Working out at home can feel daunting. Without the array of equipment offered at your local gym, how can you still create an impactful fitness routine that fits your busy day?
These no-equipment exercise routines provide a simple answer to that question. In just 15-30 minutes per day, you can fit in a calorie-burning workout that leaves you feeling refreshed and strengthened, even if you’re squeezing in a workout during lunch or the kids’ nap time.
Speaking of burning calories, we’ll talk about the estimated calorie burn for each of these workouts based on the average American woman’s weight of 170 pounds. However, that number is just an average, and it’s easy to calculate your own estimated calorie burn based on your weight and exercise of choice.
Ready to get stronger without buying a set of dumbbells or heading to the gym? Here’s how.
No-Equipment Circuit Training
Circuit training is a great way to work your whole body in a short time.
In a circuit routine, rather than doing multiple sets of one move and then going to the next exercise, you’ll do a single set of each exercise, switching to the next move after a short rest. While there are circuits you could do with equipment, it’s also easy to use nothing but your body weight.
At about 242 calories burned for a 30-minute bodyweight routine, circuit training is a solid way to feel the burn while building strength and cardiovascular health.
The best thing about circuits? You can customize them to your preferred intensity. This circuit, for example, offers modifications for every move and the option to go through the circuit once or do multiple sets. If you only have a bit of free time on your lunch break, you’re in luck — circuits like this one can take as little as 20 minutes.
Running
Running is a classic no-equipment workout for a reason (although it can be a good excuse to snag a trusty pair of shoes). It also doesn’t have to be daunting — you can start by regularly taking a brisk walk, then slowly mixing in bursts of running (this is a great guide to starting your running journey).
And running can be so much more than exercise. If you’re juggling exercise and childcare, there are plenty of running clubs where parents can find support and community. If there’s no one to keep an eye on your little one while you go for a run, a few adaptive measures will let you bring kids as young as 6 to 8 months out on the road with you.
Even without a stroller in tow, running is an incredible way to gain strength and burn calories (an estimated 313 for a 30-minute run at an 11-minute, 30-second pace). 
Photo: piksel via 123RF
Core Routines
It’s so easy to work your core at home, and it’s endlessly important. Your core isn’t just your abdominal muscles — it includes your back, hip muscles, pelvic muscles, and diaphragm.
When you work to strengthen all these muscles, you’ll improve your stability, balance, and ability to use the rest of your muscles, allowing you to do things like picking up your kids pain-free or improving your posture when you sit at your desk for eight hours a day.
Fortunately, it’s straightforward to perform a wide array of core exercises without equipment. This routine offers excellent explanations of what each move does for your muscle groups, while this one gives you great options for upping the intensity and challenge.
Core exercise isn’t a big calorie burner — it’ll probably net a 180-pound woman about 182 calories burned in 30 minutes — but it’s absolutely vital to healthy movement and posture.
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is an incredible way to strengthen your heart health and endurance — even through short routines. The exercise routines, which focus on pushing your body, will up your breathing and heart rate, letting you burn around 280 calories during a 30-minute moderate effort routine.
It’s important that you don’t go all HIIT all the time — the intensity is helpful in so many ways, but it’s easy to injure yourself if you’re pushing hard every day or aren’t mixing up your slate of workouts. That said, this list of incredible 15-minute to 40-minute routines offers the perfect no-equipment HIIT workouts to add to your at-home regimen.
HIIT Workouts
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is an incredible way to strengthen your heart health and endurance — even through short routines.
The exercise routines, which focus on pushing your body, will up your breathing and heart rate, helping you burn around 280 calories during a 30-minute moderate effort routine.
It’s important that you don’t go all HIIT all the time — the intensity is helpful in so many ways, but it’s easy to injure yourself if you’re pushing hard every day or aren’t mixing up your slate of workouts. That said, this list of incredible 15-40 minute routines offers the perfect no-equipment HIIT workouts to add to your at-home regimen.
Physical fitness lets you strengthen your body, mind, and practical abilities, giving you so many rewards if you make regular investments. Thanks to these no-equipment workouts, it’s easier than ever to make those rewards happen in the comfort of your home.