The Zero Equipment Option

Haven’t time for a gym visit or space for bulky exercise apparatus? There’s a simpler way to get fit.

Today’s sophisticated exercise equipment is great—there’s no doubt that, properly and regularly used with discipline and determination, it can help you achieve the body of your dreams. But it’s not your only choice. Right in your home, using only things that every home contains, there’s another path open to you: the no-equipment approach.

Home has one big selling point: it isn’t hard to get to. In the comfort of your own living room (or rec room, bedroom, office, basement, garage, whatever) and without a workout bench or a Nautilus machine, you can use your own body weight—along with gravity—to power an effective workout. And after all, isn’t the most effective exercise regimen the one you’ll actually perform regularly?

A January 2025 New York Times article called at-home workouts and strength training without equipment the latest health trends that fitness experts “hate”—they’re so easy that anyone can do them with little to no supervision. (You’ll want to check with your doctor, however, to make sure you’re physically able to exercise.)

Is your time limited? Take advantage of those small blocks of unclaimed time that pop up throughout your day. Consider doing squats while you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for example, or find a spot to do wall push-ups or sit-to-stand exercises while lunch is heating up. Waiting for water to boil? Do a couple of lunges in the kitchen or stand on one leg for 20 seconds (then switch to the other) to work on your balance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after all, recommends strength training for 30 minutes, two non-consecutive days per week, so you may as well fit in a quick workout when you can.

Try this at-home exercise routine, which is suitable for any level of skill (or strength) and requires zero equipment, other than objects found in most homes:

• Bicep curl: Run a towel underneath the seat of a chair. With the back of the chair facing away from you, do a set of curls by lifting the chair with the towel. Most four-legged chairs weigh around 10 pounds.
• Triceps dip: Sit on the edge of the chair and rest your hands on the seat behind you. Position your feet away from the bench, legs straight and heels on the floor. Lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the ground, then push back up.
• Step-ups: With one leg, step up onto that sturdy chair and back down again, then repeat with the other leg. (Keep legs straight and try not to bend forward.)
• Squats: Stand in front of that trusty chair with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your weight more on your heels than on the balls of your feet, and bend your knees as you lower your butt toward the chair in a slow, controlled motion while you count to four. Pause, then slowly rise back up to a standing position.
• Bicycle crunches. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows out and lift your upper body slightly off the floor. Extend one leg out while bending the other knee toward your chest and twist your upper body so that the opposite elbow almost touches the knee. Repeat for the desired number of reps.