The no-excuse at-home exercise you can do in minutes

You know you need to be more active… and you want to. You’re not alone in the fact that your time is spread thin and with it — your energy.

But keeping your body in motion is important, and if you can commit today… every day after — you’ll get your energy back 10-fold!

Getting started is not as hard as you might think… and with these simple at-home exercise solutions you’ll have no excuse not to. In less than 10 minutes you can work major muscle groups and get on with your day.

No equipment? That’s OK. Grab soup cans or a heavy book… and get started. You can always upgrade!

Squat

Stand with your weight on your heels, feet a little wider than hip width apart. Your toes should be wiggling in your shoes. Flex at your ankles, knees, and hips keeping your back and chest long and upright. There should be a slight arch (not rounded) to your lower back. Work in your pain-free range of motion.

Bent Over Row

Assume a very similar stance. Hold a dumbbell in each hand or do one heavier weight in one arm at a time. Maintain your weight on the heels throughout. Keep the back long with that slight arch in it throughout. As you row keep the arm and elbow close to your side.

Chest Press

Lying on your back on the floor. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Keep your lower back on the floor. Use either a dumbbell in each hand or single heavy weight (I show a kettle bell). Lift the weight directly over your chest and lower down to the point just before you’re actually resting the arms on the floor.

A few at-home exercise tips:

Start with a weight you can do 15 repetitions to fatigue with.
Lift in 1-2 counts and lower in 3-4 counts.
To add power you can lift more quickly but lower slowly rather than swinging. It’s better for both safety and for results.

Do the at-home exercise sequence twice a week with at least 48 hours in between. Start with one set if you’re completely new to exercise. Add a second set after a couple weeks of feeling fine. Eventually add the third set. At that point you can increase your weight and begin to decrease the repetitions.

Mix up the order if you’d like. This at-home exercise sequence can change everything, but consistency is your best exercise friend! And you may find it takes you less than an hour eventually.