Typical body weight exercises

January 13th, 2010 by David


Probably the most common bodyweight exercise is the pushup. You probably remember doing them in school, probably doing more than you wanted to at the time. It is one of the best exercises you can do because it works so many muscle groups. Of course if you haven’t exercised in awhile and you are an older adult you may want to start out doing them with your knees touching the floor and then gradually build up strength where you can do them with just your hands and toes on the floor.

A good bodyweight exercise for legs would be the one leg squat. Simply stand on one leg and squat down as far as possible. If you are worried about falling stand in front of a wall so you can catch yourself. This is great for the upper leg muscles as well as the calves.

Walking lunges are also a great way to build leg muscles. Stand up straight with your hands on your hips and put one foot forward as far as possible. Bring it back and do the same with the other foot.

The Jumping Jack is another one that you might remember from school. It’s great for getting the blood flowing and working the legs.

Technically with pull-ups you do need a chin up bar, or something else to pull your self up with but it is still a great exercise for the back, shoulders and arms.