For an average working adult who holds a 9 to 5 job, exercising after work is a daunting task. Even so, this should not be an excuse for not exercising. The importance of regular physical activity is well documented in the internet. To sum it up for  you, you need to exercise at least three times a week to keep fit. Today, I am going to show you 5 simple yet effective exercises for you to do at home.

• Burpee

Burpee is one of the hardest and most intense body weight moves. It works out your entire body and will get your heart rate soaring in no time.

Steps:

1. Stand up straight with your feet at shoulder width.
2. Squat down with your palms touching the ground.
3. Kick your legs back until you are in push up position.
4. Retract your legs back towards your chest.
5. Stand up straight.

• Press Ups

Press up is one of the most common workout you can perform. Almost every athlete includes this is their routine. Push up is also a form of punishment commonly used in the army. There are many variations and we are only going to look at the most basic form. This form of press up will target your chest, triceps as well as shoulders.

Steps:

1. Get onto the ground with your hands at shoulder width, palm facing down.
2. Straighten your head, body and heels in one line.
3. Curl your toes toward your head.
4. Lower your body till the point where your chest almost touches the ground.
5. Lift your body back to starting position.

• Body Weight Squats

One common mistake weight lifters often make is to ignore training their lower body. Lower body training is vital to your overall fitness because it puts your body in an ideal situation for muscle growth. This means that you can speed up the process of adding muscles to your body. Squats are one of the best exercise for training your lower body as it targets multiple sections of your lower body such as thighs, hips, buttons, quadriceps and hamstrings.

Steps:

1. Stand up straight with both feet at shoulder width.
2. Point your feet slightly outwards.
3. Bend your knees without lifting your heels.
4. Lower yourself slowly, until your upper legs are parallel with the ground.
5. Return to starting position.
6. Make sure your knees never extend beyond your toes.

• Pull Ups

Pull up is one of the best exercise for your back. It targets almost your entire back, especially your lats.  In addition to that, it also works out your arm, depending on which type of pull ups you do.

Steps:

1. Hold on to the bar, with both palms facing either towards you or away from you.
2. Keep your hands at shoulder width.
3. Pull yourself up until your chin is above the rod.
4. Lower yourself to starting position, until your arms are almost straight.

• Plank

Planking is an exercise which originates from yoga and pilates, and it trains your entire core as well as your lower back. This is an ideal workout for exercising at home because it requires nothing more than yourself.

Steps:

1. Place your forearms on the ground.
2. Lift your body up until only your forearms and toes are touching the ground.
3. Make sure your body is straight.
4. Hold as long as you can.

Conclusion

All the wealth in the world cannot buy you your health. Working out regularly should be integrated into your lifestyle to keep your body and mind at good condition. Little exercise is better than no exercise, so get started today!