If you’re a boss and don’t have time in your busy schedule to go to the gym, this is the article for you. Or maybe the gym is the place your avoiding, it can be an intimidating environment and can even lead to feelings of self-doubt or judgment. So instead, skip the gym and use these 10 easy ways to incorporate your workouts to fit with your lifestyle. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a gym rat to be happy and healthy. You can do these exercises anywhere and everywhere. Plus, no equipment required.
1. Running
Pretty self-explanatory but you can take a run, jog, or walk on a nearby trail or sidewalk. This can be also achieved inside on a treadmill. Even try to go somewhere you’d typically drive to.
2. Jumping Jacks
This is a good exercise to get in for cardio and to increase your heart rate.
3. Squats
Essentially, a squat is just bending your knees over your toes and holding it before coming up and repeating the motion. Now think of all the times you sit in a day or that you’re just standing still. Instead, incorporate squats when doing things like brushing your teeth or while waiting for the toaster.
4. Alternating Lunges
As you walk places or even just in place while waiting, you can easily incorporate this move into your every day. Just place one foot in front of the other and squat down, then alternate the leg that goes in front.
5. Push-ups
You can do these in so many ways. For beginners, try to prop yourself up on a wall or counter. For more of a challenge, try push-ups on your knees or on your toes. For advanced athletes, put your feet on a slightly elevated surface and then continue the push-ups as normal. Fair warning, in this last form more of your body weight, is over your arms, shoulders, and upper back which will make you work a little harder.
6. Crunch
Everyone knows the basic crunch, but if done correctly it can be a very effective workout. To check how far you should be coming off the ground place your hands on your stomach and when you feel it tighten and compress together, you have hit the target mark. To make it more challenging, pull your legs off the ground and hold them at a 90-degree angle.
7. Calf raises
Another simple exercise you can do at any time. When you are waiting around on people in lines, or while combing your hair, just workout instead. You will feel this right away if your calves aren’t strong but over time this exercise will target the calf area and will help to tone and define it. All you do is raise your heels and lower them. To make it more challenging, don’t let your heels touch the ground when you bring them down before you raise up on to your toes again.
8. High Knees
Another great exercise to boost your cardio and heart rate quickly. Think if you just did this a few times throughout the day, you would have better resilience overall. This doesn’t require great skill and you will eventually build up more stamina to continue the exercise longer.
9. Yoga sequences and poses
Yoga now is done in every location, from our house, to outdoors, and in rec classes, so there is no excuse that you can’t do it too. Yoga has so many benefits and there are many poses to help connect your body and to even make it feel more relaxed. While you are still practicing movement, at times it may be more settled, but that stillness can actually be the more challenging part of the workout.
10. Burpees
I saved the worst for last. This is a killer cardio exercise that you can pretty much do anywhere that you have space the span as wide as your body. Jump up with your arms reaching to the sky, say a quick prayer when you’re up there because then as you come down, you squat to the ground and pop your feet out behind you in the push-up position, if you’re a superstar you can do a push-up down there, and jump up again to repeat these movements until you’re tired, or for a certain amount of time.
