Last week, I talked about how walking is one of the easiest ways to start building a fitness habit. If you’ve added some walking into your routine—awesome! You're already on your way to creating consistent movement. This week, we're taking the next step: gently introducing strength training with just your bodyweight.
When you’re new to exercise or getting back into a routine, starting with bodyweight movements is one of the smartest and safest ways to build strength. You don’t need fancy equipment, a gym membership, or even a dedicated workout space. Bodyweight exercises allow you to learn proper movement patterns, build a strong foundation, and avoid injury—all while still giving your muscles a challenge.
Why Start with Bodyweight?
- It’s Accessible – You can do these exercises anywhere—at home, at the park, or even while traveling.
- It Builds Functional Strength – These moves translate directly to everyday activities like standing, reaching, bending, or picking things up.
- It Helps Prevent Injury – You’ll learn how to move with control and proper form before adding weights or resistance.
- It’s Empowering – Seeing yourself improve using just your own body is a major confidence boost!
Beginner-Friendly Full Body Routine (No Equipment Required)
Here’s a full-body strength circuit using 5 simple movements. Each one targets a different area of the body and can be modified to meet you where you are.
🎥 I’ve included video demos of each movement to help you feel confident performing them at home.
Bodyweight Squat
Strengthens your legs, glutes, and core. Focus on control and form over speed.
Push-Up on Counter or Wall
Modifies the classic push-up to be joint-friendly while still working your chest, shoulders, and arms.
Glute Bridge
Great for strengthening the glutes and hamstrings while supporting lower back health.
Swimming
A variation of the superman exercise that targets your back, shoulders, and glutes while improving coordination. (Lift opposite arm and leg at the same time while lying on your stomach, repeat on the other side. Both sides = 1 rep)
Low Bear Hold
A core and shoulder stability exercise that engages your entire body. Knees hover just an inch off the ground—small move, big challenge. I also go over the more advanced movement (the bear crawl) in this video
Ready to Get Started?
Do each of the first four exercises for 8–10 repetitions, focusing on slow, controlled movement. For the Low Bear, hold anywhere from 15 seconds to 1 minute. Go through the full circuit 2–3 times, or just start with one round if that’s what feels doable today. This is about building strength—not rushing through reps.
.Tips for Success
- Focus on Form – Start slowly and prioritize technique over speed or reps.
- Breathe Through Each Movement – Don’t hold your breath! Steady breathing helps with focus and stability.
- Progress at Your Own Pace – If a full circuit feels like too much, start with just 2 or 3 movements and build up over time.
- Celebrate Consistency – The most important part is showing up. Progress comes with repetition!
You don’t need to do it perfectly. You just need to begin
What’s Next?
Now that you’ve started building strength using just your body, soon you will be able to challenge yourself with resistance. Next week, I’ll introduce mini bands—a budget-friendly, space-saving tool that adds just the right amount of challenge to your at-home workouts. You won’t want to miss it!
And if you want to improve your push up, join in my FREE daily push up challenge that starts July 1st! Every day you will receive an email that tells your daily push up goals plus plenty of bonus health and fitness tips and tricks! Sigh up here
