Old-Fashioned Exercises That Get the Job Done
1Planks And Push-Ups
Just being in the plank position is enough of an ab workout if you're doing it properly. That's why it's a popular yoga and strength-training move. Ditto goes for the push-up—a tried and true arm and shoulder shaper that also works the core, chest, back, and glutes.
2Bridge
The bridge should be a part of your workout routine, says Jolie Kobrinsky, co-founder of the Prime Method. Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the ground, raise your hips toward the ceiling while squeezing your glutes. "It's a great toning move," she says, "plus it opens up your hips and helps counter all of the forward bending that we do all day long. There's a reason why we do it in yoga, in Pilates, in boot camp, in almost every workout program. It works."
3Jump Rope
With nothing more than a pair of sneakers and a piece of twine with handles, you can burn about 100 calories in just eight minutes. "It's a great exercise to keep your heart rate up in between sets at the gym, as part of a larger workout," says Greg Cameron, fitness director at Crunch gym's Park Slope, Brooklyn location. The key is using the right posture—neck relaxed, gaze ahead, chest lifted and shoulders lowered—and engaging ab muscles, which will protect your lower back and knees while you jump.
4Track Workouts
Some studies show that short, high-intensity bursts of cardiovascular exercise—think sprinting workouts around the track in high school—are the most beneficial for burning fat and strengthening your heart. The idea is to alternate moderate-intensity cardio, like jogging, with intervals of fast, hard effort. You know, the kind where your body hates you now, but thanks you later?
5Gymnastic Rings
"The rings" may bring back memories of the Olympic games or physical fitness tests in gym class, but they're making a resurgence in boot camp-style fitness studios—and for good reason. Holding a plank position suspended between the rings is an amazing exercise for core and arm strength, says Kobrinsky; using the rings is also a great way to practice supported pull-ups (leaning back with feet on the floor).
6Dynamic Warmups
Those warmup exercises we used to do in gym class or before a soccer game are still a valuable way to get your body prepped for exercise, says Kobrinsky. "I like to do lot of skipping, hopping, military-style crawling—just moving across the floor in various ways—with my clients," she says. Rolling out your shoulders and ankles, windmilling your arms, walking lunges and jogging are all good ways to get your blood moving and reduce your risk of injury.
7Step Aerobics
It may not be as fast and furious as a Zumba class, but the original step aerobics—complete with the iconic "Step" tool—is still going strong in many gyms around the country. "It's safe and not intimidating," says Cameron. "You can start low, with just one step, and you can stack them if you want more of a challenge. Stepping or hopping up and down, on a step or a box, is always going to be a great way to get your heart rate up when you're limited to a small area."
8Punching Bag Practice
Pummeling a punching bag can burn between 500 and 1,000 calories an hour, depending on the intensity, and it's great for weight loss, coordination, improving reflexes, strength, and flexibility. "I still recommend the punching bag to my clients, whether it's with a personal trainer or in a group kickboxing class," says Cameron.
9Kettlebell Workouts
A popular accessory for fitness classes and weight training regimen, kettlebells have been around since the 1700s, when they were used as body-building and military training tools in Russia. These traditionally cast-iron cannonballs with handles are better than ever, now available in many materials, weights and even colors. And they're effective, too: A recent study from the University of Wisconsin found that kettlebells helped participants increase their abdominal core strength by 70 percent in just eight weeks—in addition to improving their aerobic capacity, cardiovascular fitness, leg strength, and balance.
10Walking
Sometimes, the simplest solutions are still the best. Walking may be one of the least creative (and least strenuous!) forms of exercise, but studies show that it seems to play a key role in our overall health and wellbeing. A 2013 study out of Lawrence Berkeley Livermore Lab in California found brisk walking to be as effective as running at preventing high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Plus, you can do it in the original (and still the best) fitness center out there: the great outdoors. Want to make it more challenging? Up your pace—or your incline.
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