“How can I tone my body at home when I don’t have time?”

While gym equipment might be great, nobody has enough time to go to the gym every day, these days.

It is the digital era; or you could say the era of DIY, (do it yourself), memes and GIFs. Busy schedules have led to increased demand for online and in-home services. Urban Clap, Swiggy, Zomato, Uber Eats, are few popular examples of such.

The latest trend is the no-equipment home workout. So how to get a perfectly toned body at home? Read on to know how to tone up loose skin, how to tone your muscles and overall, how to tone your body at home.

But First, What is Body Toning?

Body toning is basically a fine-tuning fitter and a better physique with primary emphasis on the musculature. Few may want to tone to simply look better, some may be fitness enthusiasts, some may just wish to carve their bodies for a defined, muscular shape. Toning also helps to tighten loose skin, reduce stretch marks after weight loss or weight gain. Though sometimes used interchangeably with “gymming”, toning is also associated with simpler, external forms of a workout than hardcore workouts.

How Long Does it Take to See Results from Workout?

An average person takes about 6-8 weeks to begin noticing significant results. However, a regular and intense practitioner may begin to notice changes by 4-5 weeks. And for the body types that show slow results, it might take about 12 weeks to view significant positive changes. Diet plays a very crucial role in the entire process and can have a drastic impact on the results. Another factor that affects the results is the original weight of the person. Needless to mention, the more the weight, the more time it will take, and vice versa.

DIY: How Do I Tone My Body – With This Simple 10 Min Workout

For any of the below exercises, the maximum space you would require is to be able to take 4-5 long steps. A good warm-up session is crucial before an actual workout. Then switch to these easy and effective workout exercises at home:

1.Jumping Jacks

Target Muscles: Multiple
Stand upright. Arms by the side. Jump to move legs apart and parallelly swing the hands above the head. Quickly retrieve back; jump back to the original position and hands touch the sides of the body. You can either clap overhead or withdraw palms just before touching. Continue for 90 seconds then rest for about 15 seconds before you move on to the next exercise.

A jumping jack works on the heart, lungs, glutes and overall muscles. Jumping jack could also act as a part of the warm-up.

2.Squats

Target Muscles: Lower Body
Stand with feet at a hip-width. Gently go down as if you are sitting on an imaginary chair – by bending the knees and back straight. The thighs must be parallel to the ground as must as possible. Chest filled and lifted up. Bend as much as possible. Knee must not cross the feet level. Then immediately explode upside – throw yourself in the air, feet in the air, hands in front of your body. Land on the floor and immediately squat down again for the next round. Continue for 90 seconds followed by 15 seconds rest.

Squats work best on glutes, butts, hips, thighs, calves.

3.Standing Lunges

Target Muscles: Legs
Stand upright with feet together. Place the right leg forward, bend knees. Stack the right foot exactly below the right knee; left hip in line with the left knee. The further you place the right foot, the better. Get back to standing and switch to the other leg. Repeat for 60 seconds then break for 15 seconds.

Lunges work up the hips, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and the innermost areas of the thighs.

4.Planks

Target Muscles: Abdomen and Core
Move to a plant position – body facing the ground, wrists directly under the shoulders, with only the palms and toes touching the ground. Thus head to toe in a straight line. Beginners can hold the position for about 2 minutes, and gradually increase the pace with practice.

Planks target the core abdominal region including transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus, the external oblique muscle, and the glutes.

5.Push-Ups

Target Muscles: Arms
Begin with a high plank position. Gently begin bending the elbows to move down towards the floor. As you almost touch the ground, straighten the arms back up thus lifting your body up again (away from the floor). Carry on for a minute, followed by rest for 15 seconds.

Push-ups are the ultimate exercises for building arm strength and muscles.

6.Bicycle Crunches

Target Muscles: Abs
Lie faceup with hands touching behind the head, elbows out wide and legs extended. Lift torso, arms, and legs off ground. Bend left knee and twist body to the left, bringing right elbow to meet left knee over the torso; alternate sides with each rep. Do this for 60 seconds. Rest 15 seconds.

Bicycle crunches engage the rectus abdominis, the upper muscles of your abs and transverse abdominis.

So now you know how to get toned muscles in less than a month by investing just 10 mins every day!