How To Get Fit At Home
This is a good 20 minute home workout to help you to get fit and healthy at home. It’s also a great way to lose fat fast, as it works your whole body. The more work you put in, the more fat that will fall off! You can always find time to get a 20 minute cardio workout into your daily schedule, and this is the best 20 minute workout you can do!
The workout starts with a warm-up jog and then has 8 bodyweight exercises designed to help tone and burn fat. All the exercises are traditional old school fitness exercises that are performed in martial arts clubs, aerobics classes and gyms the world over.
This quick home workout routine is designed to improve both cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. It is also great for toning the body, so you can use this as a home-based 20 minute toning workout too.
Perform each exercise as intensively as possible and then rest for up to 30 seconds before moving on to the next one. Always ensure that you perform the exercises correctly, holding proper form, especially in the hip bridges and squat thrusts. Breath deeply and naturally throughout.
This 20 minute circuit workout targets the whole body, improves cardiovascular efficiency and tones and strengthens the body. This workout is a great way to prepare for a more serious circuit training workout. This twenty minute workout also requires no equipment, so you really can do it anywhere.
The 20 Minute Workout Routine
1. Jog in one place for 3 minutes
Simple light jogging on the spot. This does not have to be intensive, so no high knees or jumping around, it is just to gently warm you up for a few minutes before the main exercises.
2. Jumping jacks: 50 repeats
The classic old school cardio burner. Also known as the star jump, start by standing up straight with your feet together, then simply jump the feet out to the sides, just wider than shoulder width apart while lifting you hands upwards.
Return to normal standing position. When landing, bend your knees slightly to reduce the impact on knee joints.
3. Crunches: 15 repeats
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Place your hands at the sides of your head with your fingers lightly touching your temples, with elbows pointing outwards.
Try to keep your neck in a straight line with your spine, fixing a point on the ceiling above you is a good idea. Flex your waist to raise the upper torso from the floor so that you are “crunching” your abdominals.
Ensure that your abs are engaged (contracted) throughout the movement, hold for a second. Then lower yourself until the back of your shoulders touches the mat before repeating. Muscles worked: Abdominals
4. Hip Bridges: 10 repeats
Lie on your back with your arms straight and out by your side and palms facing upwards. With only the heels of your feet touching the floor lift your hips up to form a straight line from the shoulders to the knee.
Your legs should be almost vertical from the foot to the knee. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Squeeze your glutes (butt muscles) and then lower yourself. Muscle worked: Lower back, hamstrings and glutes.
5. Step ups: 1 minute
You will need a stepper for this. If you do not own a stepper then you can use the bottom step on a flight of stairs or a sturdy stool. Simply stand in front of the step and step up onto it.
Alternate your leading leg on each step, so left then right up onto the step, return with left first then right. Then on the next step lead with the right then left leg, return with right first. Repeat. Muscle worked: hamstrings, gluteus, quads.
6. Reverse crunches: 15 repeats
Lie on your back with your hands on your sides. Keep you knees bent. Bring your knees towards your head, till your hips come slightly off the floor. Hold this position for a second, and then lower your knees. Muscle worked: lower abs and obliques.
7. Mountain climbers: 1 minute
Get down on your hands and knees and raise your knees like a starting block sprinter.
Run in that position, supporting your upper body with the palms of your hands. Keep your back straight. Muscles worked: triceps, deltoid muscle, gluteus, quads, hamstrings, calves.
8. Push–ups: 15 repeats
The classic push, in the plank position with palms flat on the floor, point forward, about shoulder width apart. Muscles worked: triceps, deltoids, pectorals.
9. Squat thrusts: 1 minute
Stand straight. Now, drop to a crouch position. Immediately thrust your legs out straight behind on your toes, in push up position, now jump to pull legs back to the chest, in crouching position, then stand up straight. Muscles worked: arms, legs, chest, and lower back.
Cool down by walking around, until your heart rate starts getting back to normal, stretch.
A 10 Minute Circuit?
We tested this routine and the routine took 10 minutes to complete, however, for beginners it is best to take your time and rest more between each exercise. As you get fitter you should aim to go through this circuit twice to make it a full 20 minutes of high intensity exercise.
If you do it twice, there is need to do the 3 minute jog again – you may need to take a little more rest between exercises in the second round. We have also today increased the jumping jacks to 50 (was previously 25). If you do just one round then 25 really is not enough!
You should be able to perform this workout every day – in fact, it is highly recommended to do a 20 minute workout everyday for long-term health and vitality. If you wish to increase your exercise rate to get fitter and burn off even more fat, then use this as a circuit training workout and repeat it once or twice.
This simple 20 minute workout routine could be done twice a day, once in the morning before work and then again in the evening. A few readers have asked if we have a
the 20 minute workout video to go with this article, but at the moment we do not, sorry! This is a great way to get fit in 20 minutes, lose weight and lose weight as well as improve your overall fitness and mental well being!
Hey im 14 years old , 4 ft 3 and i weigh just under 7 st. I dont know whether it is reliable but the wii says that i am a healthy weight and im happy with what i weigh but i am wanting to stay healthy so today i was going to start this exercise routine. but i was wondering is there anything else i should do because ive been told you’re meant to do 60 mins exercise a day?
I’m 16 years old, female and underweight, I’d really like to gain a couple of pounds healthily. The problem is I’ve been trying to eat more and still exercising but I still seem to loose a large amount of weight. This is bad as I am already underweight.
How may I go about gaining weight healthily but still be able to keep fit and ‘toned’.
cheers
Hi Lucyb, any other exercise is good. You could dance, go running, swim, cycle, play sports, speed walk etc.
Hi Savannah, you must eat a well balanced diet, and this must include fresh vegetables, pulses, fruits, and lean protein from eggs, chicken and fish, ideally. If you are a vegetarian ensure that you are still getting plenty of protein, as protein is needed for muscle development.
Hi, im 24yrs old and my thigh portion is realy fatty, i realy want to tone it so i could fit into proper jeans,i would be very grateful if u could suggest me a perfect remedy for it.thank you!
Hi Palmu, a perfect remedy would probably be 60 minutes of cardio (running, cycling, elliptical) and then 3-4 weight training sessions each week with lunges, squats and plyometrics, combined with a healthy diet.
hi my name is rachel. i am 19 years old and a mother to a one year old and still in school. i tried dieting a few months back but could not seem to lose the dreaded after baby belly. any suggestions?? thanks.
I am a 16 year old boy in high school.I weight over 320 lbs. I really need to lose weight because i just feel really bad about myself when i looks in the mirror. I tried losing weight before but it just did not work. No one took me seriously when i was trying to lose weight the last time. I am also a emotional eater and i sometimes eat eat even when i am just bored. I really want to lose the weight i just need help finding motivation and something to look forward to. Basically what I’m saying is that i need a miracle. Can you save me from my obesity? PLEASE!
Hi Rachel, do you exercise? You have to exercise every day and eat only a healthy diet. It takes time, but you will get fit again if you work at it.
Hi Javery, the only person who needs to take you seriously is YOU! Forget what others think or say. You absolutely have to start exercising every day and totally change your eating habits. Healthy food, 3 times a day, no snacks, only water. Walking is a good place to start.
I am confused On the hip bridges I don’t know how to do them
Hi Tyler, did you watch the video instruction?
Hello! I am 15 220 pounds i am obese and have been on a diet for about 2 weeks. Today is the first day i tried this and it definitely felt like it was doing something. I did it twice. But before this i was running on the treadmill for 45 minutes and in the beginning i lost like 4 pounds! then i continued it and started to to say the same weight. I have been eating like 900 calories a day and cut out all of my sweets ( chocolate, soda ect.) i just dont know where i am going wrong! please help
Hi Joh, why do you think you are going wrong? You have improved your diet and aiming to do 45 minutes exercise a day – that is what you need to do. 2 weeks is a very short time, be patient and keep going.
Hey motley health ive been looking for a workout to burn fat because of what i know i have to lose fat to begin my six pack abs workout but im 5’9 and weigh 143 so im somewhat thin Is this is a good workout to lose fat for about 3 weeks
Any workout Manny, although really you should focus on building some strength too. Running, cycling, circuit training etc. they will all burn off fat.
Hey there, I’m a 22 year old, 5’8″ and 159 lbs. I have no problem with my overall weight but I DO have a problem with my tummy that sticks out. If I don’t suck it in I think I’ll be mistaken as pregnant. Is this workout routine effective in reducing abdominal fat?
Cecilia, it will help, although you need to change your diet and get more cardio too.
Hello there. I would like to build some moderate weight dumbell curls into this routine. At what point would you slip these in and how many reps would you suggest. Any advice is welcome. Great webpage, thanks.
hi!am 11 y.OLD I’M want to be fit am so fat na kasi can you help me
I would do them last, you can always do an extra set.
To become fit you must exercise. Do you have any sports, gymnastics, martial arts, dance clubs you can attend? These are good ways to get fit.
Hey there I just started this routine tonight and so far am liking it good workout. I’m 5’11” and 200 pounds so I’m trying to get back in shape and lose that belly fat. I stopped drinking pop and mainly now drink water maybe some orange juice once a week. And stopped eating fryer foods.
My 2 questions are if this workout Burns around 150 calories and I take in about 2400 a day how will I lose weight?!
And also are sheetz grilled chicken sandwiches and subway subs somewhat healthy? I work a lot and never have much time for home prepped meals.
Hello im 5/6 and i weight about 202 pounds which is mostly in my gut ive been doing 10mins of walking up and down my stairs then 10mins of j squats and finally i try to do m 100s but only succed in about 30 reps of squat thrusts then 15 sec of mountain climbers for 3 sets and then i do squats then i jump and i do about 30 reps of those and im not really losing weight could you help me please ive been doing this exercise for like 2 weeks and ive been on a 1500 calorie diet and i do 30 minute exercise every other day
Hello, im a 16 year old female and i weigh 154 pounds. I have weighed this much since i was 14 and no matter how many diets i try i cannot lose weight. I can lose up to 5 pounds but the weight just comes back in a day. I hardly ever eat snacks like junk food and i go on everyday walks for 2 hours. And yet i cant seem to lose an inch of body fat. I will like some advice and tips please. And i will try this excercise plan and let you know how that goes.
Hi Kevin, to be honest, you probably need to do more than this. If you can exercise for 40 minutes, maybe go jogging too, then this is going to help a lot. The problem with any large sandwich is that there is so much energy in the bread, and the bread is often white (high GI) which means any energy you do not use is likely to be stored as fat. If you eat sandwiches always get wholemeal bread – it helps a little.
Hi Garrett, give it more time, and exercise more often. 2 weeks is not long at all. Also, daily exercise is better than every other day. Make sure those 1500 Calories are healthy.
Hi Victoria. 2 hours walking everyday is good exercise, however, why not start to increase your fitness by doing more intensive exercise some days? Start jogging, cycling or do some fitness classes for example. Really you should not go “on a diet“. Instead focus on keeping your diet really healthy. You say that you do not eat junk food, that is great. However, if you eat too much bread or just have portions that are too big, this can make losing weight harder. But, the best way really is to focus on getting fitter first. Your body needs good nutrition to grow and develop, so it really is not a good time to diet.
everyone thats trying to lose weight just keep at it and eat health with some exercise and you will lose weight. 2-3 weeks ago i weighed 202.8 lbs i weighed my self today and came at 197.6 lbs this isnt much but 5 lbs means alot to me lol.
Well done Garrett. And you are right, not giving up is the key to losing weight and getting fit!
This workout seems quite good, If I do this workout altogether twice a day for a week how much kilos can I loose?
Hi Sara, impossible to say. Depends on how overweight you are now, what you daily calorie needs are and how much you are planning to eat in the next week.
hey,
i’m 22yrs old. i weigh around 115pounds, but i want to reduce and tone up. i have a desk job and have time only in the evenings for any sort of workout. I’ve some stubborn tummy fat and thunder thighs that i want to get rid off. will your routine work for me? how long should i do it to see some results?
Hi L, this routine can certainly work, but really you need to start exercising on a regular basis. There is little point in following a routine for a set number of days / weeks to get specific results unless you have a plan for what to do afterwards. Healthier eating and smaller portions are also needed.
hello again this workout works good works even better if you are on a diet. im a 17 year old and i dont like to do much besides playing video games and last week i completely stopped doing the work out thats how lazy i was but i just jumped on the scale after my workout and i found that i lost 1.6 lbs which came from my diet of 1500 calories a day so if i do this workout and the diet i can c some real change this is for all of you thats like me just keep at it and it will WORK.
How much weight would someone lose every week if they did these workouts everyday?
No possible to say Andrew. Depends on how much they weigh and how much they eat. If fat loss is your goal then you should really do more than 20 minutes a day, get at least another 20 minutes of steady cardio on top of this and reduce calories.
I just found this site out of the blue and I’m going to attempt it soon. I’m 5’6″ and i weigh 190lbs but I seriously don’t look it. Besides this workout I’m going to try and walk a mile or 2 when the weather gets warmer (ohio). Is there any advice to tone up mostly the stomach and hips?
Hi Amanda, to tone up you just need to get more exercise and eat healthy. Do this workout every day if you can, and walk as much as possible. Jogging is a good option too.
i was wondering you could post a video on the squats!
Hi Melissa, this video explains squats rather well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huVujjfzphI&ucbcb=1
You perform the same movement with or without a weight.
Hello i’m 16 years old, 5’8″, and currently weigh between 148-150 pounds. A few months ago i was 138-140 pounds, the fastest sprinter on my academy soccer club, and able to run a 5 minute mile. Then in our season i injured my ankle and was out for over 3 months. When i came back, i retained virtually none of what i had other than my sprint speed which i can’t keep up very well any more. The season is out and i cannot get back in it with practice, nor can i keep up very well on long runs. Will doing this exercise daily and eating decently get me back to where i was?
Hi Alex, I think you will need to do more to get you back where you were. This workout does not really help improve running endurance or sprinting. Really you should speak with a coach at your school or academy soccer club and ask for advice about recovery and training to get back to full fitness.
i am 13 years old, 5 3 and weigh 107. most of that is fat and im trying to get abs. will this help me
It will help you Ladedah, but it is not enough to just do this. More exercise in general, healthier lifestyle and a healthy diet is what you need.
Hi motleyhealth! Im 5’0 and about 100- 102 pounds and I wanna get a bikini body in 3 months cause my stomach is big! What would you reccomend!
Thanks
-Sara
Hi Sara, eat healthy, exercise daily! Do cardio (running, cycling, walking, swimming) some days, bodyweight circuits (like the one above) other days, and also some weight training. Try to get as fit as possible while also eating a healthy diet.
Hi motleyhealth:
Im 5’4 about 145#. I am flabby and fat, I know as u age u get worse. My goal is to lose wt., be fit and lean so I have the energy and strength to perform instead of getting tired easily. I want to train smart in the less max. time for max. benefit. So if it is alright with you will guide me? I want to thank you first.
I am going to start yr 20 mins circuit trng. Everyday(Mon-Sun)? What about body recovery or is that only I strength train. I want to gradually build my stamina. For how long 1mth then change? Pls advice. Tks again.
Hi G, doing this 20 minute workout daily is fine to start with. As you get fitter look to do more, get some cardio in, do more circuit training exercises, and above all, eat healthy.
Hey i have a couple questions I am a 25yr old female 5″7 and
175 lbs with a BMI of 29% I am trying get back down to 150lbs. i am currently jog in place for 15 straight mins to warm up before i complete rhis circuit and i have switched up a few thing like after jog i then do 50 situps follewed by 25 jump jacks then i do hip bridge then 25 more jump jacks then the 50 reverse situps then 25 more jump jack then 10 mountain climbs then 50 more sit ups and 10 squat thrust! Whats the average calories you think I am burning??? I am also on a 1000 calorie diet but most days i am not quite reaching a 1000 calorie its always under after i add everything plus my workout is that healthy will i still lose weight?? I have been doing this almost
2 weeks now and i haven’t weighed becauae i dont wanna get discouraged but i dont feel like i have please help?