An Easy At-Home Workout That Anyone Can Do

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An Easy At-Home Workout That Anyone Can Do

Fitness young woman doing push ups on beachVirtually any successful weight loss plan will require you to burn calories and boost your metabolism through exercise. So for most people, there is an automatic assumption that an expensive gym membership, or even a lot of bulky home equipment, equal weight loss.

However, that simply is not the truth. Yes, a gym membership can help if you enjoy Zumba classes, need the in-house childcare, or find that going to the gym provides structure that supports your busy schedule. But if you need to save money or don’t have time to go to the gym, you can still get fit by using something everyone has: Your own body weight.

Warm up with jumping jacks or a jump rope routine. Jumping jacks don’t require equipment, and a jump rope costs about ten dollars or so. Spend about five minutes getting your blood pumping and your muscles warmed up, and then move on to the following toning exercises.

Push-ups. Push-ups are one of the best toning exercises you can do, because they work your core, arms, shoulders, and back. If they’re too difficult at first, you can do them on your knees. As you become more advanced, get a deeper workout by elevating your feet on a couch or chair.

Squats. These toning exercises work large muscles in your thighs and butt, and therefore can burn a lot of calories. Remember to keep your heels planted on the floor, push your hips back, and squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Boost your burn with burpees. Burpees are a high intensity exercise that will burn calories and boost your metabolism. They combine the moves you’ve already performed, so they’re the perfect compliment to your workout. From the squat position, kick your feet back into a push-up position. Return back to squat position, and then jump straight up. Return to squat position and repeat. Warning: Burpees will really wear you out!

At this point you should be feeling pretty winded. Go for a short walk to cool down, and remember to stretch your muscles. As always, consult with a weight loss physician before starting any exercise routine, to make sure you don’t have any underlying health conditions that could make exercise unsafe for you.