It’s always tough working something new into your daily routine. Let’s face it, we’re all plenty busy as it is. Between work, family life, and scrolling through various social media feeds, where does the day go?
The thing is, fitness is something everyone should be making time for. But some people — beginners as well as seasoned athletes — just don’t know the best way to go about it. And that’s why we’ve put together a quick, simple way for you to get an effective calisthenics workout every single day, even if you have minimal time.
This simple bodyweight routine is perfect for anyone that wants to get on track with their fitness. You likely won’t find any of these maneuvers too confusing or difficult, and that’s exactly what we’re going for here. We’ve got plenty of other resources for advanced calisthenics movements, but what we’ve got here is pretty simple. So couple that with the fact that it won’t take more than a few minutes, and there’s no reason this can’t be worked into your daily routine.
It’s broken up into a series of stretches that will be beneficial for everyday movements, followed by three sets of different exercises that will target key muscle groups.
Daily stretch routine
Each of these stretches will dramatically improve your mobility, flexibility and overall body control.
Wrist Mobility
Shoulder Rolls
Cat-Camels
Leg Swings
Daily calisthenics routine
These classic bodyweight exercises can be done in a circuit or one at a time. Either way, it’s a quick way to activate most of your body’s muscles and keep your body sharp every day.
Daily Pushups
3 * 10 pushups
Daily Squats
3 * 15 squats
Daily Planks
3 * 30s plank
Thanks for the tips.
I am a mom of two and do not have to time go to gym currently. Exercise at home is my first choice now. I love planking and crunch. I sometimes perform calisthenics with some small dumbbell or pushup bar at home in the morning.
Cheer.
Annie
That’s awesome, Annie. That’s what’s so wonderful about bodyweight exercise, it leaves with no excuses. Keep up the great work!
– Todd
Yes, before a day at the office these exercises will make my body awake and ready. Thanks for the tips.
Hi Todd, thank you for the stretch and calisthenics routines. Simple bodyweight exercises to keep yourself in shape cannot be replaced by anything else. But I miss pull ups in your routine. An important exercise too, to build up strength and muscles.
with best regards, John
Hello, I recommend yoga for daily morning routine/warm up,
especially the Sun salutation flow excercise.
Indeed I am a little confused, the real meaning of “power yoga” is quite different from what would I expect (not native English speaking), under “yogacises” I’ve managed to find more calisthenic movements for building strength.
What’s your position on this? Or do you accept yoga only as a stretching solution?
Hey Todd, I love the simplicity of this approach. Especially for very busy individuals and beginners, I think there’s no better way to start than following something as simple and effective as this… CONSISTENTLY. Not just here and there, but as you said, every day (or at least every other day). Also, I think it might even be better than starting to follow a very complicated workout which would just overwhelm a beginner. Love these videos too. I’m a huge fan of both Ryan from GMB and Antranik. Thanks, Steve
Hi Steve,
Ryan and Antranik are amazing people (we’ve interviewed both on SOA, btw).
– Todd
Thanks Todd, I just read those interviews. I was a bit surprised that Antranik said he would choose flexibility over strength. Interesting food for thought. Ryan’s thoughts about hiring a coach and following their advice 100% instead of second guessing it is also something I totally agree with. I see people second guessing their PTs all the time. Great interviews, thanks for the heads up!
Thanks for the videos Todd.
I have been meaning to start a morning routine incorporating something similar to what you have here. Get the body limber and ready for the day instead of going for the coffee first thing.
Have you tried incorporating the cat-camels before bed? I have heard it’s a good stretch to help you fall asleep quicker. Sometimes I find bad sleeping positions and lack of flexibility can put added pressure on my spine.
Hi Luke,
Cat-camels definitely feel relaxing. I’m gonna give that a try. Thanks!
– Todd