A challenge for many of us when we step into a gym or plan a home workout is how to tone the body from head to toe in one session.
Most of us don’t have time to do an arm workout one day, a leg workout the next day, a core workout after that, and then find time for cardio. If you only have 30-60 minutes on 3-4 days of the week to exercise, you need to maximize your workout time.
The ultimate full-body workout is a dynamic workout that incorporates movement and works with all the major muscle groups. The good news is you can do this kind of workout at home, in the gym, or outdoors.
Full-Body Home Workout
You can stay at home and you don’t need any equipment for a full-body workout. You warm up with high-knee jogging for movement. Work your arms, shoulders, and chest muscles with pushups and dips (either on the floor or on a chair). The Superman exercise is great for the lower back.
Planking, crunches, and leg raise will work your abs. Do donkey kicks for your glutes and the fire hydrant exercise for your hips. The single-leg bridge exercise works your hamstrings. Do squats and lunges for your quads. Complete the workout with calf raises. None of these exercises take a great deal of time to perform. Do three sets of all of them and you will work every major muscle group in about 30 minutes. For an added challenge, use resistance bands for the workout.
Yoga also provides a full-body workout. Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog), for example, stretches your back, calves, and hamstrings, tones your core, and strengthens your wrists, arms and shoulders. Backbend poses such as Dhanurasana (bow pose) and Ustrasana (camel pose) strengthen your back and improve your posture.
Tone your arms with Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand) and strengthen your legs with Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose) and Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose). Build a strong core with Paripurna Navasana (boat pose). Incorporate vinyasa or “flow” yoga to add movement to your routine.
Full-Body Gym Workout
The best exercises are ones that work multiple muscle groups, and a gym is a good place to accomplish that. With machines and equipment such as dumbbells, squat racks, stability balls, kettlebells, and balance boards, it isn’t hard to come up with dynamic exercises in the gym. The following exercises don’t just target the upper body, lower body, or core (instead, they work at least two of these areas): squats with shoulder presses using dumbbells, crunches with holding a medicine ball high, walking lunges holding dumbbells at your sides, side plank with row on a cable machine, bench press with hips raised in a bridge position, renegade rows with dumbbells in a high plank position, standing leg raises with bicep curls, and kettlebell swings. Pick a few of these exercises and include some cardio for a full-body workout.
Most gyms will have a variety of cardio machines such as exercise bikes, treadmills, rowing machines, and a StairMaster. The Jacobs Ladder machine provides a great full-body workout. It is a climbing exercise that works the legs in a similar way to the StairMaster, but you also tone your arms since your hands help to push the ladder down. If you’re looking to build endurance, stay on the machine for as long as you can while keeping a steady tempo. If you want a high-intensity workout, repeat sequences of going fast for one minute and slower for one minute.
If you’re efficient with your time in the gym, you can get a full-body workout by doing several exercises with several pieces of equipment in 30 minutes. One of the most dynamic and time-efficient exercises in the gym is pullups. They strengthen your upper body and core. Since it’s difficult to do a lot of them, the exercise won’t take up much of your time. Resistance bands and pullup machines provide assistance for those just starting with the exercise.
You can also get a full-body workout at a kickboxing gym. With all of the punching and kicking into the bag, you will tone your arms and legs. It’s a high-intensity workout that provides a lot of movement. Many kickboxing gyms incorporate strength and core training, as well as rope skipping, into workouts for clients.
Full-Body Outdoor Workout
Parks and playgrounds are good spots for a full-body workout. Bike, run, or roller-blade to your outdoor space for cardio. You can find a bar for pullups and a bench for elevated pushups. Monkey bars are common in playgrounds. Kids make them look easy, but they can be challenging for adults and are a test of arm strength. Some parks even have exercise stations that include balance, agility, climbing, and strength-training activities. Build up your leg muscles and enhance your cardio by running up a hill or doing lunges up the hill.
Go to the beach and run in the sand, throw a frisbee or football around with friends, and swim in the lake. You will be having so much fun that you probably won’t even realize you’re getting a full-body workout in.
Try rowing, canoeing, paddle boarding, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or skating. These activities provide great full-body workouts and improve your balance and flexibility. They are functional activities (they work muscles the way we use them on a day-to-day basis) that are low-impact and easy on the joints. For example, rock climbing will strengthen your muscles for walking up the stairs at your office or apartment.
Best of all, you can do them with friends. You and a friend might not enjoy going to the gym, or you might go to different gyms. By meeting up for a fun activity like paddle boarding or cross-country skiing, you will enjoy the outdoors together while getting a full-body workout in.
With so many of these activities to choose from, you can involve many of your friends by picking activities that match their interests and exercise preferences. You will be connecting with nature, strengthening friendships, and doing your mind and body a lot of good.