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With the holidays (and all those fun, dessert-filled parties) quickly approaching, there’s no better time to kick up your workout routine than now. If your biggest obstacle to working out is the complaint that gym memberships are too expensive, or that you don’t have the budget for a personal trainer, then we’re here to solve that problem for you! 

To help you get in shape without spending a penny, Inspirations & Celebrations‘ Fitness Contributor, Jacqueline Hinton (a Los Angeles based Pilates instructor and the CEO of the Pilates lifestyle brand Good Citizen) shares today’s free fitness guide which includes 10 exercises you can do without a gym membership.

The Free Fitness Guide - 10 Exercises You Can Do Without a Gym Membership

Can you believe it? It’s November, and that means the holidays are right around the corner. Extra sweets, treats, travel, and fun times with friends and family. There might not always be time to sneak in a trip to the gym or your favorite boutique fitness class, but you can do a cardio/full body workout anywhere—no gym required. Start with these 4 warm-up exercises followed by the rest of the exercises. Do each of these exercises for 1 minute each, without resting between moves. Repeat the entire at least circuit 2 more times. Do more if you’re really feeling it. And don’t forget to do a nice cool down stretch session when you’re finished.  

The Free Fitness Guide - 10 Exercises You Can Do Without a Gym Membership

WARM-UP

High Knee Marching: Standing tall, start marching with your knees coming up to at least hip height, swinging your arms getting your entire body moving. 

Bridging: Lie on your back with your feet on the floor, arms by your side. Start to imprint your back into the floor, and then peel your spine off the floor starting from your tailbone. From the top of the spine, start to peel back down to the start position. Keep your neck and back relaxed. Your glutes and hamstrings will definitely be working. 

The Pilates Hundred: Lie on your back with your legs in a tabletop position. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor, and slide your legs straight out. Start pumping your arms up and down, breathing in for a five-count and out for a five-count. Repeat this 10 times to equal 100. 

Plank: Get onto your forearms with your elbows under your shoulders, hands in line with your elbows. Straighten your legs with your knees off the floor. Hold for 1 minute. 

The Free Fitness Guide - 10 Exercises You Can Do Without a Gym Membership

FITNESS ROUTINE

Squats: Place your feet shoulder width apart, or a bit wider if it feels more comfortable. Hands can be on your hips or straight out in front of you to counterbalance your weight. Sit back and down like you’re sitting in a chair. Keep your head up and your chest lifted, but you will tilt forward a bit. Stop when your rear is in line with your knees or your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your weight into your heels and press back to standing. Make sure and engage your inner and outer thighs, as well as your glutes and abs. 

Mountain Climbers: Start in a plank position with your shoulders over your hands and legs straight behind you with your feet on the floor. Bring one knee forward toward your chest engaging your abs. Switch legs. It will feel like you’re running in a plank position,

Jumping Jacks: Jump both feet out as you bring your hands overhead, then jump both feet back together.

Lunges: Take a large step forward with one leg. Keeping your weight in the front foot, bend both knees to ninety-degree angles. The back knee should barely touch the floor.  You can do these moving across a long space or do them in place. I prefer moving across a long space so you feel like you’re moving. 

Burpees: With your feet shoulder width apart, jump into the air with your arms reaching to the sky. Bend both knees and lower your butt into a squat, placing your hands onto the floor in front of you. Jump your feet back into a plank position. Jump back into a squat and start over from the beginning. 

Plank Jacks: Start in a plank position with your shoulders over your hands and legs straight behind you. Your feet are on the floor. Jump both legs opened wider than hip distance apart and them jump them back together. 

Don’t forget to stretch when you’re done with your workout!

For more workout ideas and exercise tips, visit the Fitness section on Inspirations & Celebrations.


Fitness Contributor: Jacqueline Hinton

Contributor Jacqueline HintonJacqueline Hinton is a Los Angeles based Pilates instructor, the CEO of the Pilates lifestyle brand Good Citizen, and a professional dancer with a BFA in Dance from The University of Texas at Austin. Jackie has over a decade in the Pilates industry and has forever changed the world of Pilates by creating the original personal Pilates loop. As a fitness contributor to Inspirations & Celebrations, Jackie shares exercise and fitness tips to help you shape and sculpt your body.


[Images via Pexels]


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