If you’re looking for exercises you can do at home, you’ve come to the right place! The 5 exercises that follow can be performed with minimal equipment and target your entire body: chest, back, shoulders, arms, and legs. Use these exercises to stay in shape, even when you can’t make it to the gym.
Chest (Pectorals)
Chest muscles (learn how to build a bullet-proof chest) are one of the most powerful muscles for the upper body. They are needed for pushing movements, such as pushing the door open or lifting up your hand.
There are two main muscles in that make up the chest, which are needed to control arm movements like pushing, rotating or lifting. These muscles occupy majority of the chest wall, so working them will definitely burn a significant amount of energy.
A classic exercise for the chest muscle is the push-up. The push-up is a very challenging exercise that involves almost all of the chest muscles. It helps to enhance your shoulders and lowers the risk of lower back injuries.
Below is a chest exercise you can do at home:
Decline Push-up
It is a bit harder than basic push-up as your feet will be at a higher level than your hands.
- Lie face down on the floor
- Place your hands apart with torso apart at arm length
- Put your feet on a box
- Lower yourself downward and inhale
- Exhale and return to starting position
Shoulders (Deltoids)
The shoulder, which is made up of three bones, supports the arm’s full range of motion. We use the shoulder for lifting, climbing, and rotating; however, it can be easily injured (use these strategies to avoid shoulder injury) if care is not taken when exercising.
Below is a handy shoulder exercise that you can do at home:
Bent Over Lateral Raise
- Stand with your feet slightly apart
- Bend forward until the chest is parallel to the floor, with hands to the sides, holding a weight for each hand
- Lift each hand out, making sure arm is straightened
- Bring hand down, back to start position