If you aren’t a morning person, the thought of jumping out of bed to get to the gym may sound like the worst idea in the world, especially on a lazy Saturday morning. Wouldn’t you love a workout to tone and tighten your legs, abs, and shoulders without even getting out of bed? These five exercises require no clothes, no equipment, and can be over and done with before you make your morning coffee.

In a perfect world, you’d like to make it to the gym, but sometimes (okay, most times) after a long day of work, lacing up your sneakers, going back outside, and hitting the treadmill could not sound more unappealing. Curling up with Netflix usually wins out over a good ab-tightening, glute-toning workout. But who said the two had to be mutually exclusive? What if there were toning and strengthening exercises you could do while streaming The Great British Baking Show in the comfort of your own bed? Well, as it turns out, there are. We turned to two expert personal trainers who gave us all the best body-sculpting moves you can do from your bed. Sure, maybe an in-bed workout won’t burn as many calories as a HIIT class, or build lean muscle mass like a heavy strength training workout will, but sometimes the “next best thing” is the best thing for that day. And, when it comes to fitness, any steps forward should be celebrated.

Benefits of exercises and exercising in bed

Unless you sleep on a bed of concrete, most mattresses provide a slightly unstable surface. Similar to using a foam mat or exercise ball, bed exercises may help recruit small stabilizing muscles while working large prime movers. Unstable surfaces can be beneficial for building core strength, improving balance, and toning areas of the body like the abs and glutes.

Safety and Precautions

In general, any of the exercises here that you can do from your bed are safe for anyone. However, it’s important to consult your physician prior to trying them if you have any health conditions, injuries, or concerns. It’s also very important that you ensure you are centered on the bed or have adequate room on the bed on either side of your body so that you will not fall off.

Myths

The most notable myth or misconception surrounding the exercises our experts describe here is that you can’t do any sort of useful workout on your bed. Though it’s important to keep in mind that these bed exercises aren’t going to burn a significant number of calories, they still have plenty of strengthening and toning benefits. Exercise is about a lot more than burning calories, and doing some movement after a long day while you take well-deserved time to relax and unwind, should leave you feeling proud for doing a double dose of self-care for your body and mind.

1. Supine leg marches

This exercise targets the muscles of the glutes, legs, and core. It’s a variation of a regular glute bridge.

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the bed, hands by your side.
  2. Lift your buttocks off the bed until your body is in a straight line.
  3. Without straightening your leg, press into your supporting heel as you lift one leg off the bed. Bring the knee toward your chest until it’s in line with your hips.
  4. Return your foot to the bed and repeat on the other side without lowering your hips.
  5. Repeat for 20 repetitions.

2. Reverse crunches

This exercise targets the lower abdominals. Slower is better for this movement. Focus on core stability and don’t rely on gravity or momentum.

  1. Lie on your back with your hands by your side, palms down.
  2. Keeping your legs straight, use your abs to lift your legs toward your face until your toes touch the headboard.
  3. Slowly lower your legs back to the bed, engaging your abdominals. Don’t let your lower back arch up off the mattress. Feel as if you’re knitting your ribs together and pulling your bellybutton toward your spine.
  4. Repeat 10 times. Complete 3 sets with a 30-second rest between sets.
  5. If this is too challenging, try decreasing the load by bending your legs to 90 degrees and moving through a smaller range of motion.

3. Straight leg lifts

This exercise targets the quadriceps on the front of the thigh. It’s often seen in physical therapy, as it’s ideal for people with knee pain or instability.

  1. Lie on your back with your legs straight, feet flexed, toes toward the ceiling.
  2. Lift one leg to 45 degrees, engaging the quadriceps on the front of the thigh.
  3. Hold for 1 second and lower back to the bed.
  4. Repeat 15 to 20 times on each leg. Complete 3 sets with a 30-second rest between sets.

4. Modified handstand push-ups

This exercise targets the shoulders, upper back, and core muscles. It can help build shoulder stability and strength for full handstand holds or handstand push-ups.

  1. Lie on your belly with your head near the edge of the bed.
  2. Slide yourself forward until your hips are on the side of the bed. Place your hands on the floor in a handstand position, shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lower yourself toward the floor, bringing your head between your hands. Try to remain as upright as possible. You can change the intensity of the exercise by walking your hands out to make it easier, or bringing your hips off the bed to make it harder.
  4. Repeat for 10 repetitions. Rest 30 seconds. Repeat 3 sets.

5. Glute hamstring leg lifts

This exercise is great for targeting the glute and upper-hamstring area. Focus on engaging the buttocks muscles, keeping the core tight and working your body against gravity in a small range of motion.

  1. Lie on your belly with your feet toward the end of the bed.
  2. Slide yourself back until your legs slightly hang off the bed. Your hip crease should be about 6 inches from the edge of the bed.
  3. Place your hands under your head for support if needed.
  4. Engage your core by pulling your bellybutton up off the mattress.
  5. Put your heels together, toes apart, and lift your legs toward the ceiling without arching too much through the back. You should feel this movement primarily in your glutes.
  6. Lower down halfway and repeat 20 times.

6. Pillow Crunches

By elevating your legs, you’ll isolate your abs with these crunches.

  • Stack two pillows at the foot of your bed.
  • Lie flat on your back with your feet resting on the pillows and arms crossed over your chest.
  • Inhale to pull your core in, and then exhale as you lift your upper body towards your feet, squeezing your abs to initiate the movement.
  • Slowly lower your body down, engaging your core and resisting gravity.
  • Repeat 15 times.

7. Push-Ups

Push-ups are great for strengthening the chest, arms, and core, but they can be really challenging. This variation offers some of the same benefits, even if you’re not yet able to do a traditional push-up. “An incline push-up is achievable for most people, as the gravity on the body is less than on the floor, allowing [you] to complete a full range of motion,” explains Kovar. “The knee drive promotes further core stability, so it strengthens the entire front side of the body.”

  • Place your hands on the edge of the bed or couch, and walk your feet back to where your body forms a straight incline plank from your heels to your head. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder distance.
  • Engage your core, and bend your elbows to lower your body towards the bed (avoid bending at the hips) until your elbows are at 90 degrees.
  • “Return the arms back to the starting position and then drive your right knee forward and back, and then the left knee forward and back to its starting position,” explains Kovar.
  • Complete 12 reps.

8. Roundhouse Kicks

This move targets your glutes and abs, and strengthens your hips.

  • Lie on your back with your arms and legs extended.
  • Lift your right leg an inch or two off the bed and rotate it up and out in a wide circle, keeping your leg straight.
  • Once your leg is level with your hip, bring it up to the center of your body and lower it back down to the starting position.
  • Repeat your circle in a slow and controlled motion five times, and then reverse the direction.
  • Do 10 reps of the entire cycle per leg.

9. Bridges

“Most people say that they don’t feel the glutes contract as much as they would like. The main thing to remember while performing this exercise is to really focus on squeezing and activating your glutes—this is known as the mind-muscle connection,” explains Geddes-Smith. “Studies have shown that you get more activation when you’re thinking about the muscle you are trying to target, so less thinking about what you are going to have for dinner tonight instead!”

  • Lie on your bed with your knees bent, feet on the floor, and arms extended at your sides.
  • Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the bed until your knees, hips, and shoulders form a straight line.
  • Lower with control, keeping your glutes engaged.

 

10. Leg Circles

This move will tone your core, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.

  • Lie on your back with your legs extended out in front of you.
  • Squeeze your legs together and lift them up about three inches off of the bed.
  • Draw a circle the size of a basketball in the air with your toes.
  • Complete 20 reps in one direction, and then complete 20 reps in the reverse direction.
  • Switch legs and repeat.

Takeaway

Try these exercises in bed to tone and tighten your buttocks, abs, and shoulders. And hey, if you’re craving some cardio, I’m sure you can grab your partner and experiment with other ways to get your heart pumping before the sun comes up. (Yes, we had to go there!)

 

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