9 Floor Exercises Women Should Do Every Day To Stay Fit & Firm
As the viral meme sensation goes, "Ain't nobody got time for that!!" Well, when it comes to exercise, many of us agree. A lot of fitness experts make it seem like "going to the gym" is as easy as going downstairs, and voilà! But for many of us, it takes serious time and effort. You have to get ready, bring your clothes, pack extra items, drive or commute, look for parking, and get sorted out once you arrive. (Then, you have to reverse everything just to go back home.) That's why we're making things easy for you so you don't even need to leave the house with nine of the best daily floor exercises for women to stay firm and fit.
It turns out there are plenty of simple exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home—without any equipment—to build a lean and firm body while improving your habits and lifestyle. Best of all, the only thing you need is a floor so, unless you're reading this in outer space, you can take advantage of these every single day. Almost all of these exercises either start on your back (supine) or on the front of your body (prone), which is awesome for beginners or those dealing with injuries.
Read on and thrive! And when you're finished, be sure to check out the 11 Exercises Women Should Do Every Day for Weight Loss.
Planks
It's clichéd, but when it comes to floor exercises, it's hard to beat old-fashioned planks. They're one of the most fundamental ab moves and they train your core to be stable, not to crunch or bend.
Get into a plank position, resting on your forearms and keeping your body straight. Push your forearms into the ground to round your upper back and curl your hips in to keep your lower back flat.
Side Planks
While planks target your six-pack muscles, side planks target the sides of your core as well as the deeper core muscles. That way, you can get the full benefits of your ab training!
Lie on your side, and place your forearm on the ground, perpendicular to your body. Keep your body straight, your glutes squeezed, and your shoulders pulled back. Don't let your hips sag.
Hip Bridges
These are the go-to move to build a firm booty as well as strong leg muscles. They're also really great at keeping your lower back and knees happy because they strengthen your glutes and hamstrings.
Lie on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Drive through your heels, and squeeze your glutes to push your hips up. Repeat. Do not use your lower back you pull yourself up.
Bird Dogs
If you're looking for a simple drill to target your midsection while working on your glutes, look no further. Do these as a warmup to activate the right muscles and improve your movement patterns.
Get on your hands and knees with your hands below your shoulders and knees below your hips. Keep your lower back flat. Reach with opposite arms and legs. Think about kicking out your heel until you feel your glute turn on. Repeat.
Dead Bugs
First, this is a powerful, low-impact core exercise. Second, it helps you improve your cross-body connection and eliminate any asymmetries in your core strength (i.e. a weakness on one side versus the other).
Lie on your back with your arms and knees in the air (like a dead bug), press your lower back into the ground, and lift your glutes. Reach out with your right leg and left leg at the same time while keeping your lower back flat on the ground, keeping your hips off the ground, and exhaling all of your air. Switch sides, and repeat.
Bear Crawls
Crawls do a lot all at once: They improve your cardio, target your arms, core, and legs, and help prevent injuries by activating your stabilizing muscles. Do these as a warmup or a finisher after your workout.
Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips; keep your knees an inch above the ground. Crawl forward by taking a small step with your right arm and left leg at the same time and alternate. Keep your hips low and your head up.
Crab Walk
This is a different crawling pattern where the front of your body is facing upward. This trains your shoulder stabilizers and helps you open your chest while enhancing your muscular endurance.
Start in the "crab position" with your hands and feet flat on the ground, chest facing up, knees bent, hips an inch from the ground, arms straight, hands directly underneath your shoulders, and fingers pointing behind you. Crawl forward by taking a tiny step with your right arm and left leg at the same time, and then another step with your left arm and right leg. Alternate while keeping your hips low and your chest up.
Mountain Climbers
This is an easy way to burn lots of calories while cranking up your cardio and conditioning. Unlike other popular interval exercises like burpees, these are relatively low-impact for fewer issues on your joints and muscles.
Get into a pushup position. Keep your core tight, and lift each knee toward your chest and alternate. (It's like you're sprinting in place.) Keep your head up and your hips low.
Pushups
Want a lean upper body with toned arms? Pushups are born for this and round out this list of daily floor exercises for women to stay fit. This exercise builds tons of strength around your chest, shoulders, and arms and helps you burn calories and shed body fat.
Get in a pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your lower back flat, and don't let your hips sag. Lower yourself, and keep your elbows close to your body as you descend.
Sign up for our newsletter!
