With no access to gyms right now, home workout equipment seemly sold out everywhere, and limited space to exercise, it can be frustrating to feel like you can’t get in your usual workout. But you still can improve your strength, muscular endurance, Bodyweight Core Exercises You Can Do In Your Living Room.
“Bodyweight exercises are a highly-effective way to move your body, especially during this time,” says Lindsey Clayton, instructor at Barry’s Bootcamp and cofounder of the Strengthen Your Core With Just a Dumbbell. So we asked Clayton to put together a fun, fast-paced bodyweight core circuit that anyone can do in any space.
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Bodyweight Core Exercises You Can Do In Your Living Room: Each exercise is demonstrated by Clayton in the video below so you can learn the proper form. Perform each for 1 minute, taking a 30-second rest between each move. Complete the circuit once for a killer 13-minute workout or complete it two times through for a greater challenge in under 30 minutes. You don’t need any equipment. An exercise mat is optional.
Squat With Rotation
Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands behind your head, elbows out. This is your starting position. Send hips back and bend knees to lower down into a squat. Keep chest lifted. Press through heels to stand, then rotate your torso to the right while drawing your right knee to left elbow. Return to starting position, then perform another squat. Stand, then rotate your torso to the left while drawing left knee to right elbow. Repeat.
Squat to High Plank
Stand with feet just wider than hip-width apart. Sending hips back and bend knees to squat down until butt drops below knee level. Drop hands to the floor and walk hands out into a high plank position. Pause, then walk hands back up to return to starting position. Repeat.
Bear Plank With Rotational Foot Tap
From all fours with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips, engage your core to lift your knees up off the ground two inches, keeping your back flat and your butt down. Twist your body to the right while simultaneously kicking your left foot out in front of you and touching left toes with your right hand. Return to starting position. Then repeat on opposite side: Twist your body to the left while kicking your right foot out in front of you and touching right toes with your left hand. Repeat.
Side Plank With Crunch (Right)
Start in a side plank position with left elbow directly under left shoulder, feet stacked and hips elevated. Engage core. Place your right hand behind your head and lift your right leg. Crunch right knee to right elbow. Return to starting position and repeat.
Mermaid Tap (Right)
Lie on your right side at about a 45-degree angle, legs straight. Shift weight onto left hip and place left forearm down on mat for balance. Extend your right arm straight up to ceiling. Engage your core to lift your legs straight up toward your right hand so your body forms a V. Lower legs back, and repeat.
Side Plank With Crunch (Left)
Start in a side plank position with right elbow directly under right shoulder, feet stacked and hips elevated. Engage core. Place your left hand behind your head and lift your left leg. Crunch left knee to left elbow. Return to starting position and repeat.
Mermaid Tap (Left)
Lie on your right side at about a 45-degree angle, legs straight. Shift weight onto right hip and place right forearm down on mat for balance. Extend your left arm straight up to ceiling. Engage your core to lift your legs straight up toward your left hand so your body forms a V. Lower legs back, and repeat.
Diagonal In-and-Out
Start in a seated position, with hands on mat behind hips and knees bent at a 45-degree angle. Engage core and lift feet off the floor. With knees bent, keep a straight back and strong core. Extend legs straight out on a diagonal to the right as you lean back 45 degrees and let heels hover over floor. Draw knees back in toward chest to recenter, then extend legs out again on a diagonal to the left. Return to starting position. Repeat.
Dead Bug to Hollow Hold
Lie faceup with knees and elbows bent, feet flexed. Engage core to crunch up and draw elbows to touch knees. Hold tension there, then extend your right arm and right leg away from you. Return to center. Extend left arm and left leg. Return to center. Then, extend both arms and both legs to come into a hollow hold. Be sure to engage core while pressing lower back into the floor. Return to the starting position. Repeat.
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