5 Most Effective Exercises to Do at the Gym or Home
Working out is beneficial for both physical and mental health. But the reality is that not all of us have the time to hit the gym after work. Even if we somehow make it to the gym, we can’t all afford fancy trainers to guide us through our workout. It all boils down to self-discipline.
The trickiest part of working out on your own is getting the postures right. Incorrect squats or push-ups can hurt you. If you’re someone who wants to work out alone, either in a gym or your home, here are some simple but effective exercises to practice. Beginners could start with these five most effective exercises and make their way to some complex ones after a while.
1. Knee Push-Ups
Let’s all agree push-ups can be challenging, but they are also effective. Push-ups work your shoulders, pectoral muscles, abs, and triceps while engaging your abdominal muscles. They can strengthen your entire body if done correctly and consistently.
People with all different fitness goals can perform this exercise, including those looking to lose weight, improve their knockout power, or improve their overall athleticism. Because standard push-ups can be tough for some, knee push-ups give you added support while working the same muscle groups.
The best part is that you can do it at home and or the gym. There is no need to purchase or use sophisticated equipment. Just grab your yoga mat and dropdown. You don’t have to do the full-blown push-up if you're a beginner. You can start by doing knee push-ups.
How To Do It:
- Get into a high plank position and place just your knees on the ground.
- Maintain a straight posture from head to knees, then gradually bend your elbows to inch lower to the ground.
- Try keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle. Then push back up, and repeat the exercise.
- Once you become comfortable doing knee push-ups, switch to regular push-ups by not placing your knee on the ground. Squeeze your glutes while you perform this exercise.
No need to go for 20 or 50 reps at the first run. Start with two sets of six push-ups per day. Take a one-minute rest between the two sets. As you become comfortable with this arrangement, keep increasing your daily limit.
Focus on consistency instead of intensity. You can also try out different variations of push-ups once you ease into the regular ones. Consider doing push-ups on the ball, push-ups with side plan, triangles push-ups, pike push-ups, power and clap push-ups, etc. The point is to get comfortable in your current regime, and then get out of your comfort zone.
2. Plank to Downward Dog
Plank to downward dog is an excellent shoulder exercise you don’t need weights or equipment for. It is also simple to perform. If you are utterly dense about exercises in general, this is an excellent way to start.
How To Do It:
- For this, start by getting into a high plank position. Ensure that your hands are aligned with your shoulders and your feet are close together, but not too close.
- From the high plank position, pike up your hip without moving your hands and feet. This would bring you to the downward dog position.
- Hold the downward dog pose for a second, then return to the high plank position.
3. Squats
Squats work several muscles in your lower body, especially the hips, glutes, calves, and thighs. While it can be a bit challenging for beginners, there’s no denying that it is highly effective, especially for those who want to burn calories and lose a bit of weight.
Moreover, it can also help mitigate the chance of injuring your ankles and knees while doing physically strenuous tasks or playing sports. Just ensure you get the position right, as incorrect posture can backfire.
How To Do It:
- Stand straight with a hip-wide distance between your feet. Your toes should be facing front.
- Bend your knees by driving your hip backward while ensuring your knees don’t cave inward and your abs are tight. This gets you into the squat position. The goal is to get your knees bent to a 90-degree angle. It might feel a bit strenuous at first, but the more you practice, the easier it gets.
- Go as low as you can, and pull back up. Try going lower as you get comfortable in the squat position.
Once you ease into normal squats, you can try some variations of it, such as the jump squat, which essentially requires you to jump first, then go straight into a squat position. You can also do squats with one or two dumbbells for enhanced impact.
4. Plank
Getting into a plank position is easy peasy. It’s holding the position that’s a challenge. If you're a complete beginner, you can start by holding planks for 30 seconds to one minute.
How To Do It:
- Place your elbows below your shoulders while extending your legs.
- Put all your weight on your toes and elbows
- Squeeze your core to create tension.
- Your back should be in a straight line
- Keep your gaze down and hold the position
This is another exercise that comes with several variations. High plank, low plank, plank jacks, shoulder tap plank, plank reach, long-lever plank, and uneven plank are a few to name. Plank has several benefits to offer, such as improved posture, belly fat burn, strengthening of the spine, improved flexibility, improved metabolism, and improved mood and mental health.
It can also get rid of your back pain. Once you’re comfortable with one-minute planks, you can increase the time limit, but only if you have perfected the form. A one-minute plank with the correct form is far more effective than a sloppy 10-minute plank. Focus on getting the pose correct, then work on the minutes.
5. Lunges
Lunges have their own set of benefits, such as strengthening and toning the body and improving overall physical fitness. It can also enhance your athletic performance if done right and consistently. In lunges, you work your quads, glutes, calves, and hamstrings for the most part. It’s simple to do, and advantageous once you learn the right form.
How To Do It:
- Stand straight, and put one leg forward. The distance between the front and back leg should be about two to three feet. Keep your torso straight, while the shoulders should be down and back. Engage your core and place your hands on the hips.
- Lower your body by bending the knee. Bend it just enough that your back knee is inches away from the ground. Keep the back and front knees at a 90-degree angle. While the front thigh is parallel to the floor, the back knee should be facing the ground.
- After getting in the lunge position, get back up to the standing position, and repeat the exercise with the other leg.
Certain exercises listed here are functional exercises, like squats and lunges. This means these are some forms that you make while doing some of your day-to-day activities. You can do any of these exercises in the gym or at home. You won’t need any equipment or machine to perform these. Here are a few workout tips for beginners to get you going.
Workout Tips for Beginners
Stay Consistent
The key is consistency, rather than intensity. It’s better to do a thirty-minute workout every day than a one-hour workout erratically throughout the week. Once you make your exercising habit consistent, you may begin to look forward to it rather than dread it.
Perform Exercises that Work for You
One of the easiest ways to stay consistent in your workouts is to do something you like or what works for you. You don’t have to do push-ups if you don’t like them. Instead, start with some plank exercises. Once you begin building your body strength, you can move to tougher exercises. Focus on tiny daily goals, and make your way towards bigger ones.
Set a Time
Choose a time of the day for a workout that fits your schedule. Don’t be fickle about the time. Having a fixed schedule helps you form a habit, regardless of whether you want to exercise in the gym or at home.
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