3 Lightweight Workouts You Can Literally Do Anywhere

For a lot of people in the year 2020, the idea of going to the gym is a less-than-savory concept when there are literally so many workout-from-home options. “Working out from home” doesn’t have to mean working out literally from your bedroom; it’s helpful to have a sense of workout moves you can do no matter where you find yourself. Especially if you don’t have much flexibility in terms of space or equipment, lightweight workouts you can do anywhere are particularly appealing.

While there are certain workouts that are hard to find substitutions for — unless, like, you just happen to have a squat rack at home — you can build strength and overall fitness with a few key moves and minimal equipment. Anything that gives your muscles that oof feeling can count as a workout (think: carrying two weeks worth of groceries home from the store), but a lot of people crave a little more structure to their lightweight workouts.

The following moves come recommended by Holly Roser, an NASM-certified personal trainer and owner of Holly Roser Fitness in San Francisco. “These moves are more beneficial to you than using machines at the gym as you’re recruiting more muscle groups and activating your core,” she says.

Read on for three lightweight exercises you can do from anywhere.

Push-up To Reach

“Push-ups challenge your chest, core, shoulders and triceps. [They’re] the best bodyweight move that you can do anywhere,” Roser says. “Adding a reach will challenge your core, shoulders, and obliques.”

• Start your push-up with your feet hip-width apart and your wrists in line with your chest. You can also do this on your knees, if you like.
• Do one push-up then reach your right arm forward.
• Do another push-up and reach your left arm forward.
• Alternate arms for 3 sets of 10 reps.

Fire Hydrant With Ankle Weights, Body Weight, Or Booty Bands

“The fire hydrant utilizes your glutes, hips and core,” Roser says. “I love this move to help increase your running speed and help reduce injuries as your gluteus medius helps stabilize your knees in all workout moves.”

• Begin with your wrists in line with your shoulders, on your knees, bend and lift your right knee as high as possible without leaning over your left side.
• Keeping your hips squared, repeat 3 sets of 15 on each side.
• Focus on keeping your core tight and exhaling when your leg is lifting up, and inhaling as your leg comes down.

Pulsing Bodyweight Sumo Squats

“The sumo squat is the best replacement for the adductor machine at the gym,” Roser says. “This move will also recruit your adductors (inner thigh muscles), quads, glutes and core, making it to the top of my list for best lower body moves on the planet.”

• Start with your feet turned out like a ballerina: hip-width apart around 45 degrees, externally rotating your hips.
• Bring your hamstrings parallel to the ground, pushing through your heels, slightly lifting your body about an inch, and lower back down.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps.