Your typical week is filled never-emptying inbox, family commitments, and other pressing responsibilities. That makes it hard to get a workout in. So, when you do finally find a moment to make it to the gym, how do you make the most of the trip? The answer, my friend, is a full-body workout. Below, experts explain their health benefits and share some go-to full-body exercises to get you started.
Why full-body workouts are so great
Full-body workouts are not just time-efficient but, it turns out, they’re also a cornerstone of longevity.
“They’re highly effective for overall health, muscle maintenance, and metabolic function, all of which are crucial for aging well and maintaining quality of life as we grow older,” Vero Vegas, a trainer with TRX, says.
Vegas says that in her experience, full-body workouts allow for a more balanced and functional physique.
“It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about building a resilient, functional body that ages well, maintains independence, and resists injury,” she says.
They’re good for your brain too—and not just because you have to dedicate less brain power to planning your workouts.
“People don’t realize that full-body workouts can improve how efficiently your brain communicates with your muscles,” says Joanna Dase, global fitness coach at Curves. This is because stimulating multiple muscle groups at once asks the brain to work overtime to keep track of it all.
You aren’t skimping on gains by doing everything at once, either. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared full-body workouts to isolated workouts and found similar muscle growth in each case.
“This suggests that split routines may not necessarily be better for advanced lifters,” Dase says, “And that training style and recovery protocols may matter more than how workouts are divided across the week.”
You don’t have to just stick to weights: A study in the non-profit peer-reviewed science journal PLOS ONE looked at the benefits of 30-minute full-body workouts combining strength training with cardio and found that participants gradually experienced increased stamina, as well as greater muscle power and mobility.
With that in mind, here are five full-body workouts to help get your body moving and the ideas sparking.
The Calisthenics Cruncher
“A well-rounded full-body workout should include exercises that target strength, cardiovascular health, and flexibility,” Dase says. This workout combines push-ups for strength, jumping jacks for cardio, and a forward fold for purposeful stretching. Following a repeating thirty seconds on, thirty seconds off protocol, you should comfortably manage three rounds of the below in just 10 minutes.
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