Do you want to get fitter again? In times of lockdowns, closed gyms and the like, it is unfortunately no longer so easy to go to the gym or train with your club as and when you feel like it. However, the coronavirus crisis doesn't have to mean the end of your fitness regime - you can also do effective and fun workouts at home without any equipment. Here are some great exercises that are both sweat-inducing and fun and are good for your body and mind. Let's go!
Fit and energised: home workout without equipment
How to plan your personalised workout
For your optimal home workout without expensive equipment, we show you the most effective bodyweight exercises in the areas of strength and cardio. The different exercises can be combined individually. If your focus is on burning fat and increasing endurance, you should integrate more cardio exercises into your routine. If you mainly want to build muscle, you should focus more on strength exercises.
This is how it works:
We will now introduce you to 10 effective exercises. Choose at least 5 of these exercises and perform each one for 30, 45 or 60 seconds, depending on how powerful you are. You should take a break of 10, 15 or 30 seconds after performing the exercise. Repeat this sequence as often as you like, ideally at least three times. Ideally, you should do this workout three times a week for around 30 to 45 minutes in order to notice results.
5 cardio exercises without equipment
1st Hand to Toe
As the name of the first exercise suggests, you bring your arms and legs into play here. The exercise is ideal for training your abdomen, thighs and arms. Before you start, you should stand on your mat with your feet hip-width apart and your arms horizontal. Now you can start to bring your feet high up towards the ceiling and bring the opposite hand towards your toes. Make sure that your arms and legs remain straight and that you remain in a slightly bouncing motion.
2. squat jumps
Squat jumps are ideal for training the thighs, buttocks, abdomen and lower back. To perform this exercise, start by standing on your training mat with your feet hip-width apart. Then squat down - place your centre of gravity on your heels. In this position, start to jump and push your body off the floor. When you land, fall back into the squat position to create a continuous movement. When performing the exercise, make sure that your knees and toes rotate slightly outwards and that your upper body remains upright.
3. skater jumps
The so-called skater jumps train your thighs, buttocks, abdomen and lower back. Start by standing on your mat with your feet hip-width apart. Now jump to the side with your right leg and cross your left leg behind your right leg. Repeat the same with your left leg. Make sure that you squat down deeply and keep your front knee level with your heel. The result should be a continuous sequence of movements that will make you work up quite a sweat.
4. high knees
Another cardio exercise that mainly works the abdominal, thigh and arm muscles is called high knees. To do this, start again in a hip-width stance on your training mat. Keep your upper arms close to your body and bend your elbows 90°. Hold your hands outstretched with your palms facing downwards and make sure that your back is straight and your stomach is tensed. Now bring your knees alternately to the palms of the same side in a bouncing motion. Make sure that you pull your knees wide up to your chest and breathe constantly.
5th Mountain Climber
To perform the next exercise called Mountain Climber, first get into the push-up position. Make sure you keep your back straight. Now pull your right knee towards your chest and then reposition your right foot next to your left. Now pull your left knee towards your chest and then bring your leg back to the starting position. Make sure that your buttocks and shoulders are level, your neck is relaxed and you are looking towards the floor. This exercise mainly trains your abdomen, back, shoulders and legs.
5 strength exercises without equipment
1. Squat Walk
For the strength exercise called squat walk, stand on your mat again with your feet hip-width apart. Get into a deep squat, keeping your chest upright and your abdomen tensed. Then take four large steps forwards and four steps backwards without standing up from the deep squat. This exercise is suitable for strengthening the thigh, buttock, abdominal and back muscles.
2. sumo squat with leg lift
The next exercise mainly trains your thighs, buttocks and lateral abdominal muscles. To perform the exercise, stand on your mat wider than hip-width apart. Then squat down deeply with your hands on the back of your head. As you go up, alternate between pulling your right and left knee up as high as you can. Make sure that you keep your upper body upright at all times.
3. superman
The so-called Superman is a classic full-body exercise that primarily trains the buttocks, back of the thighs and back. To do this, lie on your stomach on the floor and stretch your arms out in front of you. Your forehead should touch the floor. Pay attention to the position of your shoulders and tense the centre of your body. Now lift your arms and legs off the floor at the same time and hold this position for a while. Then return to the starting position slowly and in a controlled manner.
4. plank-ups
The next exercise, called Plank-Ups, trains the muscles of your abdomen, back, arms and shoulders. When you perform the exercise, you start in the push-up position. This means that your arms are almost stretched out and your body is tense. Now bring your right and left forearm to the floor one after the other and make sure that both are parallel to each other on the floor. Now hold the classic plank (forearm support) for a short time. Then return to the starting position by first stretching your right arm and then your left arm again.
5. push-ups
Last but not least, the classic push-ups are of course a must. These are particularly suitable for training the shoulders, arms, upper back and abdomen. When performing push-ups, you should make sure that your buttocks and shoulders are at the same height and that your stomach remains tight.
Sport is murder. Get into your training gear and off you go! We hope you enjoy trying out our home workouts!