6 Simple Exercises You Can Do At Home

Fortunately, gym memberships and fancy equipment aren't necessary for weight loss. There are exercises you can do at home that are effective, free and simple that will get you closer to your weight loss goals. 

Why exercise at home?

At-home exercises can be effective because their convenience and ease make it easier to stay consistent. Which is key to weight loss. Your home is open 24/7 and the only equipment you need is your own body! Home exercises are also free of cost, and can be worked into your daily routine very easily. 

Home exercises, like the ones we’ve listed below, are a great way to gain strength, burn calories, and improve stamina. Before starting any exercise program, check with your doctor to make sure you don’t have any health issues that would require modification or restrictions on any exercises. 

6 exercises you can do for free at home

1. Squats

Using only your own body weight, squats are a highly effective way to strengthen your lower body, especially your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. 

For proper form and execution, follow these steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out. 

2. Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and engage your core. 

3. Slowly lower yourself by bending your knees and pushing your hips back as if you’re about to sit in a chair. When your thighs are parallel to the ground (or as close to that as you can get comfortably), pause for a second or two then slowly raise yourself back up to standing. 

4. Make sure to breathe in as you lower, engaging your core, and breathe out as you raise yourself back up. 

Benefit of squats: Squats work your largest muscle groups, leading to great calorie burn and a long-lasting boost to your metabolism. As you build muscle, your body burns even more calories at rest! Suggested routine: Do 3 sets of 8 - 10 squats, resting for 1 - 2 minutes between each set. Work your way up to 15 - 20 squats per set.

2. Pushups 

Pushups are a classic and time-tested upper body exercise that targets your chest, shoulders, triceps and some core. The capacity to perform push ups has also been linked to overall cardiovascular health. 

For proper form and execution, follow these steps (video): 

1. Start in a plank position (see exercise #3), either with your toes or your knees on the ground. 

2. Place your hands shoulder width apart.

3. Inhale, engaging your core, then lower your chest toward the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body. 

4. Touch your chest to the ground (or go as far down as you can).

5. Exhale as you push your body back up, keeping your core engaged and back neutral/straight. 

Benefits of pushups: Like squats, push ups work several muscle groups and build muscle while boosting your metabolism. Suggested routine: Do 3 sets of 10 pushups to start, and increase to more pushups per set as you gain strength.

3. Planks

Planks are great for overall health, core strength building and endurance, working your abs and back muscles. Here is how to do a plank correctly (video):

1. Begin a plank in a similar position as a pushup (your hands directly under your shoulders, and your toes should be touching the floor)

2. Hold yourself upright in the plank position while keeping your core engaged.

3. Remember to breathe slowly in and out while holding your plank. 

Benefits of planks: Working your core helps to build muscle, improve your posture, and flatten the belly. Suggested routine: Hold your plank for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times. As you gain strength, increase the time to 60 or more seconds per plank.

4. Glute bridge

As the name suggests, glute bridges work your lower body, specifically your glutes (the buttocks muscles). As a bonus, glute strengthening has been associated with decreasing lower back pain if that’s something you suffer from. 

How to do a glute bridge (video):

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. 

2. Slowly engage your core and raise your hips up toward the ceiling, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. 

3. Hold yourself up for a few seconds, engaging your buttocks and core.

4. Slowly lower your buttocks back down to the ground. 

Glute bridge benefits: Another large muscle group, exercising the glutes are important not only for boosting your metabolism, but also for improving your lower body stability and strength. Suggested routine: Do 3 sets of 10 glute bridges, resting for 1-2 minutes between each set.

5. Arm circles

Another great upper body exercise, with minimal impact, are arm circles. They can help you strengthen and tone your shoulders, biceps, and triceps. 

How to do arm circles (video): 

1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms out to the sides so that they make a T with your body, parallel to the ground. 

2. Keeping palms facing down and your shoulders relaxed, begin making small, slow, circles with your arms for 20-30 seconds in one direction

3. Reverse directions for another 20-30 seconds.

Benefits of arm circles: Arm circles help to burn calories while strengthening the upper body. Suggested routine: Start with 20-30 second small circles in each direction. As you gain strength and stamina, increase the size of your circles and the length of time to 1 minute in each direction, as long as you feel comfortable and can make slow, steady, and controlled circles.

6. Jumping Jacks

This full-body cardio exercise can burn calories and get your heart rate up, improving your stamina. Jumping jacks also work several body parts at the same time and are great for increasing bone strength, which makes it a really efficient exercise.

How to do proper jumping jacks (video):

1. Start standing with your arms down and feet below the hips. 

2. Jump your feet out to the sides, while raising the arms out and to the sides, making an X shape with your arms and legs

3. Jump back to your starting position. 

4. Repeat.

Benefits of jumping jacks: Jumping jacks increase your heart rate which burns calories and increases your stamina. It also works several muscle groups at the same time, such as your legs, arms, and core. Suggested routine: Start with 3 sets of 30 seconds each, and increase it to 60 seconds or more, as you gain stamina. If you feel any discomfort, stop immediately and consider switching to a lower intensity exercise. 

Exercising at home for weight loss

Exercising at home is a cost-effective, efficient, and convenient way to gain strength and contribute to weight loss goals. By increasing your muscle mass, cardio, and metabolism, home exercises can help you reach your weight loss goals.. Remember, consistency is key, so create an exercise schedule and stick to it. Start slow, focus on proper form to prevent injuries, and gradually increase your routine as you gain strength. Maintaining a healthy diet and getting a good night’s sleep are also important in combination with home exercises to achieve your weight loss goals.