Floor Exercises That Anyone Should Be Able To Do

Floor exercises. Sometimes there’s just nothing better than getting a light workout in, complete with stretches and bodyweight exercises that lead to relaxation and an energy boost. 

The beauty of floor exercises is that all you need is yourself and a mat. They’re simple and accessible, so if you don’t have time for a long workout, they’re a great way to get your body moving without a major time commitment. 

So take a break from maximizing muscle with free weights and machines and try some simple floor exercises that can help improve your flexibility, mobility, and strength. 

The Benefits of Floor Exercises

There are a lot of benefits to doing floor exercises that will not only help you improve the other workouts you do, but they can help you in daily life. Getting enough exercise can even improve bladder and bowel health, meaning you may experience less frequent symptoms of constipation or stress incontinence.

Core Strength

For starters, floor exercises are great for your core muscles. Your core is crucial to many of the things that you do. Your core brings stability to your movements and lifts, so your muscles have a good foundation. 

If you play a sport, your core is of the utmost importance. Your core keeps your body balanced. Golf, tennis, basketball, baseball; your game will improve in all of these sports if you strengthen your core. Not to mention, core strength is excellent for enhancing your bedroom performance.

Stretching

This exercise library can also help you improve your flexibility. A lot of core exercises incorporate stretches that feel amazing and loosen your body up. 

Stretching is incredibly important. If we have stiff, short muscles, they won’t perform the way we need them to for the lifts we’re doing. So improving flexibility can help to improve muscle activation and motion.  

Mobility

Floor exercises can also increase your mobility and the confidence with which you can perform various movements. Flexibility plays a role in this, but it’s not the whole story. 

By doing some slow-moving, bodyweight floor exercises, you increase the strength of your joints and help your muscles perform joint movements more effectively. Increasing your mobility in this way can improve your performance in your lifts, your sport, and in life. 

Strength

This repertoire can also just straight up increase your strength. You don’t have to be lifting dumbbells and barbells to build your muscle. Bodyweight exercises are a great way to increase your strength with practical movements. 

Not to mention, if you do the same exercises too often, your muscles will become more efficient at that movement, and you’ll hit a wall with your muscle growth. Changing it up with some bodyweight exercises is a great way to break through that wall. 

The Exercises

These exercises are simple and accessible. No matter your fitness level, you should be able to do these exercises to some degree. So let’s jump in. 

Push Ups

Push-ups are probably the most basic and well-known floor exercise out there. They’re more of a strength exercise, and they work your triceps and pecs pretty well. 

The nice thing about push-ups is their adaptability. Put your hands low, right underneath your pecs, and run your arms along your body to rip your triceps. Take a wide hand stance to get those pecs working, and keep your feet hip-width apart. Go even wider and work your shoulders too. 

And if you need an easier option, bend your knees and keep them on the floor instead of your feet. Push-ups have something for everybody. 

Crunches

Crunches are great for your abs and the rest of your core. They can get your abs working hard and help you achieve that six-pack you’ve always wanted. 

For a more full-core workout, try bicycle crunches. Sit on your butt and lift your heels off the ground, placing your hands behind your head. Then, one leg at a time, drive your knee towards your head and touch the opposite elbow to that knee, then quickly repeat with the other leg. Bring your left knee to your right elbow and your right knee to your left elbow while extending the other leg in a straight line.

Do this in the rapid movement for a great core workout. Your abs will be working, but your whole core will keep your back straight and your whole body balanced, as your butt is the only thing that touches the ground in this exercise. 

Alligator Walk

This one will give you a real nice burn. It’s a full-body workout that helps your core, legs, arms, and shoulders, and it will really help your muscle endurance. 

Get into a pushup position and lower your torso pretty low to the ground. Then, without touching your knees or elbows to the ground, begin to walk on all fours, slowly. Move your right foot up toward your right elbow and move your left hand forward, then switch to your left foot and right hand. 

You’ll look like you’re walking like an alligator, hence the name. The key with this one is to make the movements very slow, allowing the right muscles to feel every part of the movement, working your whole body. 

Scissor Abs

This will get your core working as well as your glutes and quads. For scissor abs, your starting position is lying on your back. Stabilize your core and lift your legs about six to eight inches off of the ground without bending your knees.

Spread your feet about one foot apart. Then, bring your legs together, moving your left leg underneath your right leg while both remain elevated. Then spread your feet apart again and repeat the movement, but this time with your right leg underneath. 

Your core will be working hard as the foundation, and your quads and glutes will be working to keep that elevated movement happening. It’s a great one. 

Side Lying Leg Lifts

This exercise requires balance and coordination and will work your arms, legs, and core all at once. It’s a great full-body workout that you’ll love. 

Lay down on your left side and then prop up your body with your left arm, keeping your torso sideways in a side plank position. Your arm and your body should form an “L” shape. You’ll feel your core squeeze, your shoulder stabilizing you, and your bottom leg working to keep your body straight. 

Then, making a sideways movement, slowly lift your right leg up into the air without bending your knee. You’ll feel your IT band engage in making this one happen. Make the movement slow and deliberate, and bring it slowly down for each rep. Repeat about ten times and then switch sides, laying on your right side with your right arm supporting your body.

Knees to Chest

Finally, to keep your back healthy, you can do a simple knee-to-chest stretch. Simply lay flat on your back. Then fold both your knees up to your chest, holding them there with your hands. You’ll feel your hips, thighs, and lower back getting a good stretch and alignment. 

This will help keep your body stretched out and ready to perform the various tasks you need it to do. A healthy back is super important, and this simple step can help support your back health and ward off symptoms of back pain. 

Conclusion

Changing up your workouts with these floor exercises is a great way to keep it fresh in the gym. There’s just something about bodyweight exercises that feel like a natural way to build strength. So try incorporating these exercises into your routine. 

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