Doing bodyweight exercises means avoiding the gym and everything that comes with it. You can use your body in so many ways to ensure that you get an excellent workout. No equipment is needed.
Bodyweight Exercises: Pros
So what consists of bodyweight exercises? In a nutshell, anything that uses your body weight as resistance to train, tone, and strengthens counts as a bodyweight exercise.
There are many benefits to leaving behind big gyms and heavy equipment. Here are some of our faves:
- Cost: gyms and equipment can be super-pricey. Avoiding high membership fees can really help in the long run.
- Convenience: you have your body with you no matter where you are. You can always count on basic moves such as push-ups and squats to keep you fit if you travel a lot. And, of course, you can always work out from the comfort of your own home.
- Sustainability: Gyms (especially massive commercial ones) use a lot of energy and resources, generating a lot of waste. You cut back on all that waste by doing your own workouts and using your own body. To learn more, check out our top favourite low-carbon workouts.
- Rewarding: no one will ever tell you that exercises such as pull-ups and push-ups are easy! Handling your own body weight is an excellent indicator of strength, and using your own body promotes functional strength that will have you looking great and come to your aid in life! So go on and set those goals to get started on your fitness journey.
- Fun: it’s exciting to see what positions you can hold your body in! Imagine the journey towards a handstand. You need a wall, some music, and your body – it’s never a dull moment.
- Diverse: one of the best things about bodyweight exercise is that it comes in many different forms to meet your interests and fitness level. Whether you’re into yoga or want to give callisthenics a try, the equipment-free world offers many opportunities.
Where to Start
You don’t need to start with the hardest callisthenics moves to benefit from bodyweight exercise. There are so many basic moves that can really help you get into shape. It’s all about the basics. But don’t forget, it’s about doing the basics well – with proper form. You can always intensify your routine by adding more reps, less rest time and more sets.
Ranging from calisthenics to plyometric, here are some of the best exercises to help you get started. Of course, you can take these moves everywhere, which means you can’t make any excuses.
- If you’re a beginner, you can always start out by working on your core and overall strength with squats, lunges, and planks.
- If you’re already feeling pretty fit and want something more intense, push-ups, pull-ups, and dips are great to build upper body strength. You can always add intensity to your squats and lunges by doing them in the jump for the lower body.
- Burpees are another entire body exercise that gets you doing cardio and builds strength.
- Don’t forget about the core: mountain climbers, side planks, and bridge pose will help you get more vital.
There are loads you can do to improve your fitness sans equipment. Bodyweight exercises have many unique benefits and can surely get you feeling fit and strong. On to you now: what are your favourite moves? And once you’ve finished your workout, don’t forget to fuel your recovery with an organic, vegan protein shake.
