How to Stay Active at HomeUpdated 8 days ago

How to Stay Active at Home: Your Guide to Getting Fit Without the Gym

Let’s be completely honest: not everyone has time to hit the gym, has access to fancy equipment, or even has the ability to leave home to work out. But I have some good news—you don’t need any of that to stay fit, build strength, and feel great.

Welcome to our new blog series on working out at home without equipment. We all have challenges in our lives that can prevent us from prioritizing our health, but at GDRLabs, we are committed to helping you create the healthiest you possible.

Whether you're new to exercise or looking for convenient ways to stay in shape, this series is for you. There are many ways to maintain your physical fitness by simply applying your bodyweight to proven techniques, and we cannot wait to share them with you!

Over the coming weeks, we’ll share practical, easy-to-follow workouts that require zero equipment—just your body, a bit of space, and a few minutes of your day.

Why Ditch the Equipment to Work Out?

No-equipment workouts are:

• Accessible: No cost, no commute: no excuses.
• Flexible: Do them anywhere—in your living room, backyard, quick sessions at the office, or even in your hotel room while traveling.
• Effective: Bodyweight exercises have been shown to build strength, improve mobility, and even boost heart health when done consistently.

Whether it’s hard to find the time or you lack the space for basic equipment, these workouts are meant to be tailored to fit your lifestyle. 

Let's preview just a few ways you can work out at home. We’ll focus on two foundational pillars of bodyweight training (and all strength training): upper-body and lower-body workouts.

🔼 What Upper-Body Workouts Can You Do at Home?

The upper body consists of your chest, shoulders, arms, and back. You can target all these muscles without a single piece of equipment, from the comfort of your home:

• Push-ups: A classic for a reason; push-ups build chest, shoulders, and triceps muscles. Variations of this workout include incline, decline, diamond push-ups, and many more.
• Triceps dips: Get those arms toned by using the edge of a sturdy chair or couch to strengthen the backs of your arms.
• Wall walks: Great for shoulder stability and core strength (they do require some solid coordination)—especially if you’re working toward handstand progressions.
• Superman holds: Target your lower back and shoulders by lifting your arms and legs while lying face down on the floor. This mimics back extensions performed in a traditional gym space.

🔽 But What About Lower-Body Workouts?

Strong legs are paramount at any age. They are the key to mobility, balance, and overall strength. Here are a few, simple ways to build lower-body strength using bodyweight:

• Squats: These engage your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Variations like jump squats and sumo squats can add challenge, increase difficulty, and allow for adjustment if you plateau.
• Lunges: One of the most challenging and most effective leg workouts in our experience… Forward, reverse, or side lunges target multiple muscles and improve balance while isolating each muscle in the lower body.
• Glute bridges: Getting a good glute workout is tough from home. Glute bridges, in combination with squats, are excellent for glutes and hamstrings—and easy to do lying on the floor.
• Wall sits: What at first appears to be a simple exercise, this deceptive, isometric move builds endurance in your quads and engages your core.

That’s Great, but What do I do Next?

In every upcoming post, we’ll be breaking down individual workouts, providing tips for form and progression, and even offering beginner and advanced variations when needed. Whether you have just five minutes or 45, you can always perform a workout to advance your physical fitness! We will present you with options that you can fit into your goals and schedule.

So, roll out your mat (or just clear some space on the floor) and get ready to get active! 

No gym? No problem. Your body is the best equipment around.

Stay tuned for the first workouts coming soon!