A barrier that can often get in the way of people doing workouts is lack of affordable gym equipment or access to it, but there are plenty of exercises you can do without any equipment at all. They include cardio, strength training, Pilates, and Yoga.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

As long as you have the space, and I’m talking about about 6 feet by 4 feet, then you can easily do a HIIT workout without any equipment.

The goal of HIIT is to get your heart rate up by repeating a series of moves over the course of several rounds of intervals e.g. 30 seconds of jumping jacks, followed by 20 seconds of tuck jumps, then 45 seconds of skaters.

While burpees can be hard to do in a smaller space, it’s possible to do the following moves:

• Jumping jacks
• Air jacks
• Tuck jumps
• Butt kick jumps
• Striders
• Pop squats
• Pop lunges
• Lunge jumps
• Skaters
• High knees
• Lunge slams
• Hip switches
• Pike jumps
• Side hurdles
• Side shuffles

Modifications for the above HIIT moves are also available for smaller ranges of motions or just to meet you current level of ability and cardio fitness. Remember, we all start from somewhere and it’s okay to do it your way.

Core training

Core training can be done in even smaller of a space than HIIT because there isn’t a need to move quite as athletically from side-to-side like there is in HIIT. Also like HIIT, there are plenty of modifications for each type of move.

Core moves generally have variations of planks, crunches, and chops. Even doing 5 to 10 minutes can be very effective at working your core and getting your abs stronger. I can speak from experience that the more I do it, the more I notice a difference in my abdominal area and my obliques (the muscles on the sides of your core).

Functional strength training

Training your body without dumbbells can be hard, especially when you don’t have a lot of experience, but don’t let that deter you. Using your own body weight can give you just as much of a challenge, especially if you are just starting your fitness journey.

These bodyweight moves can help you train the following areas:

• Pushups – Triceps (the back of your upper arms), biceps (the front of your upper arms), and your chest muscles
• Glute bridges – Glutes (your butt muscles), hamstrings, and calfs muscles
• Squats – Quads (the front of your thighs), glutes, and hamstrings
• Pikes with reaches – Shoulder muscles and abs
• Back extensions – Small muscles along your back, both upper and lower

Outdoor running or walking

It seems obvious, but I think it’s always worth mentioning, running or walking in your neighborhood is always free. Sure if the weather sucks or the air quality isn’t great then it’s not a good option, but when those two factors aren’t at play it’s a great option to get in some cardio.

For some people, putting on a podcast or a playlist with your favorite music can help keep you motivated, but it can also be good to listen to the natural sounds around you without headphones.

I know when I run I enjoy a playlist with bumping beats and high energy, but when I walk I more enjoy Time to Walk episodes on Apple Fitness+ because they let me listen to a story to keep me engaged and not focus on how far I’m going or how long I’ve been walking for.

It can also help ease my anxiety to go on a walk with no plan and no headphones so I can feel grounded with what’s going on along the way.

Dancing alone or with friends

Believe it or not, dancing to some of your favorite music can burn off some calories and you don’t need anything but your body. Even if you don’t consider yourself a good dancer that’s okay, because neither am I.

There’s a reason why there’s an expression called “dance like no one is watching” because that’s when you’ll find you have the most fun. From cruise ships full of people, to busting some moves in my basement, I’ve learned I have the most fun and burn the most calories when I just enjoy myself and let loose.

If you’re in the mood for something more structured and choreographed, there are a few options for dance workouts like The Fitness Marshall and Apple Fitness + even has some of their own that I have done and found to be very fun and easy to follow.

Pilates

Even to this day I feel like there’s an idea floating around that Pilates is only for women, but if you’re still thinking that you would be wrong. Pilates, like all exercise, is for everyone.

While it can be more comfortable for many of the moves to be done on a mat, it’s not impossible to do them without one.

Some examples of moves include:

• The Hundred
• Roll Ups
• Teasers
• Single Leg Stretch
• Rolling Like a Ball
• Shoulder Bridge

Pilates moves tend to strengthen areas of your body like your abs, lower back, hips, and glutes.

Yoga

I’m sure many people in the world will say that you can’t do yoga without a mat because it’s not comfortable, but I beg to differ because I have.

Whether it’s outside on the grass, in a hotel room, or in the living room of a friend’s house when out of town I have been able to successfully do yoga without any pain or inconvenience.

Here are some poses that can be done (from my personal experience) without a yoga mat:

• Warrior 1, 2, and 3
• Low lunge, crescent lunge, high lunge
• Pigeon, 45/45, or 90/90
• Adductor stretch
• Lizard
• Cobra
• Downward facing dog
• Child’s pose
• Tree
• Plank
• Side plank
• Half splits/full splits
• Side angle
• Triangle and reverse triangle
• Crow
• Camel
• Side lunge
• Forward fold
• Boat
• Bow
• Ninja
• Wild thing

If you do have knee pain, then doing some of these moves will be more difficult or uncomfortable so modifications would be recommended and they certainly are available.

Kickboxing

While it may seem silly, there’s nothing wrong with throwing a few punches and kicks into the air. Making up your own little combos can certainly get you warm and raise your heart rate enough to give you a great workout.

If you’re looking for something more structured, there are plenty of YouTube videos out there to give you free guidance (with ads). If you want structure without ads, Apple Fitness + has a great kickboxing team (shout out to Jamie-Ray and Nez) who make it anything but intimidating.

If you have questions based on any recommendations I have made or would like to suggest future topics, please reach out on my Instagram: @jordyjournofit.

Disclaimer: While I am an avid Apple Fitness + user, I am not endorsed or paid by them to mention their product. I am also not paid to promote any of the products mentioned in this blog post. I’m simply using my experience to help others learn and grow.