Ready for an exercise regime that involves nothing but you and your sofa? Try our sofa workout plan that will help keep healthy while you’re stuck at home. You don’t need any equipment except for a sofa or an armchair. This means you can enjoy a home workout while you’re watching the TV or listening to the radio!
Note:
If you are struggling with any of these sofa workouts, try reducing the number of times you repeat the exercise and the number of sets you do. If you start to feel ill while exercising, stop immediately.
Sofa Workout Warm-up
This will increase your heart rate and make sure your joints are warmed up to prevent injury.
High knee Toe Touch
- Stand facing the sofa, with hands behind your head
- Raise a leg to touch your toe at the edge of the sofa seat
- Repeat on each leg at a slow pace for a minute
- Continue at a slightly faster pace for 60 seconds
- Speed up to a fast pace for one last minute
Main Sofa Workouts
Sofa Sits
This sofa workout is great for your legs and your bum, helping to strengthen and tone those all-important muscles.
- Sit up straight on the edge of your sofa, with feet shoulder-width apart and flat on the floor
- Stand up, making the body as straight as possible before slowly returning to a seated position over a count of four
Repeat 30 times, rest for 60 seconds. Complete each set of 30 three times
Glute Bridges
Glute bridges are a great way to work out those bum muscles, making you stronger and more stable.
- Sit on the floor, with your upper back against the corner of the seat.
- Lift your bum slightly off of the floor (start position).
- Raise your bum up until you are flat from your knees to your shoulders making a table shape. Hold for a count of 2 and then lower slowly for a count of four.
Repeat 20 times, rest 60 seconds (repeat three times)
Sofa Push-ups
These are great for your chest and upper arms. There are two ways of doing them:
Option 1:
- Kneel on the floor and place hands on the edge of the seat about shoulder width apart
- Bend your elbows to lower your chest to hand level and hold for a count of two. You should feel mild tension in the chest.
- Push back up to start position. To make this harder outstretch your legs to a plank position, this means that your weight is on your feet and hands and your body is straight all of the way through.
Option 2: This is the harder option!
- Face away from the sofa on all fours on the floor, place your feet onto the edge of the sofa
- Have hands shoulder-width apart with your body straight from your shoulders to your feet
- Slowly bend elbows to lower your chest to slightly above the floor and hold for a count of two
- Push back up to start position
Repeat 12 times, rest for 60 seconds (repeat three more times)
Sofa Dips
This sofa workout is good for your arms and chest.
- Sit at the very edge of the sofa with your legs straight to the floor
- Place your hands on either side of your bum and push until your bum is off of the sofa
- Shuffle forward slightly and slowly bend your elbows, so your bum comes down in front of the sofa seat
- When you are as low as you can get without touching the floor, hold for a count of two
- Push back up to start position
Repeat the exercise 12 times, rest for 60 seconds (repeat the whole set three times).
Leg Raises
These are good for the stomach and core strength. There are two ways to do this:
Option 1:
- Sit on the sofa with your legs straight in front of you and your heels on the floor
- Lean back slightly, your hands can be behind your body to support your balance
- Lift one leg to just above hip level and hold for a count of two, then switch legs. To make the move harder you can lift both legs at once.
Option 2:
- Lie across your sofa with your shoulders back against the sofa
- Lift one leg up as straight as you can and flatten the foot if you want to make it harder, switch legs. To make the move harder you can lift both legs at once.
Repeat the exercise 20 times, rest for 60 seconds (repeat the whole set three times).