Creative Ways to Work Out in Every Room

You don’t need a fully stocked home gym in order to get a great workout at home. We’ve teamed up with West Elm to show you how you can use everyday items around your house to strengthen your body from head to toe. Check out this list of the best no-weight exercises that use furniture as props.

No-Weight Exercises You Can Do At Home

(Start with 10 reps for each exercise, adding more to increase the intensity.)

Kitchen Workout

Naya is practicing with the West Elm Alden Bar & Counter Stool

Naya doing tricep dips using her West Elm Alden Bar & Counter Stool.

1. Tricep Dips With Stool

Strengthen your arms and shoulders with this fiery upper-body exercise.

Place your hands shoulder-width apart at the edge of the stool. Your fingers should be facing your heels and your elbows should be slightly bent and pointing behind you. Extend your legs out, keeping your feet hip-width apart. Bend your elbows and lower your body to the floor, bringing your arms to 90 degrees. Then, press your palms down and use your strength to lift yourself up to the starting position.

2. Plie Squat With Stool

Light up your lower body with this muscle-blasting move for your core, glutes, and thighs.

Stand in front of your stool with your legs in a wide stance. Turn your toes out and squat down while keeping your chest lifted and spine straight. Try to keep your knees and shins in line with your heels. Make it extra challenging by balancing on your toes and doing tiny pulses while using the stool for support.

Naya doing a plie squat using her West Elm stool.

Living Room Workout

Naya is practicing with the West Elm Metallic Embroidered Blocks Pouf

Naya doing a bulgarian split squat using her West Elm pouf.

1. Bulgarian Split Squat With Pouf or Ottoman

This exercise works your entire lower body while challenging your balance and stability.

Stand a couple of feet in front of your ottoman with your feet hip-width apart, core active, shoulders relaxed, and chest high. Place the top of your right foot on the ottoman behind you and bend your left knee to lower your left thigh about parallel to the ground, keeping your left knee aligned with your left toes. Use the strength of your standing leg to press back up to standing. Repeat on the other side.

2. Step-Ups on Pouf or Ottoman

Don’t have stairs at home? Work your body with step-ups to get the same strength-boosting effect for your legs and glutes.

Step your right foot onto the pouf to make sure your right leg is at a 90-degree angle. If it needs a boost, fold up some blankets on top of the pouf. Step up onto the pouf and bring your left foot to meet your right so you’re standing on top of the pouf. Then step your right foot down to the floor and bring your left foot to meet the right. Complete 10 more rounds, then switch sides, stepping up with the left foot first.

Naya using her West Elm pouf to do a burpee.

3. Burpee with pouf

Take this fiery exercise up a notch by incorporating props from home.

Come to an elevated push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the pouf. Lower down to do one push-up, press back up, then jump your feet forward into a squatting position. Gripping the pouf with both hands, rise up to standing and press the pouf overhead, keeping your core engaged the entire time. Return to the starting position by resting the pouf on the floor and jumping back into the push-up position. If the pouf press-up feels too challenging, swap it out with a non-weighted jump instead.

Bathroom Workout

Naya is practicing with the Organic Half Moons Bath Mat, the Organic Textured Towel, and the Faceted Porcelain Bath Accessories.

1. Calf Raises

Make the most of your morning and evening routine by adding in calf raises while brushing your teeth.

Start standing up straight with your core engaged, press down through the balls of your feet, and lift your heels. Slowly lower down, and repeat.

Naya doing calf raises while brushing her teeth.

Naya doing incline push-ups against her bathroom counter.

2. Incline Push-Ups Against Counter

Boost your energy with incline push-ups, an upper-body exercise that builds muscle while placing less stress on your elbows.

Face the counter and place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with your arms straight and elbows slightly bent. Activate your core and keep your entire body straight. Slowly lower your chest toward the counter on an inhale, then press away back to the starting position on an exhale. Repeat.

Bedroom Workout

Naya is practicing with the Hemp & Cotton Solid Duvet Cover & Shams.

1. Sit-Up with Overhead Press

Tone and tighten your core without leaving your bed.

Start lying down on your bed with your knees bent and arms extended to the sky while holding a pillow. Keep your core active and engaged as you slowly rise up to a seat and keep the pillow pressing up to the sky. Slowly lower down back to the starting position and repeat.

2. Glute Bridge

Wake up and work your way to stronger glutes, thighs, and core with this multi-muscle targeting move.

Lie on your back with your feet flat on the bed, your knees bent, and your arms at your sides. Relax your shoulders down away from your ears. Engage your core while you squeeze your glutes and lift your hips towards the ceiling. Slowly lower your hips back to the bed and repeat.

Want to practice a full-length yoga class with Naya Rappaport? Get flowing with a free 14-day trial to Alo Moves.