8 Expert-Approved Exercise Hacks for People Who Have No Time

Recently, “lazy girl” workouts have been all the rage on social media. What is a lazy workout anyway? Tessa Benz, a social media influencer who specializes in lazy girl workouts, explains that “lazy girl” is “a person who listens to their body, unwilling to sacrifice their well-being for the perception of strength but instead chooses grace and love to honor their journey while simultaneously finding small yet substantial ways to grow in connection with oneself,” in one of her viral TikTok clips. It can also mean “a person who rejects exercise as a form of punishment and embraces movement as an opportunity to journey towards new levels of strength, discipline, perseverance, bravery, power, resilience, respect,” or “a person unwilling to work or use energy unnecessarily and positions themselves on their side rather than upright.” Here are 15 “lazy-friendly” ways you can exercise at home, according to experts and influencers.

Do This Lying Down Workout with Dumbbells

Don’t feel like standing up? Benz suggests doing a light workout on the ground with a pair of dumbbells. Lying down, she demonstrates a few moves, including pullovers, bridge walks, butterfly crunches, chest presses, toe taps, and clamshells. She recommends 10 to 20 reps and 1 to 3 rounds.

Or, Stay in Bed and Do This Ab Workout

Don’t feel like getting out of bed? Using your mattress to do ab work will add a little resistance and keep you super comfy. This 7-minute in-bed ab workout includes a variety of exercises, like

Do This Glute Workout on the Floor

Benz shared a lazy but effective on-the-floor workout to “FIRE up the Glutes without leaving your side,” she writes in the TikTok post. “I love incorporating this booty combo on my leg days but this is a perfect little something to do on a lazy day/rest day for that added toning and instant booty lift.”

Do This Couch Workout While Watching TV

Sara Haley, American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified trainer and instructor, tells Body Network that her “Tabata inspired” couch workouts can be done while watching TV. “It’s a great fat-burning workout using just your body weight and your couch!” she adds in an Instagram post, demonstrating the moves.

Power Up Your Nintendo

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Did you know that you can play video games and burn calories? Wii Fit video games are the perfect way to get a light workout in, says Haley. From dancing and martial arts to walking workouts, Nintendo offers a variety of choices.

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Do Some Cozy Cardio

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“Cozy cardio” is another fitness trend worth checking out. “Walk/jog in place or use a walking pad whenever you watch TV,” suggests Haley.

Here’s a Bed Workout for When You Wake Up or Right Before Slumber

Haley is all about her bed workout. “Have a quick workout you do regularly when you get up or go to bed,” she says. One of the moves? Use the side of your bed to do push-ups.

Do Some Lazy Girl Pilates

“Lazy girl pilates is my fav for the weekend,” exclaims Natalie Roseuk in her viral video. “This magic circle Pilates variation will sculpt your inner thighs, strengthen your core & define your shoulders all in one.

Invest in a Mini Treadmill

Lots of “cozy cardio” devotees swear by mini, portable treadmills. Move them around your house and get your steps in while watching television.

Do Family Fitness Challenges

Want to burn calories while spending quality time with the family? Haley recommends family fitness challenges. On her Instagram account, she offers five fun fitness challenges to do with your kids:

1️⃣ Who can hold a wall squat the longest

2️⃣ Who can jump rope for 30 seconds without missing

3️⃣ Who can do a handstand (then add straddling your legs, etc.)

4️⃣ Who can get off the floor without using their hands

5️⃣ Dance contest - who can make Mom laugh the most

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Invest in an Under-the-Desk Elliptical

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No more using work as an excuse to skip your workout. Buy an under-desk elliptical, like the Cubii Move, a $199 portable machine that you can put under your desk.

Do Some Stair Sprints

Do you have stairs in your house? Get your heartbeat up and burn calories fast. “Run up the stairs or do a circuit between chores,” Halsey suggests.

Do This Desk Workout

Sitting at your desk all day? You can do these exercises while working in your home office. It includes leg lifts.

Game on the Mini Treadmill

Are you a gamer? Presh, a gamer, demonstrates how you can make the time go by so much faster by gaming while you get your steps in.

Jump, Jump

Jumping on a mini trampoline is a great workout. And you can do it while watching television. Adding a spring to your step can help you get into shape faster. A NASA study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology claims that rebounding exercise is 68 percent more efficient than jogging. As far as calories burned, a study by the American Council on Exercise found that mini trampoline workouts effectively burn an average of 12.4 calories per minute for men and 9.4 calories per minute for women. According to a 2016 in the Journal of Sport and Health Science trampoline jumping also helps with bone density and strength.