Bodyweight exercises are the ultimate fitness hack for busy parents. They boost balance, flexibility, and strength, all while fitting seamlessly into your packed schedule. Forget the gym—your living room, backyard, or even the office can become your fitness arena.
Ready to ditch excuses and prioritize your health? Check out these effective exercises, plus discover how our Busy Parent Health & Fitness Book can guide you to long-term wellness success.
Why Bodyweight Exercises Are Perfect for Busy Parents
1. Convenience: No equipment, no commute. Just you and a little open space.
2. Versatility: Build strength, improve flexibility, and get your heart pumping in one workout.
3. Efficiency: Studies show short, intense workouts torch calories and boost fat-burning for hours post-exercise.
4. Budget-Friendly: Skip the pricey gym memberships—these exercises are 100% free.
5. Family-Friendly: Get the kids involved! Turn workout time into family fun time.
For more tips on balancing fitness with a hectic lifestyle, check out our Busy Parent Health & Fitness Book on our website. It’s packed with resources to make health and wellness manageable and enjoyable.
Beginner-Friendly Bodyweight Exercises
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Arm Circles:
- Stand with your arms extended by your sides, perpendicular to your torso.
- Slowly make clockwise circles about 1 foot in diameter for 20—30 seconds.
- Then reverse the movement, going counterclockwise.
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Standard Push-up:
- With your hands shoulder-width apart, keep your feet flexed at hip distance and tighten your core.
- Bend your elbows until your chest reaches the floor, then push back up.
- Be sure to keep your elbows tucked close to your body.
- That’s one!
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Plank:
- Lie facedown with your forearms on the floor and your hands clasped.
- Extend your legs behind you and rise up onto your toes.
- Keeping your back straight, tighten your core and hold the position for 30—60 seconds (or as long as you can hang).
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Squat:
- Stand with your feet parallel or turned out 15 degrees — whatever is most comfortable.
- Slowly start to crouch by bending your hips and knees until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
- Make sure your heels do not rise off the floor.
Press through your heels to return to a standing position
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Lunge:
- Stand with your hands on your hips and your feet hip-width apart.
- Step your right leg forward and slowly lower your body until your left (back) knee is close to or touching the floor and bent at least 90 degrees.
- Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
- For a variation, try stepping backward into the lunge.
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Shoulder Bridge:
- Lie faceup with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart.
- Place your arms at your sides and lift your spine and hips. Only your head, feet, arms, and shoulders should be on the floor.
- Lift one leg, keeping your core tight.
- Slowly bring your leg back down, then lift back up.
- Try to do 10 reps per leg, then lower your spine back onto the floor.
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Burpee:
- This one starts in a low squat position with your hands on the floor.
- Next, kick your feet back to a push-up position.
- Complete one push-up, then immediately return your feet to the squat position.
- Leap up as high as possible before squatting and moving back into the push-up portion of the show.
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Step-up:
- Find a step or bench.
- Place your right foot on the elevated surface.
- Step up until your right leg is straight.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat, aiming for 10—12 reps on each side.
Full-Body Exercises
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Inchworm:
- Stand up tall with your legs straight, making sure your knees aren’t locked.
- Slowly lower your torso toward the floor, then walk your hands forward.
- Once in a push-up position, start taking tiny steps so your feet meet your hands.
- Continue bugging out for 4—6 reps.
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Tuck Jump:
- Stand with your knees slightly bent, then jump up as high as possible — pretend Jeremy Lin is watching!
- Bring your knees in toward your chest while extending your arms straight out.
- Land with your knees slightly bent and quickly jump (on it) again!
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Bear Crawl:
- Starting on your hands and knees, rise up onto your toes.
- Tighten your core, and slowly reach forward with your right arm and right knee, followed by your left side.
- Continue the crawl for 8—10 reps (or until you scare people off) (grrrrr!).
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Mountain Climber:
- Start on your hands and knees.
- Bring your left foot forward to directly under your chest while straightening your right leg.
- Keeping your hands on the floor and your core tight, jump and switch legs.
- Your left leg should now be extended behind you, with your right knee forward.
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Plyometric Push-up:
- Start on a well-padded surface and complete a traditional push-up.
- In an explosive motion, push up hard enough to come off the floor (and hang ten for a second!).
- Once back on solid ground, immediately head into the next repetition.
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Stair Climb with Bicep Curls:
- Grab some dumbbells (or heavy household objects).
- Briskly walk up and down the stairs while simultaneously doing bicep curls to work your whole body.
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Prone Walkout:
- Start on all fours with your core engaged.
- Slowly walk your hands forward, staying on your toes but not moving them forward.
- Next, gradually walk your hands backward to the starting position, maintaining stability and balance.
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Plank to Push-up:
- Start in a plank position.
- Place one hand at a time on the floor to lift into a push-up position with your back straight and core engaged.
- Move one arm at a time back into the plank position (forearms on the floor).
- Repeat, alternating your arm that makes the first move.
Leg Exercises
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Wall Sit:
- Slowly slide your back down a wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Make sure your knees are directly above your ankles and keep your back straight.
- Go for 60 seconds per set.
- Need more fire? Add some bicep curls.
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Clock Lunge:
- Complete a traditional forward lunge, then take a big step to the right and lunge again.
- Finish off the semicircle with a backward lunge, then return to standing. And all that’s 1 rep! Phew.
- Aim for 10 reps, then switch legs.
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Lunge to Row:
- Start by doing a normal lunge.
- Instead of bringing your forward leg back to the starting position, raise it off the floor while lifting your arms overhead.
- Your leg should remain bent at about 90 degrees.
- Add weights to really bring the heat.
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Pistol Squat:
- Stand holding your arms straight out in front of your body.
- Raise your right leg, flexing your right ankle and pushing your hips back.
- Lower your body while keeping your right leg raised.
- Hold, then return to standing.
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Lunge Jump:
- Stand with your feet together and lunge forward with your right foot.
- Jump straight up, propelling your arms forward while keeping your elbows bent.
- While in the air, switch legs and land in a lunge with your opposite leg forward.
- Repeat and continue switching legs.
- Try to do 10!
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Curtsy Lunge:
- When lunging, step your left leg back behind your right leg, bending your knees.
- Lower your hips until your right thigh is almost parallel to the floor.
- Remember to keep your torso upright and your hips square.
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Single-Leg Deadlift:
- Start in a standing position with your feet together.
- Lift your right leg slightly.
- Lower your arms and torso while raising your right leg behind you.
- Keep your left knee slightly bent and reach your arms as close to the floor as possible.
- Raise your torso while lowering your right leg.
- Switch legs.
- Squat Reach and Jump:
- Perform a normal squat.
- Immediately jump up, reaching your arms straight overhead.
- Aim for 15 reps.
- Take a quick breather before the next set.
Chest and Back Exercises
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Dolphin Push-up:
- Start out in Dolphin Pose (think Downward-Facing Dog Pose with your elbows on the floor).
- Lean forward, lowering your shoulders until your head is over your hands.
- Push up with your arms and return to the starting position.
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Contralateral Limb Raise:
- Lie facedown with your arms outstretched and your palms facing each other.
- Slowly lift one arm a few inches off the floor, keeping it straight without rotating your shoulders and keeping your head and torso still.
- Hold the position, then lower your arm back down. Repeat on the other side.
- For an extra challenge, lift your opposite leg a few inches off the floor at the same time.
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Donkey Kick:
- Start in a push-up position with your legs together.
- Tighten your core and kick both legs into the air with your knees bent, reaching your feet back toward your glutes.
- Try to land gently when returning to the starting position.
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Handstand Push-up:
- Get set in a handstand position against a wall.
- Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle, doing an upside-down push-up so your head moves toward the floor and your legs remain against the wall.
- First-timer? Grab a friend to spot you — safety first!
- (Here’s how to do a handstand, if you struggle with that part.)
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Judo Push-up:
- From a push-up position, raise your hips.
- Use your arms to lower the front of your body until your chin comes close to the floor.
- Swoop your head and shoulders upward and lower your hips down, keeping your knees off the floor.
- Reverse the move to come back to your raised-hip position.
- Try to repeat for 30—60 seconds.
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Reverse Fly:
- For DIY dumbbells, grab two full cans or bottles.
- Stand up straight, with one foot in front of the other and your front knee slightly bent.
- With your palms facing each other and abs engaged, bend forward slightly from your waist and extend your arms out to the sides, squeezing your shoulder blades.
- Repeat.
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Superman:
- Lie facedown with your arms and legs extended.
- Keeping your torso as still as possible, simultaneously raise your arms and legs to form a small curve in your body.
- Lower your limbs, and repeat.
Shoulders and Arms Exercises
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Tricep Dips:
- Sit on the floor near a step or bench with your knees slightly bent.
- Grab the edge of the elevated surface and straighten your arms.
- Bend your arms to a 90-degree angle and straighten again while your heels push into the floor, lifting yourself.
- For some extra fire, reach your right arm out while lifting your left leg.
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Diamond Push-up:
- Get into a push-up position with diamond-shaped hands, so that your thumbs and index fingers touch.
- Then, do push-ups! This hand position will give those triceps some extra (burning) love.
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Boxer:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent.
- Bend forward until your torso is almost parallel to the floor.
- Keep your elbows in and extend one arm forward and your other arm back.
- Hug your arms back in and switch arms like you’re in the ring!
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Shoulder Stabilization Series (I-Y-T-W-O):
- Lie facedown with your arms extended overhead and your palms facing each other.
- Move your arms into each letter formation. (Gimme a Y — you know you want to!)
Core Exercises
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L-Sit:
- Sit with your legs extended and your feet flexed.
- Place your hands on the floor and slightly round your torso.
- Lift your hips off the floor, hold for 5 seconds, and release.
- Repeat.
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Rotational Push-up:
- After coming back up into a starting push-up position, rotate your body to the right and extend your right hand overhead, forming a T with your arms and torso.
- Return to the starting position
- Do a regular push-up, and then rotate to the left.
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Flutter Kick:
- Lie faceup with your arms at your sides and your palms facing down.
- With your legs extended, lift your heels about 6 inches off the floor.
- Make small, quick, up-and-down pulses with your legs while keeping your core engaged.
- Keep kickin’ it for a minute straight!
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Dynamic Prone Plank:
- Starting in a standard plank position, raise your hips as high as they can go.
- Lower them back down.
- Continue this movement for as long as possible.
- Make sure your back stays straight and your hips don’t droop.
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Side Plank:
- Lie faceup and roll to the side.
- Come up onto one foot and elbow.
- Make sure your hips are lifted and your core is engaged.
- Hang tight for 30—60 seconds — or as long as you can stomach!
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Russian Twist:
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet together, lifted a few inches off the floor.
- With your back at a 45-degree angle to the floor, move your arms from side to side in a twisting motion.
- Here, slow and steady wins the race: The slower the twist, the deeper the burn.
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Bicycle:
- Lie faceup with your knees bent and your hands behind your head.
- Bring your knees in toward your chest.
- Bring your right elbow toward your left knee as your right leg straightens.
- Continue alternating sides like you’re pedaling a bike.
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Crunch:
- Lie faceup with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- With your hands behind your head, lower your chin slightly.
- Peel your head and shoulders off the floor while engaging your core.
- Continue curling up until your upper back is off the mat.
- Hold briefly, then slowly lower your torso back toward the floor.
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Segmental Rotation:
- Lying faceup with your knees bent and core tight, let your knees fall gradually to the left until you feel a good stretch.
- Hold for 5 seconds, then return to the center.
- Repeat on the right.
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Single-Leg Abdominal Press:
- Lie faceup with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Tighten your abs and raise your right leg, with your knee bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Push your right hand on top of your lifted knee, using your core to create pressure between your hand and knee.
- Hold for 5 seconds, then lower back down.
- Repeat with your left hand and knee.
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Double-Leg Abdominal Press:
- Follow the same rundown for the single-leg press (see number 48), but bring both legs up at the same time, pushing your hands against your knees.
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Sprinter Situp:
- Lie faceup with your legs straight and your arms by your sides with your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Now, sit up and bring your left knee toward your right elbow. Return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side.
Get Started Today
Ready to transform your health with bodyweight exercises tailored to your busy lifestyle? These moves are just the beginning. Dive deeper into actionable strategies, meal planning, and easy-to-follow fitness routines with our Busy Parent Health & Fitness Book available on our website.
Your health is the foundation of a thriving family life. Take the first step today!
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