We can all agree that working out is important. But with busy schedules, long days at work, and other priorities, it can be difficult to find the time to go to the gym. This leads to many people putting their workouts on the back burner or simply cutting them out altogether.

But who says you need a gym to get a good workout in? Actually, you can get a full body workout at home with just a few simple exercises.

So, no more excuses! Don’t become a couch potato. Want to learn how to get a full body workout in at home? Keep reading to find out!

Squats

Squats are one of the best full body workouts out there. This move not only burns fat, but it also builds strength by working out your thighs, glutes, hamstrings, and hips.

Another great aspect of this workout is that it comes in many variations. So, you have the choice to switch it up depending on what your body needs.

For your traditional squat, you’re going to start by placing your feet a little wider than the width of your shoulders. You want to make sure your feet are pointing forward and not out, to protect your knees.

Then pick a spot just in front of you on the ground to focus on. You’ll want to do this to help keep your neck in line with your so that your neck doesn’t experience any strain.

Next, you’ll bend at your hips and push your butt back, like you’re sitting in a chair low to the ground. You should squat down low enough that your hips go right below your knee level, pause for a second, and then use your legs to push back up.

It’s important that while doing this exercise your knees don’t go forward past your toes. You want to keep your knees, shins, and ankles as in line as possible so most of the work is being done by your legs and glutes.

To make this movement more difficult, consider holding the squat for longer or even add a couple bounces before standing back up. You can also squat with dumbbells for added weight.

Mountain Climbers

This exercise incorporates cardio and strength to really get your blood pumping. Mountain climbers work out almost every muscle in the body especially targeting obliques.

This is also a great workout to burn mega calories. Mountain climbers can be done with your hands on the floor or on a chair/bench about 2 feet off the ground.

Place your hands about shoulder width apart and extend your legs out behind you. Tighten your abs to help keep your body straight. Alternate back and forth bringing your right and left knee towards your chest all while keeping your abs tight.

The faster you go the more your heart rate will increase. Consider doing as many as you can in 30-second intervals with a minute of rest in between.

Planks

This exercise isn’t just an outdated internet challenge. Planks are a highly effective way to tone and strengthen your body with a major focus on your core and shoulders.

By using your own body weight you’ll be putting your body to work and getting awesome results. Just like with squats, planks also offer many variations to increase intensity as you increase your strength.

You’ll start out in a push-up position. You want your hands and feet to be only slightly wider than your shoulders, so your weight is evenly distributed to all four corners.

Then you’ll want to tuck your hips slightly and squeeze your glutes so that your body forms a nice straight line. Keep your eyes focused on a point slightly ahead of your hands so that your neck stays in line with your body.

Start off by holding this position for intervals of 30 seconds and slowly start adding more time as it begins to feel easier. To make your plank harder, rest on elbows instead of your hands.

From here there are lots of planking variations such as moving from elbows to hands or rotating on your side for some extra oblique work.

Crunches

This old school workout has been around forever, and for good reason. The classic crunch and its many forms is a great workout for your abdominal muscles and thighs.

You’ll start by lying flat on your back. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle so your legs are in the air parallel to the ground. Lightly place your hands on either side of your head and push your lower back into the floor.

Lift your shoulders and tense your abs to pull your body in the direction of your knees. You want to make sure your back stays on the ground the entire time.

If you want some variations from this try bicycle crunches by straightening one leg as you bring the opposite elbow towards the remaining knee and go back and forth between sides.

Of if you have an exercise ball around you can do the same crunching motion with your back on the ball and feet firmly pressed in the floor. Depending on the exercise ball size, this motion will allow you to extend back slightly which in turn works more muscles.

Push-Ups

Push-ups have always been a go-to exercise for building strength. This move works at building strength in the chest, triceps, shoulders, arm, and the core.

Start on your hands and knees placing your hands about shoulder-width apart. Move from your knees to your feet, creating a straight line with your body just like you did for the planks. Tighten your abs and glutes to help hold your body in this position.

Then bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, lowering your body. If this is too difficult you can remain on your knees until you build more strength.

Eventually, you’ll be able to lower your chest all the way to floor. But start out doing as many as you comfortably can while keeping good form.

It’s better to do fewer reps with proper form than to do a lot of reps incorrectly.

Start Doing Your Full Body Workout At Home

Now that you know how to get a full body workout at home, there’s no more room for excuses. These exercises can easily be done while you’re watching tv or hanging around your house.

By doing these five simple exercises you’ll build strength and burn calories all from the comfort of your own home.

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