Cardio, HIIT, Strength Training? What’s the Best At-Home Workout?

Written by: Dr. Anthony Balduzzi,

Founder of The Fit Mother Project & Fit Father Project

Founder, The Fit Mother Project
Founder, The Fit Father Project

Written by: Dr. Anthony Balduzzi,

Founder of The Fit Mother Project & Fit Father Project

Founder, The Fit Mother Project
Founder, The Fit Father Project

Best Home Workout

You don't have to go to the gym to achieve optimal health and fitness. All you need is the best at-home workout! But which is truly best, and more importantly, best for YOU?

Fitness is absolutely necessary to maintain not just your physical health but also your mental health.

Exercise boosts mood by increasing endorphins and also enhances immunity. Regular exercise has been found to decrease both anxiety and depression.

Not only that, moderate exercise seems to have a beneficial effect on immune functions, which could protect against upper respiratory tract infections, and a review of numerous studies found that regular exercise training has an overall anti-inflammatory effect and aids in immune regulation.

Improved physical and mental health, a better mood, and enhanced immunity are at your fingertips — and you don't need to spend hours in the gym!

From cardio and HIIT to strength training, balance, and flexibility, the Fit Mother Project has a slew of great workouts you can do right from the comfort of your own home.

Check out a few of our favorites below, and get started with your at-home workouts today!

Before you start any workout, be sure to warm up. These three simple warm-up tips will prevent you from getting injured and maximize your workouts!

The Best Cardio/HIIT Home Workout

You can get one of the best home workouts by using high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to ramp up your cardio.

This workout requires zero equipment and can be done in the comfort of your living room!

This home workout will take about 40-45 minutes with the warm-up and cool-down. If you are crunched for time, you can decrease the number of sets in each round or pick two of the rounds to do instead of three.

Warm-Up

Prime your muscles to perform at their highest level with the warm-up video we shared earlier. For more great stretches (and workouts and more), check out our YouTube Channel.

Round 1

Perform each move for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds. After the 20-second rest, go right to the next move.

Tuck Jumps

  • Begin with your knees slightly bent.
  • Hold your hands in front of you, palms down with your fingertips together at chest height.
  • Dip into a quarter squat and immediately explode upward.
  • Drive the knees towards the chest, attempting to touch them to the palms of the hands.
  • Land softly with slightly bent knees.

Spiderman Push-Ups

  • Start in a standard pushup position.
  • As you lower your body toward the floor, bring your right leg out to the side and try to touch your knee to your elbow.
  • Return to the starting position, and repeat with your left leg.

Jump Lunge

  • For this exercise, you start in a lunge position.
  • Lower your back knee toward the ground in a lunge while keeping your front shin as vertical as possible.
  • Do not let your knee track over your toe.
  • Push explosively off the ground, jumping and switching the position of your legs while in mid-air.
  • Land in the lunge position with the opposite leg forward. Repeat, switching legs on each jump.
  • Repeat three times. Rest for one full minute, then move to round two.

Round 2

Perform each move for 50 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Immediately go to the next move.

Burpees with Push-Ups

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Bend your knees and lower your body into a squat as you place your hands between your feet.
  • Jump your feet back into the plank position.
  • Do one push-up.
  • Then, jump your feet back to your hands.
  • Reach your arms overhead and jump up into the air.
  • Land and immediately lower back into a squat for your next rep.

Tricep Dip to Toe Touch

  • Using a chair or step, lower into a tricep dip.
  • As you push up, straighten your right leg and reach your left hand towards your right toe.
  • Lower your leg and repeat, alternating sides.

Side-to-Side Abs

  • Start in a plank position.
  • Hop both feet up to the right, trying to bring your knees to the outside of your right elbow.
  • Hop back into a plank position, then bring your knees to the left elbow.
  • Continue alternating sides.
  • Repeat three times, then move to round three.

Round 3

Perform each move for one minute, then rest for 40 seconds.

Mountain Climbers

  • Start in a push-up position.
  • Engage your abs, bring your right knee to your chest, then straighten it back to the starting position.
  • Then, bring your left leg to your chest and back again.
  • Repeat this as quickly as possible for 20 seconds.

Russian Twist

  • Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot from your butt.
  • Clasp your hands in front of you.
  • Lean slightly back without rounding your back.
  • Twist slowly to the left, bringing the hands to your left side.
  • Then, rotate back to the right.
  • Continue alternating sides.
  • Make sure you are using your abs and not just swinging your arms.
  • Do this with your feet on the ground or hover your feet above the ground for an added challenge.

High Knees

  • This is basically just running in place, but try to bring your knees up to your waist level.
  • Really engage your abdominals throughout the exercise.
  • Repeat three times, then cool down

Cool Down

Jog in place or walk around your home for a few minutes to get your heart rate back down toward a normal resting rate. Finish with easy static stretches targeting your upper and lower body.

Learn about the best types of cardio for fat loss and the science behind cardio for WOMEN!

The Best Strength Training Home Workout

You can do a great strength training workout at home utilizing your body weight, resistance bands, and/or dumbbells.

Warm-Up

Again, start with stretches similar to those done in the video above.

Main Workout

Squats

  • Perform 12-15 squats.
  • You can do these using your body weight, or you can add resistance bands or hold dumbbells by your side to add a bit of a challenge.
  • Aim for three sets of squats.

Push-Ups

  • Do 12-15 push-ups.
  • If you cannot do these on your feet, modify the move and come down to your knees.
  • Perform three sets.

Front Lunges

  • Aim for 8-10 front lunges with each leg.
  • For bodyweight lunges, clasp your hands in front of you or let them hang by your side.
  • Or you can make these harder by holding a 5-10 pound dumbbell in each hand.

Tricep Chair Dips

  • Perform 12-15 chair dips.
  • Keep your feet closer to you to make this move a little easier.
  • You can also challenge yourself by extending your legs out and resting your heels as you dip down.
  • Perform three sets.

Pike PushUps

  • These are push-ups done in an inverted V position that target your shoulders rather than your chest.
  • Perform 10-12 reps.
  • Repeat for three sets.

Plank

  • Try to hold a plank for as long as you can until your form fails.
  • Aim for at least 15 seconds to start, then increase your time as you gain more core strength.

Cool Down

End the workout with static stretches that target both the upper and lower body. Make sure to hit the muscles that you trained during your workout.

Find out why strength training for women over 40 is important to combat muscle loss and promote longevity!

The Best Balance and Stretching Home Workout

Balance exercises and stretching are essential to increase flexibility and coordination and will improve your other workouts.

These are some of the easiest and best home workouts!

Plus, yoga-type exercises also benefit mental health. A study from the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that yoga has an effective role in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

You can improve your flexibility and balance with these top home exercises that can be easily done in the comfort of your living room. These moves incorporate stretching and yoga to keep your muscles limber and strong.

Triangle Pose

  • Stand upright and extend your right hand forward.
  • Lower your right hand down onto your shin or ankle.
  • You can even place your hand on the floor if you are more flexible.
  • Reach your left fingertips toward the ceiling.
  • Turn your head to look up to your left hand.
  • Stay for five breaths, then repeat the pose with your left leg forward.

Tree Pose

  • Stand upright and shift your weight into your right foot while lifting your left foot off the floor.
  • Bend your left knee and bring the sole of your left foot high onto your inner right thigh.
  • Take five to 10 breaths, then lower your left foot to the floor and repeat on the other side.

Bird-Dog

  • Start on your hands and knees.
  • Your knees will be under your hips, and your hands under your shoulders.
  • Keep your abs engaged and your back flat.
  • Reach out with your right hand and extend your left leg out behind you.
  • Then round your back and head and bring your right elbow and your left leg under your body to touch.
  • This completes one rep. Repeat eight to 10 times on this side, then switch to the other side.

Cobra Stretch

  • Lie face down, with your hands by your shoulders, as if you were doing a pushup.
  • Push your torso up as far as possible or until your hips begin to come off the floor.
  • Hold for five deep breaths, then lower back down.
  • Repeat one or two more times.

Cow-Cat Stretch

  • Begin on your hands and knees.
  • Inhale and lift your hips upward.
  • Press your chest forward and allow your stomach to sink.
  • Lift your head and relax your shoulders away from your ears.
  • This is known as the cow pose.
  • Then, to come into cat pose, round your spine and tuck in your tailbone while bringing your head toward the floor.
  • Continue to alternate cow and cat poses five times for each.

Child’s Pose

  • Start on your hands and knees.
  • Bring your body to the ground with your stomach between your thighs and your forehead to the floor.
  • Stretch your arms in front of you with your palms toward the floor.
  • Stay in this position as long as you like, but for at least five full breaths.

Learn how to have good balance as you age with these five exercises!

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Founder of The Fit Mother Project & Fit Father Project

Founder, The Fit Mother Project
Founder, The Fit Father Project

After watching his own Dad lose his health and pass away at the young age of 42, Dr. Balduzzi founded The Fit Mother Project and Fit Father Project to help busy moms and dads get and stay healthy for their families.

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi holds dual degrees in Psychology & Nutrition from the University of Pennsylvania, a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine, and is also a former national champion bodybuilder. He’s is most proud of the fact that he’s helped over 40,000 families in over 100 countries lose weight and get healthy for life.

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

  • The simple & delicious Fit Mother Meal Plan with easy recipes for you and your family.
  • The metabolism-boosting Fit Mother Project workouts to kickstart your metabolism for fast fat burning.
  • VIP email coaching where we’ll personally walk you through the program.
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If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

  • The simple & delicious Fit Mother Meal Plan with easy recipes for you and your family.
  • The metabolism-boosting Fit Mother 30X Workout (under 90 min/week) to kickstart your metabolism for fast fat burning.
  • VIP email coaching where we’ll personally walk you through the program.
Learn More About FM30X

*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on finding the best at-home workout for you.

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Our Fit Mother Project Team’s deepest commitment is to helping you live healthier for both yourself and your family. And when it comes to online content, integrity and trust is everything. That’s why our Fit Mother Project staff-writers are all trained professionals in the field of health and wellness (registered dieticians, licensed personal trainers, and licensed physicians) – see the full team here. We rigorously run all of our articles through a rigorous editorial process to ensure the accuracy, simplicity, and utility of the information. And we aren’t just a team of “academics” sitting in an ivory tower. We are real people – with jobs, responsibilities, and families – working hard in the trenches and testing our tips & methods out to make sure you can stay healthy for family.

Here is what you can expect from us on our Fit Mother Blog and YouTube channel:

  1. All of our content is written and reviewed by licensed health professionals (dieticians, personal trainers, doctors).
  2. In nearly all of our articles, we link to published research studies from the most respected peer-reviewed medical & health journals.
  3. We include research-based videos to accompany our articles to make it easier for you to consume our content, put it into action, and see results.
  4. Inside our articles & videos, we do promote our free meal plans, workouts, and/or paid programs, because we know they have the potential to change your life.
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  6. Above all, we are a community of likeminded men and women committed to living healthier. We do not advocate any health advice that we wouldn’t personally implement with our families. Because as far as we’re concerned, you’re our family too.

Thanks for checking out the blog. We can’t wait to support you toward greater health, energy, and vitality.

– The Fit Mother Project Team

 

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