Best Full Body Exercises You Can Do at Home

It is important to regularly exercise for your overall wellbeing. You can go to the gym, but you can also get a good workout from home. Full body exercises are effective and convenient.

A full body workout helps to improve your cardiovascular fitness, build strength, boost endorphin production, and burn calories. You may either incorporate some weights or resistance bands or simply use your body weight.

Before delving into your workout, always start with a warm-up to get your body ready for the exercises. Ideally, the warm-up should lengthen and activate your muscles, gradually elevate your heart rate, and increase your body temperature. You could do dynamic stretches for 2-5 minutes.

Below are 7 full body exercises that you can do from home:

1. Bodyweight Squats

Bodyweight squats are a good addition to any full body workout. Although they mainly target the lower body, quads, hamstrings, and glutes, they also strengthen the core and the back. This exercise will get your heart beating fast within a short time, build strength, and improve your hip mobility.

How to:

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart or slightly wider. You may keep the feet parallel to each other or slightly turned out whichever position feels more comfortable
• Clasp your hands and front of your chest
• Slowly begin to crouch down by bending your knees as if sitting on an imaginary chair behind you
• Ensure that your heels stay on the floor throughout the exercise
• Firmly press your heels down and come back to a standing position
• Repeat this exercise at least 10 times

Modifications:

There are various modifications you can make when doing a bodyweight squat. These include:

• Holding the crouched-down position for at least 15 seconds
• Jumping into the standing position when coming up from the squatting position
• Pulsing up and down on the crouched down position
• Doing as many reps as possible without stopping
• Setting a timer for 30, 45, or 60 seconds and doing as many squats as possible within that time

2. Bodyweight Lunges

Like bodyweight squats, bodyweight lunges offer strength, cardiovascular, balance, and mobility benefits. They will get your heart rate up within a short time while engaging your legs and core muscles.

How to:

• Standard your feet hip-width
• Place your hands on your hips
• Step your right leg forward and slowly lower your body until the right and left knees are bent at a right angle, but the back knee is slightly lifted off the ground
• You may keep your hands on the waist or lift them over your head
• Step back to the standing position and switch sides
• Repeat for at least 10 repetitions

Modifications

Some lunge modifications to try out include:

• Back lunge – step your leg backward instead of forward
• Lunge hold – hold the lunge position for at least 10 seconds
• Lunge pulses – hold the lunge position and pulsates slightly up and down for at least 15 seconds

3. Step Up

You will need a step or a bench for this exercise. It is a high-intensity exercise that will make it challenging for you to hold a conversation. As such, it offers numerous cardiorespiratory benefits, burns calories, and builds your overall endurance.

How to:

• Place the step or bench in front of you
• Step your right foot on top of the bench or step
• Press the heel of the right foot down to offer you the momentum to pull your body up and straighten the right leg
• Take your left leg down and return to the original standing position with both feet on the ground
• Repeat for at least 10 repetitions
• Switch sides

Modifications

To make this exercise more challenging, step up and down as fast as possible.

4. Inchworm

The inchworm will work on your flexibility and strength. It engages all the major muscle groups, including biceps and triceps, shoulders, obliques, abs, back, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.

How to:

• Stand up straight with your hands beside your body
• Bend forward and place your hands as close to your feet as possible
• Begin to make small steps with your hands towards the front until you are in a plank position
• Now walk your hands backward until you are in the forward bend position with your hands as close to the feet as possible
• Come to standing
• Repeat at least 5-10 times

Modifications

From the forward bend position, place your hands firmly on the ground and walk your feet back into a plank position. Then, walk your feet forward, resuming the forward bend position, and into standing.

5. Alternating Bird Dog

The alternating bird dog will challenge your balance, improve your flexibility, and increase your heart rate for cardiorespiratory benefits.

How to:

• Come to an all-fours position on your hands and knees
• Straighten your right hand in front of you and the left leg behind you
• Return to the all-fours position and switch sides
• Repeat the exercise 5-10 times

Modifications

To make it more challenging, include a crunch by rounding your back and bringing the right elbow to meet the left knee.

6. Jogging on the Spot

If you want to get the benefits of running without going outside, you can run in place inside your house. It will elevate your heart rate and burn calories.

How to:

• Mimic the movements you make when running outside but stay in place
• You should alternate lifting your right leg and left leg at a fast pace
• Maintain an upright body posture
• If you are running in place for longer periods, ensure to wear proper running shoes to protect the soles of your feet and prevent injuries
• You can run in place in intervals of 10 to 15 minutes

Modifications

Keep varying your pace accordingly

Conclusion

Staying physically fit doesn’t need to be complicated. With a few full body exercises, you can build strength, improve your flexibility and balance, and get cardiovascular benefits from the comfort of your home.

These exercises are also great for conditioning your body for a more advanced workout routine. Ensure to cool down with some stretches and to stay hydrated afterward to aid in muscle recovery. Regular exercise coupled up with healthy eating and enough sleep will promote optimal health.