10 Effective Yet Easy On-the-Go Workouts that You Can Do Anywhere

Squats

– These are fairly easy to do and they focus on the glutes and quadriceps. You also use your core muscles, which is a plus.

To do a squat:

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slowly to a 90-degree angle. Hold this for 5 secs, making sure that your knees don’t go beyond your toes while your head and chest stay upright.

Push through your heels to rise back up to the starting position. Repeat this movement 10 times.

Lunges

– Lunges are another great lower body exercise that helps to strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. When you sit for long periods of time, lunges can help stretch those hip flexors out.

To do a lunge:

Stand in a split stance with the right or left foot about 3 feet in front. The foot in front should be on the ground while the foot in the back should be on its toes.

Rest your hands on your hips and bend the knees with your torso straight, and shoulders back. Lower your body until the front thigh is parallel to the floor.

Push back up to the starting position, keeping your weight on the heel of the front foot. Repeat this movement 5 times for each leg.

Pushups

– The pushup builds upper-body strength that includes the shoulders, chest, and abdominal muscles. Pushups are one of the most common exercises, as it is used to measure upper body fitness.

To do a pushup:

Get into a plank position with your arms extended, shoulder width apart, or wider if you prefer. Lower yourself, bending your elbows to a 90-degree angle. You want to make sure that you are in a straight line from your head to your knees without sagging in the middle.

Push back up through your hands, and repeat 10 times. If you aren’t able to do complete pushups yet – drop to your knees and do them that way.

Tricep Dips

– Dips are an exercise that strengthens your arms and shoulders. They are great for building up your triceps brachii muscle specifically.

You can choose which variation you want, by extending your legs out or keeping your knees bent for the level of difficulty.

To do a tricep dip:

Sit on the edge of a chair, couch, or even stairs and grip the edge. Extend your legs all the way out with your feet about hip-width apart. Slide forward enough to be off of the edge and lower yourself until your elbows are bent. You want them to bend between 45 and 90 degrees when lowering yourself.

Take your time and control the movement. Push yourself back up until your arms are just about straight, then repeat. Tricep dips can be challenging, so you can start with 5 and work your way up.

Arm Circles

– This exercise focuses on your shoulders, biceps, and triceps. You can even grab 2 items for more of a challenge (i.e. water bottles).

To do arm circles:

Stand with your arms straight out to the sides, your elbows locked with tension. Slowly make circles with your arms 10 to 20 times in both directions, clockwise and counterclockwise.

Bridges

-If you are looking to improve your core stability while working out your glutes and hamstrings, bridges are the exercise for you.

To do a bridge:

Lie on your back with your hands at your side and knees bent. Your feet will be flat on the floor, beneath your knees. Raise your hips until you have made a straight line from your knees to your shoulder.

Squeeze your core and buttocks while holding for 20 seconds. Return to starting position by lowering your hips back to the floor. Repeat 10 times.

Side-lying hip abductions

– Hip abduction focuses on the glutes and the outer thighs. We use our hip abductors for movements such as getting into our cars. A fun fact is that doing these exercises can even help to reduce knee pain.

To do a side-lying hip abduction:

Lie down on your side with your legs extended. Put your lower arm straight up and over you so that it is in line with your back, and you will rest your head there.

The top arm rests on the outside of the thigh that is facing the ceiling. Make sure that both legs are right above one another. Raise the upper leg to just above your hip joint for 1 to 2 secs.

Lower your leg slowly back to the starting position and repeat 5 times. Flip over to the opposite side and do the same with the other leg.

Mountain Climbers

-These are great because they include multiple muscle groups and can build cardio endurance at the same time. You are working your arms, shoulders, quads, and core all in one!

To do a mountain climber:

Start in the plank position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Make sure your back is nice and straight.

Pull one knee up towards your chest then switch legs, pulling one knee out and bringing the other knee in. Be sure to keep your hips down while moving as fast as you can.

Be sure to breathe in and out with these movements to maintain a steady breathing pace.

Bicycle Crunches

– This exercise not only works your usual abs, but they also work out your deep abs and obliques (side abs) as well. Bicycle crunches can also strengthen your hamstrings and quads.

To do a bicycle crunch:

Lie flat on the floor with your knees bent while your feet are on the floor. Place your hands behind your head while pulling your shoulder blades back.

Raise your knees to a 90-degree angle for the starting position. Bring one knee up towards the opposite elbow while straightening the other leg out.

Alternate and twist to the other side using the other knee and opposite elbow. You want to keep your legs elevated at all times, about 6 inches or so off of the floor.

Repeat these motions 10 times for each leg, or however many times you would prefer.

Planks

– By far one of the best core exercises out there for core strength! It also helps you gain more stability and can boost your calorie burn because of the challenge.

To do a plank:

Begin in the plank position, your palms or forearms on the floor. Extend your legs out with your toes on the floor. Your arms or elbows should be right below your shoulders.

Engage your abdominal muscles by drawing your belly button inward toward your spine. Keep your body straight with no sagging or arching your back. Hold this position for 15 secs then release.

Repeat this for the desired amount of time. If you want more of a challenge you can increase the time that you hold the plank to 30, 45, or even 60 seconds.

These exercises are very easy to do and won’t take a lot of time! You can decide however many sets you want to do, the more sets you do, the more challenging. Whether you decide to get your workout done before starting your day or afterward, you will be done in no time.