If you don’t have a gym membership, these couch exercises can help burn fat and offer a great workout. You don’t need to travel to the gym to use weights or any equipment, you just need your couch to get started. Many of us have been stuck at home due to the pandemic, and with gyms closed, we had to get creative. Some people started using bags of rice as weights, or even their dogs!
In this workout, you’ll use your couch as a weight, a squat bench, a gym mat, and more. Best of all, the exercises will give you a full-body workout, so you’ll feel the burn! If you’re ready, we’ll go over the various activities below, step-by-step.
These 12 Couch Exercises Help Melt Fat
Whether you want to lose weight, improve your heart health, just feel great, give these moves a try.
1 – Side-lying leg lift couch exercise
How to do it:
- First, lay down on your right side, with your legs stacked on top of each other. Place your left hand on your hip.
- Use your right arm to keep your chest elevated and support the rest of your body. Make sure you don’t lean forward or backward.
- Holding your body stable, lift your left leg as high as comfortably possible, then bring it back down.
- Repeat this for 10 seconds, then switch sides. Do the exercise again with your right leg.
2 – Couch squat exercise
How to do it:
- Stand in front of your couch with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your chest up and back straight.
- Then, squat until your butt hits the couch, stand back up, and squeeze your glute muscles.
- Repeat for ten reps. You can make this more challenging by adding barbells or doing multiple sets.
3 – Split lunge couch exercise
How to do it:
- Stand in front of the couch, and place your right foot on the edge of the cushion. Keep your head parallel to the floor and your back straight. Keep your hands stretched out beside you for balance.
- Lunge with your left leg, going as low as you can. Make sure not to bend your knee over your ankles.
- Do this for 10 seconds, then repeat with the other leg.
4 – Russian twists couch exercise
How to do it:
- Sit on the edge of the couch with your spine straight and grab a pillow. Keep your legs stretched out in front of you, parallel to the floor.
- Twist from side to side for 10 seconds. Make sure to turn your body at least 90 degrees as you’re twisting to get the best results.
5 – Leg scissors couch exercise
How to do it:
- Sit on the couch, leaning your upper back against the cushion. Stretch your legs out in front of you.
- Rest your hands on the couch for balance, and move your legs up and down in a scissor motion. Make sure your feet don’t touch the floor.
- You should feel this in your abs and upper thighs. Repeat for 10-15 seconds.
6 – Sofa front squats couch exercise
How to do it:
- Go to one end of the sofa and get into a squat position.
- Lean down and pick up the sofa, keeping your chest lifted and head parallel to the floor.
- Bring the sofa back down, squatting as low as possible. It should feel like you’re sitting down in a chair.
- Squeeze your glutes as you come up. Repeat for 10-15 reps.
7 – Side lunge couch exercise
How to do it:
- Stand in the middle of your couch with feet together and hands at your sides.
- Lunge to the right, keeping your back straight and head lifted.
- Lunge all the way until you’re touching the couch, then move back into starting position.
- Then, lunge to the left, repeating the exercise for 10 seconds.
- Bring your hands together as you’re lunging, and make sure not to sit on the couch. You want to touch it at the peak of the lunge barely.
8 – Couch squat jump
How to do it:
- Stand in front of your couch with your feet shoulder width apart and back straight. This is just like a regular squat, except you’re jumping when you come up.
- As you squat, bring your hands up in front of your face.
- Then, as you come back up, quickly bring your arms down to give you momentum as you jump.
- Repeat for 10 seconds.
9 – Glute bridge couch exercise
How to do it:
- Lay down on the couch with your knees bent and feet flat on the sofa.
- Please keep your hands at your sides, then raise your hips until they form a straight line with your knees and shoulders.
- Hold the bridge for a few seconds and squeeze your glutes at the top.
- Then, lower your hips back to the starting position.
- Repeat for ten reps.
10 – Crossed leg dips couch exercise
How to do it:
- Rest your elbows against the edge of the couch. Keep your feet out in front of you, bending your knees, and cross your left leg over your right.
- Then, dip your butt and hips down as far as possible. Repeat for 10 seconds, then switch legs.
11 – Donkey kicks
How to do it:
- Get on all fours on the couch, keeping your arms straight and spine aligned.
- With your back parallel to the floor, raise one leg up and out. Repeat for ten reps, then switch legs.
12 – Side plank couch exercise
How to do it:
- Rest one arm on the armchair of the couch. Keep your other arm either at your side or lifted above your head.
- Then, stack both your legs on top of each other, raising your hips. Hold for ten seconds, and repeat on the other side.
Final thoughts on how these twelve couch exercises can help melt fat
If you don’t have access to a gym, these couch exercises are a great alternative! You can do pretty much everything at home that you’d do in a gym. Plus, it’s free, and you don’t need any fancy equipment to get started.
Exercising regularly helps you achieve the following outcomes:
- Shed extra pounds
- Boosts your immune system
- Improves your blood pressure
- Reshapes your body
- Increases your lung health
- Boosts your self-esteem
- Helps to preserve cognitive function
So get to that workout, right from the comfort of your house. If you try these exercises, let us know how you like them in the comments!
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