If you’re like many busy people, preparing to go to a gym after work or squeezing it in during lunch is tough, especially when you are already feeling overwhelmed. You can still be in good shape though. Going to the gym puts you in an environment where you feel compelled to do some type of exercise, but if you integrate exercises and a movement routine throughout your day, then going to the gym will be a bonus instead of a requirement for staying in shape. Here are a few exercise routines and ideas some if you can integrate into your life to keep you in shape.
The Pull Up Bar
If you have one, put it somewhere in your house or room where you walk by often. Every time you walk by, do a set of pull-ups, if that’s too daunting, hang on the bar for 10-30 seconds. Doing some type of pull-up variation every time I walked by the restroom was a convenient way to improve my pull-up strength. Although pull up bars aren’t completely free like other bodyweight exercises, they’re only about 30 bucks and some type of pulling exercise is something you should integrate into your work out routine.
Recommendation: do 5-10 pull-ups everytime you walk by the restroom or closet where your pull up bar hangs.
The Push-Up or Plank
You can do this anywhere. Wake up and do X amount of push-ups. 100 is a good number but if you are a beginner, start with 20. Still too hard? Just Plank for as long as you can. It literally only takes minutes and you’ll notice yourself improving every day. You can do this when you wake up or when you get home from work.
Recommendation: Do 100 pushups when you wake up. You don’t have to do it all at once. 5-10 at a time is fine if that’s all you can do.
The Burpee
A simple movement that involves a quick plank / push up and jump. Do 100 of them and I guarantee you will be sweating. It will take minutes to finish this workout and you don’t have to waste brain power to think of exercises you need to do to get a good workout in. You can do this at home, at hotels or anywhere you have a little space.
Recommendation: No time for a proper gym session? Do 100 burpees.
The Air Squat
This is a movement you can do all day. Some of us sit in a chair in front of a computer for hours and the first time we really get up and move is for meetings or when it’s time to eat lunch. The air squat is something you can do anytime you feel like standing up and taking a break (which should be at least every hour). You don’t even have to get on the floor and dirty your pristine white collar hands.
Recommendation: Stand up and do 10-50 air squats every hour. That will really add up to a good work out!
Conclusion
There’s literally thousands of calisthenics or body weight exercises you can do, but I just wanted to keep it simple. Exercises for pushing, pulling and legs with a bit of cardio is all you need to stay in shape, especially if you do these movements throughout the day. I didn’t even include core exercises like sit ups because the plank / push-ups and pull ups already utilizes your core.
Sample Workout Routines
- 7 Minute Burpee Challenge – Do as many burpees you can in 7 minutes. Try to improve this score consistently
- 5-10-15 – Do 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats. do this 5-10 times.
- See how many pull-ups, pushups or air squats you can do in a row (unbroken). Try to improve that number every day or week.
What’s some of your favorite workout routines you can do anywhere?
