6 Bodyweight Exercises Every Woman Needs To Try

Jan 02, 2019

It can be hard to find the time to exercise when your schedule is so busy. If you’re a working woman, you may neglect your fitness in order to keep your career or family on track. However, bodyweight training can be the answer to all of your problems!

You can tone your body and improve your health without the need to spend hours at the gym! This type of training can be done at home easily but will still give you the exults you desire. Building muscle tone is simple when you know what exercises to do.

Women may need specific methods of working out in order to target the areas that can be common problems for females. This exercise routine is perfect for keeping women strong and healthy.

In order to prevent injury and improve circulation, women should participate in a 5 to 10 minute warm up and cool down before and after each workout. Warm-ups can include stretching, walking and simple equipment like stair machines or treadmills. The cooldown is important because it will naturally reduce your heart rate. Stretching can help with the pain of working out and stiffness of the joints.

Glute Bridges

• Begin by laying on your back. Your knees should be bent but your feet should be firmly on the ground. Keep your arms your sides.
• Use the muscles of your core to contract as you flatten down your body to the ground.
• You should be exhaling as you raise both hips off the floor. Use the muscles of your buttocks to raise up. Stabilize yourself with your feet.
• Breathe inwards as you bring your body back to initial position and repeat.

Having a toned lower body is something that every woman wants, but doesn’t know how to achieve. Using lunges can be a great way to tone up your body without using gym equipment. If you want to look amazing in skirts and dresses, make sure that you’re doing your lunges! These types of exercises utilize the quads, thighs, hamstrings and your glutes. Remember to alternate each leg in order to keep the muscle tone even.

Perfect your form in order to achieve the best results. You can also improve your stability and balance with these workouts! You’ll see additional flexibility in your body if you complete these types of exercises.

Bodyweight Lunges

• Perform 10 on each leg.
• Begin with your feet placed together. Feel the tension in your core.
• Lift up your left leg and step towards the front. Gain your balance while in the air before stepping down to the ground.
• Lower your hips and move your leg toward the front. Your knees should be as bent as you can get them.
• Lower until your left thigh becomes parallel with the ground. Do not push the knee further than your feet.
• Push your body back up and straighten your legs. Come back to the initial position and alternate legs before continuing.

Walking Lunges

• Perform 10 on each leg.
• Stand straight in a room with lots of extra space to perform this exercise.
• Make sure your feet are spread at shoulder-distance. Feel the tension in your core muscles as well as your buttocks.
• Use your right foot to step forward with a large stride. Then, begin lowering at the knees and bend them to 90-degree angles. The thigh should now become parallel with the ground.
• When you push back upwards, use your other foot to complete an additional lunge. Continue walking forward in a lunge position, never returning to the initial position.

Squats are great to target fat loss and muscle tone in certain areas of the body. They also improve your strength and balance. You’ll see a noticeable difference in your abdomen, legs, and buttocks after performing squats. These exercises simulate movements that would happen throughout your daily life, so performing them is a great way to naturally use your body weight to get in shape.

Squats 

• 5 - 10 repetitions should be the goal for each set.
• Your feet should be just past your hips. Keep both arms by the sides of your body. Use your core muscles to perform the exercise. Use your heels for stability and balance.
• Breathe in while lowering the hips. Use the hips and the knees as hinges to push you downward. Flatten your body by using your core.
• Lower the body until your thighs become parallel with the ground. Don’t ever move your feet.
• Breathe out as you rise back up.

Prisoner Squat

• Your feet should be as far apart as your shoulders.
• Raise the arms and keep your hands at the backside of your head.
• Lower the body in a squat position as far as you can. Make sure your hips are pressed backward.
• Hold when you reach the lowest possible position. Go back to the initial position.

Strong abdominal muscles are great for posture and balance and can also have positive effects on back pain. No need for equipment to work your abs when you can use the weight of your body instead! If you want to tone up your core, which can be a problem area for many women, look no further than crunches and planks.

Crunches

• Begin by lying down on a mat on the floor. Your knees should be bent so that your feet are flat against the ground.
• Place hands at the backside of your head just above your neck. Don’t arch your back. Keep your head aligned with your spine.
• Exhale and feel the tension in your core. Curl your chin up towards your chest, bringing the torso to meet your thighs. Keep the neck relaxed and hold the position for a few seconds.
• Inhale as you bring your body back to the initial position and repeat.

Planks

• Use a mat to lie down on the ground with. You should be face down for this exercise.
• Use your elbows to raise your body off the ground. Your forearms should be pressed against the floor. Keep the back and body flat in a line.
• Make sure that you’re engaging the core muscles and feeling them contract during this exercise.
• Beginners can start by holding for 15 seconds, but you should work yourself up to hold as long as you possibly can without hurting yourself. Know your limits.

Push-ups will tone your chest muscles and arms. They can also make your breasts appear less saggy or even bigger, in some cases. Since they don't require any extra machinery or gear, you can do them from the comfort of your home (or from anywhere you want!), which means a sculpted, toned body is at the tip of your fingertips!

Push Ups

• Get down on your hands and knees using a mat for extra comfort if needed. Extend your legs back one at a time until you're in a plank position with your hands placed shoulder-width apart and your feet together. Make sure to keep your glutes low and your back straight.
• Once you feel comfortable, slowly lower your body to the floor. Keep your neck straight and don't look forward. Your elbows may flare out, but make sure your butt stays low and your core is engaged throughout the entire movement.
• Once your chin touches the mat (or you cannot go any lower), begin to slowly raise back up to your starting position until your elbows are completely straight. Push through your arms and keep your form in the same way you did while lowering your body. Make sure your core is engaged and your butt does not sink too low.

Are you going to try bodyweight training as an easy and effective method of exercise? Let us know in the comments and pass this article along to your workout buddies so you can do these exercises together!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!