Five easy steps to workout at home

The front plank

Who says you need to hit the gym for a workout?

If you are like most people out there who crave to exercise but just cannot manage to find time to go to the gym, why not bring the gym to your home. It doesn’t imply spending thousands and buying state of the art equipment, instead follow these simple exercises which have the same effect as that of the gym but which require much less props and investment.

1. Full body stretch: Lie on your stomach with your arms and legs stretched out straight. Look forward and slowly lift up your arms and legs. Maintain this position for about a minute. This is a simple exercise for your back, hips and shoulders.

2. Push-ups: As the saying goes ‘old is gold’, this basic exercise is probably the best for your arms, chest and shoulders. Come to a hands and knees position on the floor with your hands directly under your shoulders. Now lower your body while keeping the torso straight and then push your body upwards by straightening the elbows. Try this as many times as you can.

Another variation to the straight-forward exercise is by closing in the palms and doing it the same way as mentioned above. This works out more for the triceps.

3. Sit-ups/Crunches: Another vintage exercise, the sit-ups mainly targets the abs. Lie down on your back with your knees bent and heels touching the floor. Place the arms behind your head and slowly lift up your upper torso until your back is completely off the mat. Go back down the same way and repeat this cycle for as many repetitions as possible.

4. Front plank: This is much harder than it looks. Lie down on your stomach with your legs outstretched and toes pointing towards the ground, quite similar to the push-ups posture. Place your palms and elbows on the floor as close as possible to your chest. Slowly lift your body and thighs above the ground and maintain this pose for just 30 seconds.

5. Forward lunge: If you are looking for an effective leg exercise which does not require much venturing, the forward lunge is probably the best there is. Stand straight in an attentive stance. As you prepare to lunge forward, keep one knee bent while the other touches the floor and rest your body weight on the bent knee. Now move one step ahead with the alternate knee bent and the first knee touching the floor. Keep going as far as feasible.