The Benefits of Bodyweight Exercise + a Workout!
About the author: Amy is a nutritionist and personal trainer who helps busy working women take control of their wellness through education and simple tips. She loves the mountains, dark chocolate, and traveling with her hubby. You can catch up with her on her blog and Instagram.
The Benefits of Bodyweight Exercise + a Workout!
You might think that bodyweight exercises are only for beginners or when you absolutely have no other choice. To be honest, that’s how I once viewed them. But I’ve learned over the years that I couldn’t have been more wrong!
The truth is, bodyweight exercises can be super beneficial and help you get fit and feel your best without the need for any expensive equipment.
Since many of us don’t have the option to workout at the gym or are choosing to workout at home (and since workout equipment is pretty tricky to find these days) bodyweight workouts are the perfect way to either maintain your fitness or get started!
Here are just a few of my favorite benefits of bodyweight exercises plus a workout to try!
- Bodyweight exercises help you with proper form and movement.
One of the biggest benefits of bodyweight exercises is that it can help you build up the strength, mobility, and flexibility necessary to have good form and learn healthy movement patterns BEFORE you add extra weight.
Practicing squats, lunges, and other exercises without weight can help you identify if you have any areas to improve on or if any types of movement feel awkward or uncomfortable. If something feels off, you can identify it easily with bodyweight movement and make the necessary tweaks before adding a ton of weight to the mix.
Remember, if you don’t have the proper mobility in a bodyweight move, then maybe it’s not the best idea to add weight just yet. Nail down that correct movement THEN add that weight.
- You can do bodyweight exercises anywhere!
Bodyweight exercises are 100% free, don’t need a ton of space, and require zero equipment.
I love that I can do some bodyweight exercises at the gym, in my living room, on the road when I’m traveling, or even at the office when I just need a quick screen break!
Having the options of bodyweight exercise helps you eliminate any excuses and can help you be more consistent when it comes to working out and building strength.
- Bodyweight exercise can help you improve stability and mobility.
Many bodyweight moves require some sort of mobility and stability in addition to just strength.
Oh! And here is a quick definition of these terms just in case you need a refresher!
Mobility: the ability to move a limb through its full range of motion.
Stability: the ability to maintain or control joint movement or position
Yoga is my favorite example of this. You might not think yoga “counts” as a bodyweight workout but when you stop and think about it, it totally does! Yoga often includes static holds of certain poses which not only build strength, but encourage endurance, mobility, and stability.
Other bodyweight moves like lunges, pushups, or any single leg moves require a degree of mobility and stability. Practicing these moves without the distraction of weight can help you get better and feel more functional.
- Bodyweight exercise may help prevent injury & can improve other areas of your fitness.
Like I mentioned up above, bodyweight exercises help you perfect movement patterns and improve your balance and stability. Better movement + improved stability = less likely an injury will occur.
If you’re not totally comfortable with the idea of dumbbells, bars, and other workout equipment, then bodyweight exercises are the perfect place to start. You can start to build strength and mobility so when you do add weight, you’re properly adjusted to that specific movement.
If you’re a seasoned lifter, you can use bodyweight work to increase your mobility (like get deeper in a squat) and perfect your heavier lifts.
Total Body Bodyweight Workout
Here’s a simple and fun bodyweight workout you can try at home or anywhere! Adding some jumps or plyometrics to the mix is an option to get your heart rate up and add a little intensity, but isn’t required.
Try doing 30-45 seconds of each move and repeating it 2-4 times!
- Squats or squat jumps
- Alternating back lunge or split jumps
- Push ups
- Bird dog crunch
- Shoulder taps
- Down dog alternating ankle grabs
If you’re looking for more bodyweight workouts try Kelli’s amazing 15-Day Workout Plan or her HIIT home workout.
