One of the keys to staying healthy is to find the right operating space. This can mean a budget, a room, a time-frame, or a schedule maybe. Working out is one of the best things any person can do to improve their health, but operational space may prohibit that. Gyms for instance are often too expensive. Sometimes they aren’t close by, or maybe they aren’t open during the hours you’re free. Fortunately there’s a plethora of different exercises you can do with nothing but a carpeted floor and a pair of gym shorts. Here are 10 home workouts for beginners.

1. The Push-Up (Or Press-Up if You’re English)

The one that started it all. There’s a reason you don’t graduate Marine Corp basic until you can do 200 in a jiffy. Push-ups can work almost all upper-body muscles and can be as hard as you like. Try spacing your arms farther apart, or pulling them alongside your chest to work your triceps. There are jump push-ups, and jump-clap-push-ups, try to add a mixture of them.

2. The Squat And Lunge

The father of all lower body movements, the squat touches the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and best of all, replicates a motion that is universal across any kind of heavy-lifting be it a dead lift or moving a couch. The lunge incorporates the strength of the feet and hip abductors, along with the three leg groups.

3. The Burpee

A ruthless combination of the previous two exercises, you’ll likely run out of breath before your muscles burn out. From a standing position drop down into a pushup position before standing up again, finishing with a jump. Repeat until you quit.

4. The Sit-up Or Ab Curl

The gut buster, like push-ups there’s all kinds of filthy tweaks and additions to make them extra punishing. For instance, you can throw some punches once you finish the curl, or turn your torso so that you are facing the side when you come up. If you have a dumbbell or weight ball, finish the ab curl before lifting the weight above your head. 

5. The Plank

This exercise is very useful if you plan to have a dancing career. You can plank with your arms fully extended, or bent at the elbow. In order to strengthen your costal muscles and the abdominal muscles on your side, you can turn your body sideways – supporting yourself on your arm which you can either extend, or bend at the elbow.

6. Animal Walks

These are great functional strength and cardiovascular strength builders. Bear crawling, crab-walking, and crocodile walks are all super engaging, challenging, and beneficial in that they utilize many separate muscle groups together while also jacking your heart rate up. The crocodile walk is especially punishing on your legs and shoulders.

7. Box Jumps

If you don’t have a box or platform sturdy enough to perform the movement on, you can use stairs too. The jump down is just as important, as it works your muscles back to front, rather than front to back. This builds explosive, fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are very important for sprints and other anaerobic exercise.

8. Running

What else can we say? Running is extremely useful, easy, and beneficial. All different kinds of running are great pursuits. You can train for 7 minute miles, you can train long-distance low-velocity running, you can do hill sprints to build anaerobic conditioning, or you could get a pair of ultra-light running shoes to build the strength in your feet, calves, and knees. Some people with chronic shin splints have had long term success from ultra-light running regimens. Your mental health will get a boost too, as once you’ve been at it long enough you’ll get what’s commonly referred to as runner’s high. Studies have found that running in green environments is very soothing and can relieve stress, so find a forested track if you can. 

9. Yoga

Flexibility can be a great defense against age-related decline in the strength and stability of joints. Yoga is of tremendous mental benefit to millions people around the globe, and staying flexible can often be the difference maker in how well one prevents or recovers from stress injuries in the muscles. Yoga class is also a great source of community, but there are tons of yoga instructors who earn their bread with online videos if you can’t be forced to leave your living room.