No Gym Equipment? 3 Fun Exercises Everyone Can Do at Home

You have your trainers on your feet and your gym bag on your shoulder, then it rains. Or you get a text. Or you see a gif of a cat. Then, suddenly you’re on the couch scrolling through your phone. Hours later, the gym’s closed, and your daily dose of exercise has lapsed. We’ve all been in this situation before. The distance between your house and your place of exercise is as long as your excuses. Close that gap and work out at home, no gym equipment necessary!

While using gym apparatuses helps with targeting specific muscle groups, no equipment workouts have their purpose. Work (Reading, Mass) journal published a 2017 study that shows how equipment-free programs improve balance and perception.

Moreover, bodyweight exercises, which employ your body weight to develop your physique, have been known to positively affect all the elements of physical fitness, based on 2015 research in the Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism.

So there you go. Science has spoken. No gym equipment, no excuses. Here are three home workout routines that require only a few square meters of space. 

Even if you’re not the most coordinated dancer, dance exercises are enjoyable because there’s music and you can let loose. Ever heard of Hip Hop Abs? Who hasn’t done that for fun? The study “Dance Fitness Classes Improve the Health-Related Quality of Life in Sedentary Women” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health discusses how choreographic classes are incredibly appealing and beneficial to sedentary adult women. 

Much research has confirmed that dance-based workouts, particularly Zumba, contribute to core strength, improved balance, and mental well-being. Participants in a 2014 European Journal of Sport Science study reveal how it improved their quality of life and self-esteem. A similar study concludes that it gave women a bigger purpose and independence.

Because Beto Perez designed Zumba to mimic club dancing, its practitioners say it doesn't feel like work. One study in the American Journal of Health Behavior even notes how Zumba first-timers develop a fitness habit after trying it.

If you consider yourself a dancing queen and prefer something more intense, YouTube offers hardcore dancercises that will challenge your God-given skills.

You don’t need a treadmill to get your cardio in. If your building has a fire escape or your house has a stairwell, you can practice stair climbing. This workout challenges your glutes, quads, calves, and even core. Sports journal lists increased aerobic capacity, improved body composition, lower risk of stroke and lung cancer, as well as decreased blood glucose levels as some of the benefits of stair climbing.

You can start slow by walking, then amplify the workout by lengthening your stride (take the steps two at a time) or running up.

Another suggestion is to run or jog in place. It requires no gym equipment except for a sturdy pair of shoes and a small area. Though not as intense as traversing stairs, it’s a good substitute when you have no other alternative (or space). You can use it to fulfill the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation of 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week. 

Do you know how people say your workout is working when you feel like you’re about to collapse? Burpees do that to a person. This calorie-burner only demands your will and power – but a lot of it. Gym equipment only goes as far as maybe a mat or towel. 

Start in a standing position. Then, squat down to a plank or push-up position. As you stretch your arms up, jump back to standing while raising your arms. Do this in sets or until your body can do no more. Burpees are explosive and high-intensity, which means they’re more effective when performed in a shorter period.

Any one of these home workout routines will make you sweat like crazy. Rexona Women Shower Clean Antiperspirant Deodorant Roll-on protects you from sweat and odor for 48 hours thanks to its Motionsense Technology that keeps you feeling fresher the more you move. Just like burpees, it gets you results in a snap.

Gym equipment is nice to have, but you don’t need them to get a fun workout in. Use soup cans as dumbbells or a towel as a slider. Heck, even household chores can serve as effective exercise at home. Find that determination and commit yourself to a fitness journey.