Calisthenics at home: what is it and what are these exercises useful for?

For build strength and stamina and to stay in shape you don’t need anything more than your own body weight. On this is based the calisthenics, a type of exercise that has its origins in ancient Greece and has become popular again in recent years with the proliferation of circuits where you can train in many parks. But you can also practice calisthenics exercises at home.

Calisthenics: what is it

The word calisthenics comes from the Greek: kallos (beauty) and sthenos (strength). It is a type of exercise in which the person’s body weight is usedwithout using apparatus or equipment (only in some exercises you may need a jump rope or a high bar).

The goal of calisthenics is overcome the resistance offered by the weight of your own body and the exercises are performed with different levels of intensity and rhythm, which you can increase as you practice. It can both serve as a warm-up for another sport or be the training itself.

Calisthenics at home: exercises

Unlike other exercises that focus on a single area of ​​the body, the exercises that are practiced in calisthenics involve many muscle groups at the same time.

Some of the exercises most characteristic calisthenics that you can do at home are:

squats

With this type of exercise you work the quadricepsthe adductorsthe hip muscles and the buttocks. To practice squats:

stand upwith the body straight and the feet slightly apart (a little more than shoulder width).low flexing the hip, knees and ankles at the same time (as if you were going to sit down, hence the name).Go back to the starting position and repeat the squat.

Variations of the squats include jumping jacks, spreading your legs out to the sides, or incorporating weights.

push-ups

Push-ups work the upper body muscles (pectorals, triceps, deltoids…) and also activate the core and the lower part of the body.

There is many types of push ups different (holding yourself with only one arm, with your fists, clapping between each push-up…). To perform the basic push ups:

lie face downwith the body straight, arms outstretched and hands on the ground.bend your elbows and lower them until they are at a 90 degree angle or less. Next, squeeze your chest muscles and push to return to starting position (keeping the body straight and stable at all times).

strides

The lunges are a basic exercise of calisthenics to work the legs, glutes and core and improve the balance and coordination.

stand upupright, with the legs slightly apart (approximately hip height) and arms akimbo (You can also leave them stretched out, attached to the body). Give a step forward (not too long and not too short), keeping your back straight and your torso perpendicular to the ground. knee of trailing leg It should be touching the ground.Go back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.

irons

There are several ways to do planks, an exercise that consists of holding a position for a period of time.

To make them forearm planks:

place your forearms on the ground. Your elbows should be in a straight line with your shoulders and your legs should be straight and slightly apart.elevate your body keeping your back straight and leaving only your forearms and toes in contact with the ground, so that your weight rests on your forearmsHold the position for at least 1 minute.

With this posture you work the abdominal musclesthe pectoralsthose of the back and those of the shoulders (deltoid).

benefits of calisthenics

Calisthenics allows you to develop the strength, stamina, flexibility, balance and coordination.

If you are starting out in this practice, the first thing you will notice is how your muscular strength. With time and the increase in the intensity of the exercises, your muscular resistance will also increase and you will begin to notice all its benefits.

The physical results of people who practice calisthenics are believed to be similar to those of those who perform Exercise with weightswith the advantage that in the calisthenics no equipment needed special and therefore can be done anywhere.

In addition, various studies support the benefits of calisthenics for healthamong them:

A recent study carried out in adults who spend more than 6 hours a day sitting has seen that practicing calisthenics increases the muscle strength and balancewhich according to the authors could help to reduce the effects of aging.Another study conducted on 4610 people found that people who perform calisthenics have less risk of lower back pain than those that use bodybuilding machines. It has also been seen that strength training and calisthenics have mental wellness benefits and the physical health of the elderly.

For whom is calisthenics not indicated?

Before starting to practice exercise it is recommended see your doctor if it’s right for you. This is especially important in case you have an injury (for example, on the back), since it is very possible that the exercises proposed by calisthenics are not suitable for you.

On the other hand, it must be taken into account that at overweight or obese peopleor those who are in very poor physical shape, it can be very difficult Exercise using your own body weight.