basic

Many people think that in order to get in shape you need to buy the latest fitness gadget or spend all of your hard earned money on “the ONLY workout system that will get you fit”. Not true! Some of the most effective exercises are basic, require no equipment and best of all – FREE! These exercises are the basic building blocks to a great workout and having a fit body.

Pushups

Pushups are the THE perfect exercise. They can be done anywhere and there are a million ways to do them. Inside, outside, on the knees, on a bench, at an incline, at a decline – the pushup is the jack of all trades when it comes to exercises. Pushups work multiple muscle groups in one exercise: the chest, core, shoulders, glutes, back and triceps. To do the pushups with perfect form, make sure your core and glutes are tight, and the movement comes from the shoulders and elbows, not the hips and neck.

Lunges

Lunges are an amazing exercise to tone the lower body and get the heart rate soaring. There are many different types of lunges, but the one I think is the most effective is the walking lunge. Walking lunges are very similar to the way walk but include an extra element, the lunge. With your right leg, lunge forward about three feet until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee is nearly touching the floor. Pause momentarily and then repeat the forward motion with your left leg.

Tricep Dips

Tricep Dips are a great anywhere exercise and tone the back of the arms in no time flat. They can be done on a chair at work, on your nightstand or on a park bench. To do the tricep dip, sit on a sturdy platform and grab the edge keeping your hands close to your hips. Walk your feet forward slightly until your hips are off of the platform and your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Bending your shoulders and elbows, bring your hips straight down towards the floor. Push yourself back up.

Interval Training

Interval training can supercharge your fitness, boost your metabolism and burn off those extra calories. Interval training is an extremely effective form of cardio that mixes higher intensity bursts of exercise with moderate intensity recovery periods. A great outdoor example of this type of training would be walking for 4 city blocks then running for 2 blocks and repeat this for 20 – 30 minutes. Another fun way to interval train is to walk or run as fast as you can up a hill. When you get to the top, slowly walk or jog back down.