Gym Been Closed Down - Keep Fit With These Bodyweight At-Home No Equipment Exercises

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Do these 9 exercises to stay strong and fit

With the restrictions on crowds, and in some places of the world on being within 1m of other people, it's likely you might not have access to your gym.

You can do these bodyweight exercises at home, and they will keep you fit.

​You'll find them a good challenge, and at the same time feel good they work across your whole body.

The sequence is important 

I am assuming that you are already a gym-goer, and able to do a decent push-up, for example. And also that you have stable shoulders, hips and ankles.

If you find them too easy, do two complete rounds, or three.

The sequence is important, as allows rest and recovery of various joints and muscles on the way through, to avoid tiredness. Tiredness leads to poor form, which leads to injuries.

These are all exercises that I do regularly. They work.

You do not require any equipment, and they can all be done at home - in isolation.

The Sequence

1. Walking Alternating Lunge with Rotation to Overhead Stretch
2. Side Lunges
3. Push-ups with Rotation
4. Rising Crab Toe Touch
5. Straight Leg Raise with Opposite Overarm Reach
6. Crossing Mountain Climbers
7. Deep Squats
8. Downward-Facing Alternating Floor Scorpion
9. Bulgarian Squats

It will take you about 20 minutes.

Warm-up First

Start with a warm-up sequence. Something that is not onerous enough to dissuade you from warming up. Here's my suggestion:

• Standing steadily or walking swing your arms in circles forward, and backwards and counterclockwise. About 10 times for each movement.
• Swing from side to side.
• Jog very lightly on the spot for 30 seconds.
• Standing or lying, bring one knee up towards your chest and hug it, repeat with the other knee - 5 hugs each side.
• Swing one leg across the front of the other, 5 times with each leg.
• Now, adopt a deep squat position - legs just outside your shoulders, toes only slightly outwards, and lower down as far as you can go between your legs. Hold that position for 20 seconds, and then rise.

Or, chose from here, a good set of warm-ups: Dynamic Warm-up Routine

You are now ready for the exercise set.

Let's get started ...

DOWNLOAD EXERCISE 1-PAGE LIST TO STICK ON YOUR WALL

The Exercise Sequence

We are going to ease into the exercises with the first one being a transition from warm-up mobility into the exercise group.

1. Forward Walking Lunge With Rotation to Overhead Stretch

This is a mobility movement combined with exercise from the lunge—a good way to start.

1. Lunge forward with your right leg.
2. As you are placing your right foot down, come forward and place your left hand on the floor next to it.
3. In that same movement bring your right arm out straight and rotate it towards the ceiling, watching your right hand.
4. Stop when your right arm is vertical - for 10 seconds - your eyes are looking at your raised hand.
5. Rotate your right hand back to place it on your right thigh, and give yourself a little push off and up into the next lunge, with the left leg going forward.

It looks like this from here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pKly2JojMw

Do twenty lunges in total, ten on each side.

2. Side lunges

Now spread your legs, move your weight over the right leg, and touch your elbow on your right knee, then move the other way.

See this Side Lunges Video. 5 times each way - so ten movements.

3. Push-ups With Rotation

1. Establish yourself in a solid push-up position, lower down for the full range of movement
2. As you rise from the lower position, lift your right hand out, around and up to a vertical position. Follow your hand with your eye.
3. Hold vertically for a count of one, and then rotate back to the push-up position. Go down for the same movement on the left side.

Do ten on each side, alternating.

Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awxqXW6i55A

At this point, you've exercised your legs, torso, shoulders and arms. We're not going to add a little more aerobic energy,

If you are having trouble with push-ups read my post How To Go From On-Knee To Full Push-Ups

4. Rising Crab Toe Touch

From having our body facing downwards, we are now going to be looking upwards. This places a whole lot of different loads on our muscular-skeletal system.

The rising crab toe touch is a little hard to describe, so please watch this video, which is clear.

Do ten on each side - alternating - 20 rises in total.

5. Straight Leg Raise with Opposite Overarm Reach

Now you need a little rest after the Rising Crab.

1. Lie on your back, raise your left knee and have your left foot flat on the floor.
2. Simultaneously start lifting your right leg off the floor - holding it straight - while rotating your left arm straight up from your side and over behind onto the floor. 
3. Keep moving your right leg in a small range of movement - 10 times.
4. Then, hold it just one-foot length off the ground, for 30 seconds, all the while maintaining your left arm over flat on the floor.
5. Lower your right leg slowly while rotating your right arm back over and down by your side.
6. Repeat on the other side - that's one rep.

​Do three reps.

Now we'll boost the energy level ...

6. Crossing Mountain Climbers

After that nice rest, you need some real cardio now.

You no doubt know this exercise, but perhaps not as strictly as I would like you to do it here.

1. Set up in a strong mountain climber position.
2. Drive your right knee firmly but slowly towards your left elbow while holding the moving knee as close to the floor as you can.
3. Move it back slowly and as close to the floor as you can.

Maintain a strong flat back at all times. There is little point to this exercise if you arch your back, or if you raise your knees high off the floor.

The 100% benefit is in the right technique. The common technique will give you 40%. 

Like this video, but slower and knees lower and running parallel to the floor.

Move-in as far as you can with your knee, while running low. You'll reach the limit of your flexibility, that's fine.  You're warmed up. You won't hurt yourself unless you push too hard beyond your natural stop.

Do these at the rate of about 1 per second, for one minute. You should feel hot, and puffing.

7. Deep Squat Exercise

In the warm-up, we did the deep squat as a mobility movement. Now we are warmed up we will do it as exercise.

You know how to do it, and how far down you can go. 

1. Hold your arms directly out in front.
2. Lower yourself as in the video from the warm-up section.
3. Hips are swinging back, shins vertical.
4. Swing down to the lower rest position, in a count of 6, and then push up from your low position in a count of 1.

Do 10 steady reps through your full range of movement.

Great. Nearly finished - just two exercises to go.

Now do a quadriceps stretch first - 20 seconds each side. Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhQimqvU1tM

8. Downward-Facing Alternating Floor Scorpion

Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTNlvvmvqHA

• Lie face down, legs out straight behind
• Place your arms out at your sides at about 45-degrees from your body..
• Lift your right leg up and at the same time roll your foot over to touch the ground on your left side - if you can. 
• Balance yourself with your arms, let your right leg fall down under its own weight as far as it will go.
• Let you hips lift as your leg gently pulls you over, until you reach your limit or the floor.
• Lift your leg back, and stragiht, and do the other side.

That is one rep - do 10.

9. Bulgarian Squat 

Use your lounge or a chair or your bed to rest your foot on. Do 10 of these on each leg.

This exercise is good as a balance exercise and trains your ankles as well - a good finisher.

See this video youtube.com/watch?v=Q47MK6GU4ys

That's it, all done ! Well done.

You can now stretch as a warm-down.

Warm down, and progressions

​Follow the stretches which appeal to you from the warm-up video.

You can do these exercises daily, they're not too strenuous.

Or repeat the whole sequence and do them every second day.

They will keep you fit, healthy, mobile and strong while until you can get back into the gym.

Progressions

If you are looking for progressions, to add a challenge, I suggest:

1. Get a roll-out-wheel, and add that into the sequence.
2. Buy a 4kg or 5kg medicine ball, and add in 21 push-ups with hands on the ball.

​That's going to add to your fitness and strength.

​Good luck.

Over 50, Drop The Crunches And Do These Three Spine Extension Exercises

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