7 exercises to do at home

Blog | Justin Shaw, Sports Development Coordinator

We’ve all spent plenty of time at home in the last 2 years. Even though we are slowly getting back to our “normal” routines, many of us are still having to isolate at home, avoiding crowded places, or just can’t find the energy to get to the gym but still want to move your body. So here are some exercises that everyone can do to keep your body moving!

Push-ups

These are a great exercise for home or even in the office. There’s a reason that the push-up is used by sports teams, dancers, and even the military. They are a staple exercise for building power and strength with no equipment. You can change them up to make them harder by lifting one foot off the ground, adding an incline or decline, using a resistance band, or doing diamond push-ups.

Plank

The good ol’ plank. When I was in high school, the plank got a bad name. But trust me, it was all user error. The plank is a fantastic way to train your body and your mind. It challenges your core endurance, while testing your mental resolve. This movement is a must have for any home workout.

Squats

The squat is an excellent lower body exercise that stresses your glutes, quads and the brain! You can get VERY creative with squats. There are squat pulses, jump squat, side squats, pistol squats, and many more.

Sliding Hamstring Curls

This is a little known GEM of an exercise. All you need is tiles and socks, or carpet and something that slides on carpet. Lay on your back, and use your hamstring to curl your heels toward your bum. You should finish looking like a glute bridge. This exercise is a KILLER. I only came across it through my knee rehab and it is now one of my all-time favourite exercises in and out of the gym.

Lunges

Lunges are a great exercise to challenge yourself. Try reverse lunges with a knee drive to really put some pressure on the glute. These work the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. If you’re feeling particularly brave you can try jumping lunges and lateral lunges.

Rows

Yes I have made that intentionally vague. It is difficult to train your back in the absence of equipment. But here we are, so we will make it work. I recommend bodyweight rows if your desk or dining table is strong enough. If not you can get a resistance band and do some seated rows, pull downs, pull overs ect. Alternatively we can look at some bent over rows using water bottles, books, or particularly heavy bananas. Anything heavy with a decent grip that you can hold with some amount of control.

Dips

No, I don’t mean sweet chilli philly (I too am disappointed that I don’t). Dips are a bodyweight exercise that can be performed on a sturdy chair, bench, bed, or any raised and stable surface with an edge. When performing dips we want to let our lower body hang loose. Slowly lower your body down until your arms are bent to 90 degrees. Squeeze back up to the top for a full arm extension. To make these harder, try using straight legs, adding weight, or slowing them down.

And that’s some at home exercises for the next time it’s raining, cold, or you find yourself having to isolate at home 😷. My advice would be to think functional. You don’t need a shed full of equipment to get the job done, rather, select a few multi-purpose movements to get you going. Start with getting yourself a resistance band – storage is a breeze and they have an amazing array of uses! Try doing 50 reps of 1 exercise every time you lose a game online or finish an episode on Netflix. Trust me, it adds up!

Make one of our group fitness classes part of your workout routine!

See the timetable by visiting our website or speaking to one of our friendly staff members on (02) 6773 3856