What’s a good home workout with no equipment?

What workout exercises can I do at home?

Three strength moves and something that gets you out of breath. A squat, a press-up and a bridge (lying on your back, you lift your hips) work your legs, hips, chest, shoulders and arms.

No kit needed. The NHS counts exercises that use your own body weight, such as push-ups, as strength work.

One gap: a pull move for your back. The Royal Osteoporosis Society’s starter pull uses a resistance band. It’s the one cheap bit of kit worth buying.

Our resistance band guide shows the moves.

Warm up first. The NHS warm-up takes at least 6 minutes: march on the spot for 3, then heel digs and knee lifts.

Then try the left column today. Start with 5 reps (times in a row) of each and build up to 8 to 12. That’s 1 set.

How often should I work out at home?

Do the strength moves on at least 2 days a week. Then add 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 of vigorous, across the week.

Strength moves may not count towards those minutes. The NHS says they don’t always get you breathing faster (aerobic), so you need them as well as your 150 minutes.

Short on time? The UK’s chief medical officers say small bouts, even under 10 minutes, add up. See our guide to short workouts.

Vigorous minutes go further. The NHS says 75 minutes of vigorous activity can give similar health benefits to 150 of moderate.

Walking up the stairs counts as vigorous. On a busy day, swap some marching for a few trips up your stairs.

Easy exercises to do at home for beginners

Start with the NHS’s gentle strength moves. Use a solid chair with no wheels that won’t slip.

• Sit-to-stand: stand up slowly using your legs, not arms. Aim for 5.
• Mini-squats: hands on the chair back, bend your knees as far as is comfortable. Repeat 5 times.
• Calf raises: lift your heels, slowly. Repeat 5 times, then try it without holding on.
• Wall press-ups: stand at arm’s length from the wall. Try 3 sets of 5 to 10.

Add reps slowly over time.

For a floor press-up, The Prehab Guys, a physio-led team, put your hands under your shoulders and keep your body straight. Too hard? Put your hands on a raised surface, like a worktop.

For no-jump cardio, try the free NHS aerobics video for beginners. Our cardio at home guide has more moves.

Do easy reps work?

Not always. In one trial, 25 adults aged around 78 did 100 bodyweight squats a day for 4 months, or carried on as normal.

The squat group got no stronger. They did no better on walking or chair tests. The authors put it down to the squats being too easy, even with that many reps.

That’s why effort matters more than rep count. The NHS says to work each strength move to the point where you need a short rest.

Then step up. If you can do 12 reps and feel you can keep going, the Royal Osteoporosis Society says go harder.

At home, try the next move in the table, or hold filled water bottles. Our progressive overload guide explains more.

Does a 30-day workout challenge work?

It’s a start, not a finish. We found no study of a 30-day challenge. The bodyweight trials that worked ran for 6 to 8 weeks.

In one, inactive young adults did 11 minutes of burpees, high knees and squat jumps, 18 times over 6 weeks.

Their fitness rose. Their grip and leg endurance didn’t change.

Jumping moves won’t suit everyone; start with the table if you’re new.

The NHS aims are for every week, not one month. So on day 30, check your reps.

If 12 feels easy, take the next step in the table. Want it harder? Try our HIIT at home plan.

When to speak to a GP

Speak to a GP before you start if:

• You haven’t exercised for some time, or you have medical conditions or concerns.
• You have a health problem, an injury or any symptoms, or feel unwell. Or you’ve had a recent heart attack or operation.
• You’re pregnant or have recently given birth. The NHS says not to start a new vigorous activity, such as running, in pregnancy.
• You get chest pain that comes and goes, or that goes away quickly but still worries you.

Later in pregnancy, try to avoid lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes. It can make you dizzy and is not good for your baby. So swap the bridge then.

Stop at once if you feel pain or become unwell. Call 111 if symptoms worry you or don’t go away.

Call 999 for sudden chest pain or discomfort that doesn’t go away. It can feel like squeezing or pressure inside your chest, burning or indigestion.

The same goes for pain that spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back. Or chest pain with sweating, feeling sick, light-headed or short of breath.