7 Floor Exercises Men Should Do Every Day To Stay Fit
Staying in excellent shape doesn't necessarily mean signing up for a pricey fitness membership or constantly hitting your workouts hard. As a matter of fact, you don't even need to waste time going to and from the gym. All you really require is a workout mat and your body weight for a trainer's top-recommended daily floor exercises for men to stay fit. Don't overthink things—your fitness session can be that simple!
Putting your body weight to the test through floor exercises is a time-efficient, seamless form of training. Plus, all you need to do is roll out your mat in your living room or backyard and get started. (Of course, some floor exercises can be done with free weights to increase the challenge, but today, we're chatting about bodyweight floor exercises.) Bodyweight workouts come with a plethora of benefits, including increasing muscle endurance, aerobic capacity, and flexibility, Harvard Health Publishing points out. In addition, you can tweak the movements according to your fitness level, get a healthy dose of "functional" exercise, and boost your overall strength and power. All of this becomes increasingly important as you age, since your muscle strength, mass, and function decline.
"Floor and bodyweight exercises are great options to minimize the need to go to a gym while still getting the benefits of resistance training," Read tells Eat This, Not That! "Early on, you can build muscle with floor work. Eventually, your body will adapt and begin increasing its muscular endurance. However, you can readily maintain a lean, toned physique by keeping up with your floor routine. If you want to build really big muscles, you will need to add additional resistance. However, the general fit, lean appearance can be simply achieved by regular bodyweight training."
Doing your absolute best to perform physical activity on a daily basis is the name of the game if you want to preserve your toned, strong physique and build upon it. So consider adding the below daily floor exercises for men to stay fit to your routine ASAP. And when you're finished, be sure to check out 7 Exercises Men Should Do Every Day To Stay Muscular.
Pushups
"A staple of many workout routines, pushups work your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core," Read explains.
To set up, begin in a high plank on your hands and the balls of your feet. Your wrists should be below your shoulders, and your body should form a straight line. Gradually descend, bringing your chest toward the ground, and keep your core activated. Once you reach the bottom of the motion, press yourself back up to return to a high plank.
Planks
Read tells us the plank is a "powerful core-strengthening exercise" that also activates your glutes and shoulders.
The plank requires you to first assume all fours before lowering down to your forearms and pressing up to the balls of your feet so your body forms a straight line. Activate your core as you hold this position.
Burpees
This full-body exercise brings together a squat, pushup, and a jump. It's a stellar move to give your cardiovascular fitness a boost.
To begin, stand with your feet planted shoulder-width apart. Activate your core as you lower into a high plank with your hands shoulder-width apart and both feet behind you. Maintain a straight back, PureGym instructs. Bend both elbows as you descend into a pushup. Then, push your body back up and jump both feet back. Next, explosively jump up with your arms overhead. That completes one rep.
Mountain Climbers
"Mountain climbers primarily target the core but also work the shoulders and legs," Read explains. "It's a good cardio workout as well."
You'll begin in a high plank position with your hands planted shoulder-width apart so that your wrists are aligned with your shoulders. You should be on the balls of your feet. In a speedy fashion, bring your left knee up to your chest, without making contact with the floor, before bringing it back behind you. Quickly repeat with your right knee, and continue to alternate.
Leg Raises
"Leg raises target your lower abdominal muscles, which can be hard to reach with other exercises," Read points out.
To begin leg raises, lie flat on your back on a workout mat with your arms at your sides and your legs completely extended. Make sure your lower back stays in contact with the ground throughout this exercise. Next, keep your legs together and straight as you gradually raise them up. Then, gradually bring them back down so they're just above the floor, not touching it. Continue to lift and lower.
Russian Twists
"Russian twists target the obliques and overall core," Read tells us. "To add difficulty, hold a weight like a dumbbell or medicine ball."
Get ready to fire up your abs with the Russian twist. Begin by sitting on a workout mat so that your upper body forms a 45-degree angle with the ground. Your arms should be in front of your chest with your hands clasped together, both knees should be bent, and your feet should be lifted off the floor. Twist your upper body from side to side without flailing, all while maintaining a tight core.
Glute Bridges
Last but not least on this list of the best daily floor exercises for men is the glute bridge. "Glute bridges target the glutes and hamstrings, but they also work the core and can help improve hip mobility," Read explains.
To begin, lie down flat on your back on the workout mat with your arms at your sides and your knees bent. Plant your feet hip-width distance apart. Next, activate your core and your glutes as you press your hips up toward the sky. Make sure your back doesn't arch. Once you reach the top of the "bridge," hold the position for a moment and squeeze the glutes before lowering back down.
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