold at the top in a plank position if you cannot finish) - 1 Minute

6. Jump Squats - 1 Minute

REST 1-2 Minutes

REPEAT 2-3 times

 

The Vital Importance of Planning Ahead

Before wrapping this guide, it’s essential to talk about one vital factor for success - planning.

The truth is, while our current situation has its drawbacks, it also offers some blessings. There is no better time than now to plan your meals and eat them at home. You can get everything you need at the local grocery store, plan, and then prepare your meals for the next several days.

Who knows? Maybe now is the time to develop the habit of meal planning.

Plus, it’s also essential to plan your workouts ahead of time and know what you’ll be doing every day. That way, you won’t waste time wondering about the details - you’ll be free to get to work immediately.