Don’t have a gym membership? No problem! If you live in a city or town with a track or stadium, you have free access as a citizen to these facilities. Just make sure to check the schedule and take advantage of your own free gym!
#1 – Step-ups
Stand upright on the bottom step of your stairs or any other stable elevated surface, maintaining proper alignment with your head, shoulders, hips and legs. Hold onto the stair’s railing with one hand for support. Engage your core, and then take a step up with one leg, following with your other leg. Step back down, leading with the same leg to return to the starting position. Repeat the movement with the opposite leg.
Step-ups
Start with one set of 4 repetitions on each side.
Alternative Exercise:
To make the exercise more challenging, you can use a higher elevated surface for stepping.
Stand upright on the bottom step of your stairs or any other stable and higher elevated surface, maintaining proper alignment with your head, shoulders, hips and legs. Engage your core, then take a big step up with one leg. Follow with your other leg, raising your knee up to hip height, and countering the movement with your opposite hand. Step back down, leading with the same leg to return to the starting position. Repeat the movement with the opposite leg.
Alternative Exercise
Start with one set of 4 repetitions on each side.
#2 – Tricep Dips
Sit on the edge of a chair or bench, with your hands at your sides on the chair for support and keeping your legs to about 90 degrees. Contract your core, lift your seat away from the chair, and then drop your seat toward the floor. Push back up with your arms to return to the starting position and repeat the movement.
Tricep Dips
Start with one set of 4 repetitions.
Alternative Exercise:
Sit upright on the edge of a chair or bench, with your hands placed at your sides on the chair for support. Straighten your legs out front. Contract your core, lift your seat away from the chair, then drop your seat toward the floor. Push back up with your arms to return to the starting position and repeat the movement.
Alternative Exercise
Start with one set of 4 repetitions.
#3 – Squats
Begin in an upright standing position, with your feet shoulder-width apart and maintaining proper alignment with your head, shoulders, hips and legs. Extend both arms in front of your body. Contract your core and bend your knees to move into a squat position, ideally bringing your knees to a 90-degree angle. Raise back up to return to the starting position and repeat the movement.
Squats
Start with one set of 4 repetitions.
Alternative Exercise:
Begin in an upright standing position, with your legs slightly more than hip-width apart and your toes slightly pointed outward. Extend both arms in front of your body at chest-height. Contract your core, then bend your knees and hinge through your hips to move into a deep squat. Raise back up to return to the starting position and repeat the movement.
Alternative Exercise
Start with one set of 4 repetitions.
#4 – Pushups
Begin in an upright standing position with your hands against the railing or wall, keeping your head, shoulders, hips and legs in alignment. Move your feet back to increase the angle of your body. Engage your core. Bend your arms and lower your upper body toward the railing, then straighten your arms to complete a pushup. Repeat the movement.
Pushups
Start with one set of 4 repetitions.
Alternative Exercise:
Start in an upright kneeling position in front of a bench. Place your hands on top of the bench and move into a straight arm plank position, maintaining proper alignment with your head, shoulders, hips and toes. Engage your core. Bend your arms to lower your upper body down toward the bench, then straighten your arms to complete a pushup. Repeat the movement.
Alternative Exercise
Start with one set of 4 repetitions.
Alternative Exercise:
To make the exercise more challenging, you can perform the push up from the floor.
Begin in a straight-arm plank position, maintaining proper alignment with your head, shoulders, hips and toes. Engage your core. Bend your arms to lower your upper body down toward the floor, then straighten your arms to complete a pushup. Repeat the movement.
Alternative Exercise
Start with one set of 4 repetitions.
#5 – Walking Up the Stairs
For this exercise, this is great for your heart, leg strength, upper and lower body and your back and core.
Stand upright on the bottom step of your stairs, maintaining proper alignment with your head, shoulders, hips and legs. Tighten your core and engage your glutes. Take a step up with one leg, following with your other leg as you counter the movement by raising your opposite hand. Climb to the top of the stairs and walk back down to return to the starting position.
Walking Up the Stairs
Alternative Exercise:
Stand upright on the bottom step of your stairs. Bend your knees and hinge through your hips to move into an athletic position. Tighten your core and engage your glutes. With your weight evenly distributed across both legs, take a big jump upward the steps, landing smoothly with soft knees. Hop to the top of the stairs and walk back down to return to the starting position.
Alternative Exercise
We hope this article motivates you to head out to your local track and get your sweat on! For our 7 minute workout to blast fat, check out 7 Minute HIIT Workout, here!
