Exercises to do at home for legs, bums, and tums

May 21. 2021

As the summer approaches, many of us have started making changes to our lifestyles and adapting our diets and workout routines to lead to those summer body goals. With the global pandemic still ongoing, some people are either unable to hit the gym or don’t feel safe enough to do so. Instead of giving up on your beach body just yet, we advise you to try these few exercises to do at home for legs, bums, and tums. 

It’s pretty standard for people first to target these three areas. That’s understandable since legs, bums, and tums are typically where those extra pounds choose to stay. In addition to that, some of the biggest muscles in your body are positioned in your legs. That’s why here at weight loss clinic Chicago, we advise our patients to keep their leg muscles firm, not only aesthetically but also to enhance the fat burn process.

The exercises we chose require no equipment, and you can do them in the comfort of your home or a backyard. You can either implement them into your existing workout routine or do a bigger number of reps and do a complete workout. If you’re following a low-calorie diet (such as the hCG diet), make sure to start slowly and not push yourself too much, and then increase the number of reps as you go. 

Squats + variations

Some people avoid doing squats either because they find them boring or don’t think they are effective. However, squats are one of the most effective exercises to tone up your legs and bums when they’re done correctly. To keep things interesting, we’ve also listed some squats variations.
How to do squats: Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then start bending your knees and lowering your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold it there for a second, and then go back up. When you come to your starting point, squeeze your bums for a couple of seconds. Also, make sure to keep your chest high and your abs squeezed during each rep.
Tip: It would help if you alternated between squats and squat pulses. Squat pulses are done by slowly moving up and down while your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Squat variations that you’ll find beneficial include:

• Sumo squats: Keep your feet a bit more than shoulder-width apart and your feet facing outwards. Squat down the same way we explained above, this time targeting your inner thigh muscles. 

• Frog squats: Similar to the regular squats, except this time, your feet should be shoulder-width apart, with feet facing outwards.

• Squats with side leg lift: Start by doing a regular squat. Once you come back to the standing position, lift your right leg to the side until it reaches your hip height. Bring it down to the floor, and repeat the process. After ten reps, do the same thing with your left leg.

• Squats with heel raise: Get down to the frog squat position, and while staying in it, lift your right heel up and down. Then do the same with your left heel, and then go back to the standing position.

Crunches and sit-ups

Sit-ups and crunches are the two most popular ab exercises. While sit-ups help you activate several different muscles, crunches only help you build abdominal muscles (which is why they are a go-to exercise for people looking to have a six-pack). Combining these two will ensure you reach all your core muscles evenly.
How to do a sit-up: Lay down on your back, and bend your legs while keeping your feet firmly on the ground. Put your hands on the back of your neck, or cross them on the opposite shoulder. Then, start curling your upper body up until your chest reaches your knees. Exhale while going up, and inhale while going slowly back down to the floor.
How to do crunches: Position yourself as if you’re doing sit-ups, only this time lift only your shoulder blades and your head off the ground.
We suggest you combine these two exercises and alternate between a sit-up and a crunch. 

Bridge + variations

The bridge is a genuinely fantastic exercise to help you firm up your bums while home exercising. Although a regular bridge is adequate, we’ve also prepared some variations for you.
How to do a bridge: Lie down on the floor with your knees bent and your feet positioned firmly on the ground. Then, start raising your hips, pushing them towards the ceiling, until you make a diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold it up there for a second, squeezing your glutes, and then go back down.
Bridge variations: You can also do bridge pulses by making small up and down movements while your body is in that diagonal position and your hips are raised. Also, you can do the regular bridges while lifting your heels and staying on your toes. Lastly, you can do a single leg bridge; lie down as if you were doing a regular bridge, and then raise your right leg in a vertical position. While keeping your leg straight up, do the bridge. After ten reps, do the same exercise with your left leg. 

Calf raises

There aren’t many well-known calf exercises, but you can opt for calf raises if you’re looking to tone up your calves and not build more muscle mass there. This exercise is simple but effective. It can be done on flat ground or by standing at a stair. Start by standing up, with your feet hip-width apart. Then pull your heels up until you’re standing on your toes. Hold it there for a second, and go back down. You can also do this exercise by pulsing up and down while staying on your toes and preventing your heels from touching the floor.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.