Workout

At-Home Workouts: 9 Home Workouts for Beginners

Saravanan "Sharu" Hariram

May 25, 2021

Too lazy to hit the gym? Or maybe you don’t have the time because you are always drowning in work. These are everyday experiences of many people who wish to stay in shape or improve their health and fitness, but can’t find the time for it. This is where at-home workouts come in.

At-home workouts are simple workouts that you can do in the comfort of your own home, without requiring professional training or equipment. You only need the determination and motivation to work out regularly in your own home so you can see results.

Table of Contents

Home workouts for beginners

Home workouts are usually simple and easy exercises that you can perform, even without any experience. This makes them ideal for beginners who haven’t worked out before.

Some great home workouts for beginners include bodyweight training such as squats, push-ups, planks, and crunches. These require no equipment and help you burn calories while improving your tone and improving muscle strength. Even simply dancing for about half an hour every day is a great exercise for your body.

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Home workouts without equipment

1. Press up/Push up

Get down on the floor and place your hands shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight so that a straight line is formed from your head to your heels. Slowly lower your body until your chest is about an inch away from the ground, then push yourself up by extending your arms fully.

The press up or push up is excellent as an at-home workout because it prepares you for the more rigorous and demanding chest workouts that you are likely to engage in later. Various muscle groups are used for this move, which allows for maximum growth, while also strengthening your shoulder joints. If you’re unable to do this exercise, you can try incline push ups or wall push ups instead.Push ups at home

2. Crunch

For this move, you have to lie flat on your back, keeping your knees bent at 90-degree angle, and your hands on either side of your head. Then, lift your shoulders up slowly, until it is a few inches away from the floor. While doing so, you have to ensure that your lower back stays on the ground at all times. Once you reach the top point of the movement, tense your abs as hard as you can. Return to your starting position.

Crunches are great ab workouts that help you tone your stomach. They can easily be done on a yoga mat at home. When you lift your legs, extra weight is placed on the stomach muscles.Crunches

3. Plank

To do a plank, you have to get in the press-ups position. However, instead of your hands on the ground, holding your weight, you should rest on your forearms. Tense your abs and glutes, while making sure that your back is in a straight line. Hold this position, and make sure that you don’t lower your hips while doing so.

Although planks are great for working your core, helping you get toned abs, you need to ensure that you do it correctly and that you don’t overdo it. Otherwise, it may affect your spine. If you find the plank difficult to execute, you can try an incline plank instead.Plank

4. Side plank

For a side plank, you need to lie on your left side with your legs straight, holding yourself up with your elbow. Then, slowly raise your hips until your body forms a straight line. Tense your core while doing so. Remain in this position for a few seconds and take deep breaths. Repeat the same while lying on your right side. You could also replace this exercise with a modified side plank if the normal side plank is difficult to do.Side Plank

5. Mountain climbers

The mountain climber is a simple exercise. First, get in the press-ups position and tense your core while doing so. Then, drive your knees to your chest as fast as you can, as though you were running. Make sure you keep your hips at the same level as when you started. Don’t raise or lower its level.

This is a great exercise that helps you burn calories while also increasing your core stability. It may look simple, but it can be tiring in just a few seconds.

 

Mountain Climbers

Home workouts with equipment

1. Dumbbell standing shoulder press

Hold a dumbbell in each hand while standing and keeping your arms out at shoulder height. Make sure you hold the dumbbells with an overhand grip, meaning your palms should face forwards. Press the weights up above your head through your elbow, without leaning back or using leg drive. Then, slowly return to the start position. You can also use 1-2 litre filled water bottles instead of dumbbells.Dumbbell shoulder press

2. Dumbbell floor press

Lie down on the ground, while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Then, slowly raise the weights above you, bending your elbows. Before you pause at the top of the rep, press up and straighten out your arms. Then, slowly lower your arms to the start position.

The dumbbell floor press helps you build a bigger, wider chest, without risking shoulder injury. This makes it a great at-home workout, even for beginners. If you do not have dumbbells, you can replace them with filled 1 or 2 litre water bottles.

3. Bicep curl

Stand up straight, your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and curl them to your shoulder level. While doing so, make sure your upper arms remain stationary, and that your elbows don’t move. Move only your lower arms while curling up the weights. At the top of the contraction, squeeze your bicep, then slowly lower the weights.

This is the perfect move for developing a toned arm. Since your upper arm remains stationary, the whole bicep is hit for maximum growth. You can choose to use 1 or 2 litre filled water bottles instead of dumbbells.Bicep curls

4. Bench dips

While standing facing away from a bench, extend your legs out in front. Then, grab the bench with both your hands shoulder-width apart. Lower your entire body slowly by flexing at the elbows until your arms form a 90-degree angle at the forearm. Then, lift your body back to the starting position using your triceps.

Even if you don’t have a bench, you can use the stairs, a coffee table or a chair. It’s great for those who wish to work their arms, shoulders and chest.Bench dips

Benefits of home workouts

Working out at home has tons of benefits, making it ideal, especially for those who are always busy with work or for stay-at-home parents who can’t find the time to hit the gym. It’s even great for people who simply don’t want to spend money on gym memberships!

Below, we outline these benefits of at-home workouts

1. Minimal to no equipment required

At-home workouts are so easy because they require minimal to no equipment. Crunches, planks, mountain climbers, squats and push-ups do not require any equipment at all. You can easily do them on the floor without any trouble.

There are some at-home workouts that require some equipment such as yoga mat, dumbbells, resistance bands or a stability ball. Even then, these are basic and affordable equipment that you can easily find anywhere. This minimal to no requirement for equipment makes at-home workouts a great option for all kinds of people, even those who are uncomfortable with gym equipment.

2. You don’t have to spend much money

The whole point of at-home workouts is that you can easily exercise in your own home without having to go to the gym. This means that you don’t have to pay any monthly gym fee. You can work out for free in your own home, whenever you want, wherever you want.

3. You have no excuses not to work out

As opposed to working out at the gym, you have no excuses when it comes to at-home workouts. In the case of gym workouts, you may come up with a long list of excuses when you don’t feel like exercising. Maybe the weather isn’t too great, or maybe you are too tired to hit the gym after work. However, with at-home workouts, these excuses are useless because you don’t have to go anywhere else to work out. All you need to do is change your clothes and put on your sneakers and start exercising at your own house.

4. You may find you are more comfortable without others’ presence

Sometimes, people feel conscious about working out at the gym, in front of so many other people. Whatever your reason maybe, if you are one of these people who feel uncomfortable working out when there are other people around you, then the at-home workout is the perfect solution for you. You can easily work out in the comfort of your own home without having to worry about what other people will think of you.

Summary

At-home workouts are great for people who don’t have time for the gym or those who don’t feel; comfortable exercising in public, but still want to keep fit and stay in shape. You don’t need fancy gym equipment for these exercises. They are simple moves that require little to no equipment at all. Basic equipment such as dumbbells, yoga mat and restraining bands are all you will need.

For workouts like press-ups, planks, crunches, side plank and mountain climbers, you don’t need any equipment at all. But if you don’t want to exercise on the floor, you can get a yoga mat. There are some workouts that may require the use of basic equipment like dumbbells and resistance bands. These are usually weight training exercises.

In conclusion, at-home workouts are a great option that anyone can benefit from. All you need is the drive to achieve your health and fitness goals.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

Q. What exercises burn belly fat?

A: Contrary to popular belief, there is no single exercise that will help burn belly fat directly. Fat loss is central and it depends on how many calories you burn throughout the day versus how much you consume. Make sure to focus on doing whole body exercises that burn enough calories to induce fat loss and focus on eating at least 300 calories less per day

Q. Is it effective to workout at home?

A: Yes it is effective to do workouts at home. When it comes to health and fitness and weight management, the results primarily come from consistent efforts, and to be consistent you have to follow a routine which is not too easy or too difficult to continue. Home workouts fit the bill perfectly here.

Q. What exercises can I do at home?

A: You can do bodyweight exercises such as Push ups, Squats, Back Dips, Crunches, Planks, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, spot walking, spot jogging, etc.

Q. Can 10 minutes of exercise a day make a difference?

A: Yes it can make a difference if you are a total beginner and wish to start off with a fitness program. For continued benefits  you must gradually progress to at least 30 minutes per day and 5 days a week routine.

About the Author

Saravanan “Sharu” Hariram is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer with a passion for bodybuilding. Combining his love for fitness with his career, Sharu did his certification in Sports Nutrition, and Rehabilitation and Healing Nutrition. Currently a Master Trainer with HealthifyMe, he specializes in Weight Management, Marathon Training, and Physical Rehabilitation. In his 20+ years of experience, Sharu has always maintained that one’s mind must have control over their body in order to lead a healthy life. At HealthifyMe, he continues to follow his passion while helping those around him realise their fitness goals.


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6 responses to “At-Home Workouts: 9 Home Workouts for Beginners”

  1. Thank you so much for suggesting ways to do home workouts without equipment, especially things like the crunch and the plank which are great for beginners. I’ve been wanting to help my brother with his brave efforts of trying to lose weight this year, but I want to advise him properly so he doesn’t burn out from his exercise routines. Since we’re trying to get him to start slow, I’ll make sure he reads your article so he can practice these workouts while we find a weight loss doctor to advise him the further he goes on his routine.

  2. I would like to thank you for this amazing article. These home workouts are amazing for a healthy body. Keep sharing awesome posts like this.

    • Hi Kanika,
      If it’s a major meal such as Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner you must wait for at least 90 minutes before starting.And if it’s a small snack such as fruit, 2 Slices of brown bread or Biscuits, you can start within 15-20 minutes. Hope this answers your query.
      Keep following our blogs 🙂

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