Top 13 Workouts for Lazy People

Swimsuit season is almost here. Many people are joining gyms, starting new diets, and trying out new meal plans just to lose that winter weight and get that summer body they’ve always wanted. However, many people just don’t want to spend time exercising or having to follow a strict diet. 

The Top 13 Workouts for Lazy People

Luckily for those people, you can still lose weight without having to live in the gym. In this article, you will find the top 13 workouts for lazy people that still want a perfect summer body.

Ab Lounge Workout

The Ab Lounge Ultra is a super compact fitness equipment that is great for working your abs and obliques. You can do several ab crunches in the chair, straighten your back and arms to do back strengthening exercises, all of this while avoiding neck and back pain. This type of workout is great for stretching and toning your upper and lower abdominal muscles and helps avoid injuries by providing ongoing support. The best part is that you can easily watch TV or your favorite movie while you work out. No gym is required.

Bicycle Crunches

This ab workout is fairly simple and easy to do, yet you get a fantastic workout. You just lie back on your mat or the floor, pressing your lower back to the ground. This helps you target even those deep abs. Interlace your fingers behind your neck or your head, pull your knees up to your chest, and lift your shoulders and shoulder blades off the ground.

While straightening one leg out, turn your body in the opposite direction by bringing your opposite elbow to the opposite knee. For example, if your left leg is straight, bring your left elbow to kiss your right knee. This creates a crunch. Swap sides continuously to create a pedal motion like a bicycle. Repeat this back and forth movement for as many reps as you want.

Simple Plank

This move is super easy to do, and it works your body in several different areas, making it one of the best workouts for the lazy people out there. To get into plank, you start on your hands and knees. Using your toes, push your knees off the ground to sit in a push-up position. Instead of doing a push-up, however, just sit in the steady position for a few seconds. Usually, 30-second intervals are ideal for getting the best workout. You can modify this workout by either resting on your forearms or your hands.

Hip Bridges

For a lazy way to work out your glutes, these hip bridges are ideal. All you have to do is lay on your back, putting your hands on the floor to give you more stability. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle, planting your feet firmly on the ground. While keeping your shoulders steady and your feet planted, slowly lift your hips off the ground as high as you can. Once you’ve reached your height, slowly lower your hips back down. Complete these bridges for a few reps to get a great workout for your backside.

Just Walk

Sometimes, just walking a little bit more every day can help you lose weight, especially when coupled with drinking more water and cutting back on junk food. This exercise routine is so simple. Many people count their steps, and some people walk on the treadmill for a few minutes every day. Even if you just choose to take the steps to your office every day or park further from the store, just a little bit more walking each day can help you burn calories and fat over time.

Commercial Workouts

If you’re a TV watcher or you enjoy a good Netflix binge, during commercials or episode breaks, you can perform a quick five-minute cardio burst. Do some jumping jacks, run in place, try a few push-ups. Whatever it takes to get you moving, commercial breaks during your favorite TV show is a great way to burn some quick calories. You don’t have to give up your TV time, and you probably won’t feel like you are working out. Just five minutes is enough time to get your blood pumping to help you lose some weight.

Walking Lunges

This exercise can be done no matter where you are or what you’re doing.

Long day at the office and need to get in a quick workout before you leave?

Done.

6-hour Netflix binge and you can’t feel your legs anymore?

Even better.

The walking lunge is perfect for people that still need to get from point A to point B and want to get in a workout while they do it. Since walking lunges work your legs, you should feel your heart rate go up substantially and have a nice burn for a while afterward.

To do the walking lunge, start in a standing up position, and swing one leg out in front and dip down into a 90-degree stance. Go as low as you can (safely), hold it for a few seconds, and then stand up straight, bringing your back leg to your front. Do the same thing with your other leg, bending as deep as you can, and stand up straight. Perform these lunges as you walk around your kitchen, to the bathroom, or to the refrigerator, and if possible, on the way back as well.

Superman Fly

One of the easiest – and for some reason, satisfying – workouts you can do is the standard Superman Fly. Not only is it perfect if you’re already laying on the ground, but the Superman delivers a fantastic stretch in addition to working all of your core muscles: abs, obliques, and back muscles. If you’re feeling spicy and want to up the intensity, hold a few light weights in your hands too – no more than 2-5 pounds at most.

To do the Superman Fly, lay flat on the ground on your stomach with your arms straight out in front of you and your head up looking forward. From here, you have two options: you can either swing your arms to the side and come down to your legs in a big “fly” motion, or you can gently pulse them up and down a few inches at a time in the forward position. The second is ideal, as it works more of your core muscles, but either one will get you a nice, solid burn.

Squats

The basic squat is like the game of checkers: easy to learn, hard to get right. There are so many moving parts that it’s nearly impossible to be perfect but it’s still simple enough that you can do anywhere: the park, your living room, the mechanic shop while you’re getting your oil changed, etc. You don’t even need weights either; a simple squat and hold will be enough to get your thighs roaring in pain.

For best results, do this while you have a timer of some kind, like during a commercial break or while your dog is going to the bathroom in the backyard. Stand up straight and hold your arms out in front of you, then slowly lower your body until your legs are as close to 90 degrees as possible. Keep your eyes straight ahead and do not bend your back. Keep everything tight and hold it for a few minutes. It won’t be difficult at first, but the longer you hold it, the more you’ll begin to shake. And shaking is what we like.

Angled Pushups

If a regular pushup is too difficult, or too difficult to push out a lot of them consistently, then try this variation instead. This one is tailor-made for the living room since you most likely have a countertop, coffee table, or entertainment center handy. It’s important to maintain a solid group throughout, however, or else you’ll slide off and possibly end up in some actual pain.

To perform an angled pushup, simply grab hold of a sturdy piece of furniture, and lean forward on your toes (you can also do an angled pushup with your feet up and your body down, but that’s substantially harder). From there, do the exact same motion that you would with a regular pushup: arms bent gently at the sides, bring your chest to the surface, and push up slowly off of it. An angled pushup not only provides less resistance – making it ideal for beginners – but also allows you to perform more reps.

Alternating Push-Up Arm Raise

As mentioned before, the plank is super easy to do and allows you to work your core through “isometrics,” or a workout where your muscles push and pull, but do not contract or expand during the movement. By adding a simple variation on the plank, however, you can not only work your core muscles but your shoulder and arm muscles as well.

To do an alternating push-up arm raise, get into the standard plank position with your feet fully stretched out behind you and your arms straight on the floor. When you’re ready, lift one arm straight up into the air in front of you (like the superman pose), and gently rotate your body to the other side for balance. Hold your arm out in front for 5-10 seconds, then bring it back to the ground and do the same with your other side.

Do 5-6 on each side, or as many as you feel comfortable with, for a great total-body workout.

Touch Your Shoulder

This also is a slight variation on the plank move and is a little easier to do than the alternating arm raise exercise. As with any plank exercise, balance is key on this move; don’t be so quick to move up or down that you compromise your stance and hurt yourself. Make sure the surface you’re on is level and sturdy, and that you’re clear of any obstructions.

Start by getting your body in the standard plank setup; if that position is too hard, or you find yourself having difficulty during this workout, drop your knees to the ground to add some support. As quick or as slow as you like, lift one hand off the ground and touch the opposite shoulder, then place it back on the ground. Do the same with the other side, alternating hands until you feel tired.

This is one of those exercises that builds your cardio as much as it does your strength, so be sure to go as fast as you feel comfortable to burn off those extra calories. Try to tough it out for a minute or two at least, and then, when you feel tired, do a couple more on each side to finish it off. Though this move looks simple, this is one exercise that will definitely get your blood pumping.

Toe Touch

Ah, the old gym class favorite! There’s a reason this was in every workout video and warmup routine known to man: it works. This move will test (and improve) your flexibility, so don’t cheat; you’ll only end up hurting yourself in the long run.

Stand as straight as possible with your knees tall, but not locked. Then, bend at the hip and drop your arms down to the ground, reaching as far as you can. Make sure to keep your knees straight too; resist the urge to bend the knees to get extra distance. Don’t be upset if you can only reach your shins or ankles, over time, it’ll begin to improve, and you’ll start to see some improvements. You should feel your back and leg muscles stretch, but don’t push them too far; when you start to feel exceptionally sharp pain, back off a little.

Conclusion

Working out is not always super fun, and for many people, there are other things they would rather be doing, like watching TV. However, instead of just making excuses, there are several workouts that even the laziest of people can do that won’t burn them out or make them tired of the whole fitness thing. These workouts and tips are easy to do, and they are often made for quick bursts of energy.

If you want to take some time to come up with a great lazy person workout routine, then you can easily combine a few of these workouts to create your personalized workouts, which are fun and exciting without being too hard on you at once.

-Terry Asher