The Beauty of Bodyweight Workouts

Bodyweight exercises are a fantastic way to get in shape and stay healthy. They require
no equipment and can be performed anywhere, making them perfect for anyone short
on time or without access to a gym. Today, we’ll explore the benefits of bodyweight
exercises and explain how beginners can incorporate them into their workout routine.
Let’s dive in!

The Bennys of Bodyweight Workouts

People are often surprised to learn that bodyweight exercises are excellent for building
strength and muscle tone. Because these exercises use your body weight to create
resistance, you can customize your workout to your fitness level by adjusting the
number of reps or sets you do in a session.

Bodyweight exercises are also great for improving cardiovascular health. You might be
surprised how quickly these workouts raise your heart rate and keep it elevated. This
can help improve both your endurance and overall cardiovascular fitness. And, since
you can do bodyweight exercises anywhere, you can get a quick cardio workout in even
if you don’t have access to a gym or equipment.

Bodyweight exercises can also help improve your balance and flexibility. Many of the
exercises require you to engage your core muscles, which can improve your stability
and balance. They can also help improve your range of motion and enhance overall
athletic performance.

Bodyweight Exercises for Beginners

If the idea of using your body weight in your workouts is new to you, you’re going to love
adding these simple moves into your current workout routine. If you’re a beginner,
remember to start slowly and work your way up to more challenging exercises.

Basic bodyweight exercises include squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks. These
moves work multiple muscle groups and are easy to modify to your fitness level. If
standard pushups are beyond your ability, start with a modified pushup on your knees or
by leaning toward a wall and pressing your body away from it.

You can also use bodyweight exercises as part of your warm-up or cool-down. Doing a
few minutes of bodyweight exercises before and after your main workout can help
prepare your muscles for exercise, prevent injury, and reduce soreness.

And don’t be afraid to add bodyweight exercises to your existing workout routine. Try
working in a set of squats, push-ups, or lunges between sets of weightlifting. You’ll find
this helps keep your heart rate up and gives you a full-body workout.

This should go without saying…but we’ll say it anyway—it is so important to listen to
your body and take breaks as needed. A little soreness (especially when just starting
out) is normal. But if you feel any sort of severe pain or discomfort, STOP.

If you’re unsure how to incorporate bodyweight exercises into your current routine, or if
you’d like a little help in creating a customized routine that works for your current fitness
level, stop by the studio and ask for an assist. We’d love to help!

Here’s to using our body weight to our benefit!

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Harvard Health
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