12 At-Home Workouts for Busy Professionals

Gone are the days when the only quality workouts required an hour-long fitness class at the gym or 45 minutes of cardio followed by a full strength machine circuit. Fitness routines have drastically changed in recent years, with more and more people adopting at-home workouts and discovering that you can still get an impactful workout in a shorter amount of time.

Add in the fact that there are countless busy professionals, parents, and others looking to incorporate fitness into their chaotic lives, and the need for effective and quick home exercises is apparent. 

In this blog, we’re sharing 12 options for at-home workouts—six that require some equipment, and six that don’t!—that will help you maximize your exercise sessions when you only have 20 minutes to get your sweat on. 

Let’s dive in!

The benefits of at-home workouts for busy professionals

Before we get into the types of at-home workouts that are best for busy professionals, let’s touch on a few of the benefits of choosing this type of workout regimen, including: 

• Convenience

• Free-time optimization

• Total workout personalization

• Privacy and comfort

Convenience

This one is a given: It is much more convenient to exercise in your home than it is to travel to a gym. Research shows that close proximity to exercise equipment or fitness facilities significantly increases the likelihood of working out. People who live close to fitness centers are generally more consistent in maintaining their workout routines compared to those who travel further (BioMed Central). The convenience of at-home workouts can drastically improve consistency as it removes one of the common barriers to fitness - travel time. 

Free-time optimization

Working out at home means exercising entirely on your own schedule. You don’t need to factor in travel time or take into account the class schedule at a gym. Instead, you can optimize any and all time you have to dedicate to exercise. Even if you literally only have 25 minutes between meetings, that’s enough time to squeeze in a 20-minute workout! 

Total workout personalization

Another benefit of at-home workouts is that you can completely tailor your workouts the way you want them. There’s no need to use a machine you don’t want to because your preferred choice is in use or complete exercises you don’t typically like because the rest of the class is doing them. You make your workout exactly what you want it to be.

Privacy and comfort

Exercising in public can be stressful or make people self-conscious, particularly if you’re new to exercise or returning to exercise after a long break. When you exercise at home, you have the privacy to work out in whatever way you want and wear whatever you are most comfortable wearing. 

One of the most important factors of a fitness routine is consistency and if any of the above have been barriers to your routine, consider trying an at-home experience instead! 

Six at-home workouts for busy professionals with equipment

If you’re willing to invest in some workout equipment for your home (and you have the space to store it), these six workouts will give you the most bang for your buck:

1. Rowing

2. Cycling

3. Treadmill running

4. Kettlebell training

5. Elliptical

6. Dumbbell training

1. Rowing

Exercising on a rowing machine offers a total-body workout that combines cardio and strength and will work your body no matter how much or how little time you have. By adjusting intensity, speed or resistance, you can focus on powerful, muscle-building strokes or longer, endurance-based sessions. The versatility of a rowing machine makes it the ultimate all-in-one machine, eliminating the need for separate strength and cardio equipment. 

2. Cycling

Working out on an indoor cycling bike is a great way to get some quick-hitting cardio, as well as exercise the calorie-burning large muscles in the lower body.

3. Treadmill running

Running on a treadmill takes the weather and the time of day completely out of consideration, allowing you to log your sprints or miles whenever is most convenient for you.

4. Kettlebell training

For a small piece of exercise equipment, kettlebells pack a huge punch. With their adjustable weight and the wide variety of movements—from those that crank your heart rate to those that power up your muscles—you can use a kettlebell to get a complete, total-body workout at home.

5. Elliptical

The elliptical offers a low-impact, high-payoff exercise format that can be effortlessly tailored to the type of workout you are in the mood for and have the time for.

6. Dumbbell training

If you’re going to purchase some strength equipment, dumbbells are a great pick. We recommend investing in either a set of at least three weights or a pair of adjustable weights. You can use them for traditional strength training moves or incorporate them into more creative compound movements to build strength.

Six at-home workouts for busy professionals without equipment

Only have 20 minutes and yourself? No problem! Slide off your desk chair and give one of these equipment-free workouts a try:

1. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

This exercise format, which consists of short bursts of high-intensity moves followed by periods of rest, is only meant to be done for short amounts of time, thanks to the intense effort involved. 

For example, Tabata—one of the most popular forms of HIIT—features eight rounds of 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, for a grand total of four minutes. The best exercises for HIIT are those that leave you struggling to maintain your pace by the end of 20 seconds, such as high knees, burpees, or squat jumps.

2. Bodyweight strength training

You can still strengthen your muscles even if you don’t have dumbbells by using your own bodyweight. Strength training exercises like push-ups, lunges, glute bridges, planks, crunches, pull ups, and dips will tone and tighten every part of your body, no weights needed.

3. Mat Pilates

While some forms of Pilates require a Pilates reformer, mat Pilates doesn’t rely on any equipment—and when it comes to strengthening your core, improving your stability and balance, Pilates can’t be beat. You really don’t even need a mat!

4. Yoga

Like many of the at-home workouts on this list, there is no set amount of time for which you need to practice yoga to get the benefits. Even if you only have five minutes, dedicating it to focusing on your breathing and moving through a few poses will reduce your stress while improving your flexibility. 

Related blog: Yoga vs. Pilates: What Is the Difference?

5. Plyometrics

By definition, plyometrics are exercises in which you are rapidly and repeatedly stretching and contracting your muscles. How do you do that? By jumping. Plyometric moves like squat jumps, lateral leaps, jumping lunges, burpees, plyo push ups, and box jumps will quickly increase your heart rate while also helping you build lean muscle. 

6. Dancing

If you’re looking for straight cardio and don’t have a machine, dancing is another great option. It’s fun and carefree and can be easily tailored to your fitness level. Plus, working out at home means you can really dance like nobody's watching! 

Tips for incorporating exercise into your busy schedule

Ready to incorporate more at-home workouts into your busy schedule? Here are our top four tips to help you do so. 

1. Plan ahead: Even though you’re working out at home, you still need to carve out the time in your schedule. The further ahead you do this, the easier it will be to plan around your appointed exercise times. For example, you could make a weekly workout schedule at the beginning of each work week.

2. Prepare your space: If you can, designate a space in your home as your home gym or exercise space. Trust us, you don’t want to be moving furniture at 6am to make room for your workout.

3. Choose your tools: Do you have exercise equipment you’re going to use? Do you have a video or a plan you are going to follow? Make sure these tools are functional, accessible, and ready to go come exercise time. Downloading a fitness app that has guided workouts, like Hydrow, provides you with structured workouts that are ready whenever you are so you can focus on getting straight to the sweat. 

4. Share your intentions: When you’re exercising alone at home, you’re only accountable to yourself. This can make it a bit more difficult to stick to your plan. Sharing your intentions with your partner, family members, or friends can help you follow through with your routine and will even create a support system to cheer you on. For extra encouragement and enjoyment, invite them to join you!

Get started today!

Working out at home is an excellent way for people with the busiest schedules to squeeze in exercise on their own time and in the format that works best for them. If you are looking for a highly effective workout to add to your fitness routine, consider investing in a rowing machine like Hydrow. 

Indoor rowers offer an immersive and efficient total-body workout, targeting 86% of your muscle groups in each rowing stroke. And, because rowing is both a cardio and strength workout, all you need is just 20 minutes to torch calories and build strength. 

Hydrow rowing machines also come with an extensive library of workout content led by our team of world-class Athletes and filmed in gorgeous locations around the world. Our rowing, yoga, Pilates, and circuit training workouts will transport you to stunning global destinations and keep you motivated to come back again and again. 

Learn more about the benefits of rowing and a Hydrow rowing machine today!