You can go to the gym, hop on the treadmill, exercise bike, or elliptical for 45-60 minutes. There is nothing wrong with that, and many people enjoy the camaraderie of the gym. If you don’t have a gym membership, though, you can still lace up those sneakers, put on some workout attire, and get a workout in without leaving the house.
Sometimes, there isn’t enough time in the day to make it to the gym. Not to mention, it is an extra expense, which is pointless if you don’t make use of the gym. With a little space and the ability to push yourself, you can easily exercise in your own home. The best way to get the blood flowing and sweat dripping is to engage in plyometric exercises.
Benefits Of Plyometric Exercises
Plyometric exercises use the force and speed of various movements to build muscle power. The exercises activate fast-twitch muscle fibers that are for short bursts of energy. These are great at-home exercises because they don’t require a lot of space or gym equipment. They do, however, require max effort, which ultimately increases cardiovascular benefits. The key to reaping all of the benefits of these exercises is to fire up your core temperature. That causes the sweat to flow, which is the body’s way of cooling down. The more strenuous the workout, the more heat the body produces.
If you go through the following exercises and do not sweat at all, you need to increase the intensity. Maybe that means you take fewer breaks between exercises. You can always find a way to either perform a low-impact variation of the exercise, or make it harder on yourself. The thing to remember with these exercises is that you want to get sweaty!
Squat Jumps
Stand straight up with your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart. Push your hips back and down, keeping your weight in the heels and your back straight. Once you are in the squat position, engage your glutes, drive through your heels, and explode, extending your hips and springing off your toes to jump into the air. Land softly back into a squat position and continue to repeat the jumps. Complete three sets of 10 reps.
Skater Jumps
Stand straight up with your feet hip-distance apart. Steady your core and engage your left quad and glutes to jump to the right, landing on your right foot with your knee bent. Keep your chest up, hips, back, and bring your left foot behind your right, keeping it off the ground. Immediately push off your right foot to hop to the left. Continue alternating until you complete 10 reps per side. Complete two more sets, resting in between.
Mountain Climbers
Begin in a high plank position, stacking your shoulders over your wrists. Engage your core and form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Maintain a flat back and tight core as you drive your right knee in toward your chest and then straighten it back quickly. Immediately drive the left knee toward your chest and continue alternating like this for a total of 30 seconds. Complete three 30-second sets, resting for one to two minutes between each set.
Pike-Ups
Begin in a high plank position, stacking your shoulders over your wrists. Form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Jump your feet in as you drive your hips into the air, forming a pike shape, or reverse V-shape. You should engage your lower abdominals to help with this jump. Immediately hop your feet back into plank position and then repeat for 30 seconds. Complete three sets of 30-second reps, resting for one to two minutes between each set.
Lateral Hurdle Hops
Begin by standing straight up with your feet together. Place a yoga block outside your right foot, or imagine that there is some sort of object that you must hurdle over. Bend your knees slightly and hop over the “hurdle” to your right, landing softly with your knees bent. Immediately jump back to your left and then continue alternating side to side for 20 seconds. Complete three sets of 20-second reps, resting for one minute between each set.
Burpees
Stand up straight with your feet hip-distance apart and arms by your sides. Bend your knees and place both hands on the ground before you hop your feet back behind you to enter a plank position. Keep your core tight and form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Quickly hop your feet back to your hands and engage your glutes to drive through your heels to jump up, while simultaneously extending your arms overhead. Land softly and continue through this cycle to complete 10 burpees. Complete three sets of 10 reps.
