The Best Calisthenics Overview and Calisthenics Exercises

Calisthenics is a safe and effective way to exercise—learn how calisthenics exercises support your health.

Exercise is an essential part of supporting healthy movement and aging with grace. While some exercises promote very specific health or aesthetic gains, others are designed to support the body in its entirety. With calisthenics exercises, you can improve your entire body’s range of motion and strength levels with each workout.

Calisthenics exercises have been one of the more popular approaches to fitness throughout history. In this article, we will explore what calisthenics exercises are, what makes them so special, and how you can get started with them today.

What is Calisthenics?

Calisthenics is an approach to exercise that is designed to help the body evolve and develop in a way that supports natural movements and mobility. In calisthenics, the individual will participate in specific movement types that are designed to exercise the muscles responsible for supporting movement, strength, and endurance.

When participating in calisthenics, you will generally use two naturally occurring tools—your body weight and gravity. With this fitness methodology, you will focus on both movement and steadiness to challenge your muscles and support strength gains over time. It is one of the most common versions of strength training available.

The Benefits of Calisthenics

Every type of exercise has its own list of benefits, and calisthenics is one form of activity that can support your whole body health. When you use calisthenics as a form of exercise, you can enhance your physical and mental health in many ways.

Common Benefits of Calisthenics Include:

• Friendly for all ages
• Approachable for any level of fitness
• Supports heart health
• Supports weight loss
• Contributes to healthy aging
• Builds strength
• Improves posture
• Increases flexibility
• Full-body strengthening
• Clear and measurable markers for improvement
• Easy on the joints

Who is Calisthenics Right For?

The fitness world is fairly divided when it comes to different forms of exercise. Many types of exercise are marketed to specific types of people or may even be designed specifically to support certain body types. This is one clear area where calisthenics sticks out—it works for everyone.

From children to aging adults, calisthenics is an approach to exercise that always offers benefits. No matter who you are, you can likely benefit from these types of movements. Since calisthenics is focused on natural movement and supports a wide range of skill levels, it is a form of exercise that almost anyone can embrace and gain improvements from. This all-ages fitness strategy is designed to help you naturally improve your body and balance one exercise at a time.

Popular Calisthenics Exercises

The best part about calisthenics is that the actions you take are designed to support and improve natural movement. Many of the exercises in this approach to fitness are designed to strengthen your entire body, and they include quite a few classic exercises, which makes it very easy to get started. Most calisthenics exercises can even be done at home!

Planks

A plank is an action that requires the individual to hold themselves up horizontally on the ground, like a push-up, without the movement. Although this movement is simple enough, it can offer incredible full-body benefits, and it is a very manageable move to start with. Ideal for building core strength and for those who may be intimidated by more complex movements, planks allow you to build strength over time.

Push-Ups

The classic push-up is one of the most recognizable exercises, and there is a reason this is the case—it delivers. Push-ups are a simple and approachable way to support your core and build upper body strength. Most importantly, they can deliver benefits even when you modify them. Since push-ups can be modified to support different levels of intensity, they are a great starter exercise that can be done at home.

Squats

Calisthenics is all about the body’s common movement types, and squats are one of the most relevant movements that a person can make in daily life. From crouching down to scoop up a child to kneeling to pick something up, being able to comfortably squat down and increasing this area of strength can have many long-term benefits. It is also common to use different types of squats or even combine squats with other movements, like jumping, for more intense exercise. Quite a few people also enjoy the aesthetic benefits of squats as well.

Leg Raises

Having complete control over your body often comes down to strength, and leg raises can really help you to build that level of control. Since the legs are often a heavier part of the body, they can be an excellent tool for building overall strength. This exercise can help you to improve your range of motion, tighten your core, and sculpt your legs as well. It builds control and power over time.

Burpees

There are certain movements that you can feel across your entire body, and burpees are one of them. With this three-part motion, you will gain the benefits of planks, improve your motion, increase your heart rate, and support your posture too. Perfect for getting your heart rate up and supporting your full range of movement, this exercise can offer a lot!

Pull-Ups

Pull-ups or even hanging on a pull-up bar can really help to support upper body strength and good posture. This exercise can be challenging at first, but it is also a powerful indicator of strength and can be highly satisfying to improve at. Many people appreciate the potentially life-saving benefits of being able to do pull-ups, and it is certainly an effective exercise.

Use Calisthenics Exercises to Transform Your Health!

Functional fitness focuses on healthy movement and biometrics, and calisthenics exercises are one of the best ways to support the function of your body. With these simple exercises, you can give your body the support it needs to remain mobile, agile, and ready to help you with your day-to-day activities. Even a small amount of daily calisthenics can help you to receive some surprisingly significant benefits. Try calisthenics exercises at home to see how they can empower you to achieve more and feel better in your body!

This is not professional medical advice.