Do you feel like you are losing control over your daily routine? Are you curious on how to break a sweat without even stepping foot outside? Well, with the gyms closed and remaining indoors being the best course of action at the moment, you may be delighted to hear that there is still hope for you avid gym goers and that hope lies within the simplicity of “Calisthenics."
You may have heard the term “Calisthenics” before but for those who were maybe just getting into the fitness world this year, here is a short break down:
“Calisthenics” refers to any workout/exercise that relies on nothing but a persons’ own body weight. These kinds of exercises have been proven to not only hit major muscle groups but to also facilitate cardio and endurance training as well. They are virtually accessible from any location and can be done as a primary source of exercise or as a warmup.
Here is a list of common calisthenic exercises to practice at home. I will provide links to example videos/websites to assist with form. Form is crucial for safety and best results! Click on the title for YouTube videos!
- Stand with feet positioned slightly wider that your hips
- Point toes outward slightly
- Look forward and pick a spot on your wall or in front of you to focus on while you squat (This forces you to keep your neck and posture straight)
- Squat while keeping your knees from buckling inwards. Once your hips are level with your knees, rise up and repeat.
- Similar to body weight squat
- After you squat down, engage your core and jump up
- Land back down with control and maintain proper form
- Repeat
- This exercise hits a lot of core muscle groups (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Back, Abs)
- These can be done on stairs, benches, dip machines, etc. If you have a chair lying around that could work too!
- Sit on something sturdy, put your hands on the surface and extend your legs outward
- While holding yourself off the surface, lower yourself down until your arms make a 90 degree angle
- Push with your palms backup and repeat
- If you do not have a practical way to practice these, you can grab a sturdy bar and put it through two chairs and hang underneath to replicate the exercise or use a sturdy desk as well
- With your palms facing yourself and spaced roughly square with your shoulders, extend your arms until suspended, then pull yourself up
- Repeat exercise as needed
- Stand tall with feet positioned hip width apart
- Take a big step forward with either starting leg and lower yourself until thenon startingleg is bent and parallel with the floor
- Return to the starting position and step with the opposite leg and repeat the above process. You should be engaging your core and keeping a straight back the entire time
- From a standing position, squat down and put your hands on the ground
- As soon as you enter this position, kick your legs out and enter a solid push up position
- Perform a push up then immediately bring your legs in and jump up
- Land with control and repeat
- Place hands on the ground, about shoulder width apart
- Keep your back straight, legs positioned to what is comfortable for you
- Neck looking slightly ahead not straight down
- Bring yourself down and upward then repeat
- Lie on your back, keep your feet hip width apart and on the floor
- Bend your knees and cross your arms over your chest
- Engage your core to move your upper body up
- DO NOT force your neck or move your neck. Use your abs. Don’t hurt yourself!
- Place your forearms on the ground
- Enter a push up position and engage your core
- Hold this position for as long as you can
These are just a handful of ideas to get the ball rolling with your Calisthenics workouts. It really does depend on your current schedule and what you feel comfortable doing. If you have dumbbells and machinery at home, great! Use them in conjunction with some challenging workouts above! If you don’t, maybe these workouts could help you scratch that gym itch you’ve been having while staying healthy and indoors!