Lunges build strength in your quads, glutes, and calves, but also in your core. Core strength is essential for muscle building and overall fitness. Lunges are fairly safe and easy

to complete as well, which is why they should be an essential part of any at-home routine. 

Lunging for a snack or the remote? Do this exercise instead!

You'll want to

start in a standing position, and take a big step forward with your dominant foot, placing most of your weight on the front foot. Lower your front foot until it's

at a 90 degree angle, all while making sure your back is straight and head is up.

Maybe you've heard people talk nonstop about CrossFit, but there's a reason for that. They know their stuff when it comes to full-body workouts. That includes the above picture from

this video demonstrating how to do a proper squat. 

Start shoulder-width apart, and drop your hips down below your knees. Keep your heels on the ground and make sure your

knees stay in line with your toes. Repeat until you feel the burn!

There's a reason our fighting men and women continue to incorporate jumping jacks into their training to this day. This classic exercise, that you've probably been forced to do in

your childhood, activates a huge variety of muscles in your body. 

Make sure your feet are together and your hands are at your thighs. In one swift move, jump your feet

out and raise your arms over your head. Reverse it, and you've got jumping jacks.

One brutal variation is called the jumping jack pyramid. That's when you do

as many jumping jacks as you can for 10 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, do as many as you can in 20 seconds, rest for 20, and so on. 

Planks are extremely simple and are perhaps one of the best exercises to increase core strength. It engages tons of muscles, including biceps, triceps, abs, pecs, quads, and the gluteus

maximus. Pretty much everything from your arms to your butt.

Get into a push up position. Rest your weight on your forearms, making sure to not put weight on your hands.

The goal is to suck in your stomach towards your spine as much as possible, and try to keep your body straight from your shoulders to your heels. 

You were probably expecting to see push-ups on this list. That's because they remain one of the best ways to build upper body strength in the forearms, shoulders and chest.

Your lower muscle groups are also activated to support you while you complete the exercise. That means push-ups count as a compound workout, one that tests multiple muscle groups. 

You can read

all about the multiple benefits of push-ups, from improving your posture to preventing lower back injury, but it's better to just stop reading and start trying. You should

be careful if you have weak shoulders, and make sure you give yourself at least 48 hours to rest between sessions.

How to do a push-up correctly? The first step is

to keep your head and neck straight, and your shoulders and back stable. Start with your hands above your shoulders if you're new. Ideally you'll want to get to where you

can have your hands below your shoulders, as in the above picture, but don't strain yourself! Once you're in position, lower yourself until you're very close to the floor. Push up

until your arms lock, and carefully repeat to your ability.

It's about to get intense! Burpees help build your explosive power, along with your endurance and strength. This is a high intensity, full-body exercise. That means you're burning much more fat

than with moderate exercise. If you only have a few minutes, this might become your go-to move to supercharge your day!

What does the burpee entail? A combination of previous items on this

list! 

You start by getting into a squat position, then you kick your feet back into push-up position. Drop your chest in a push-up, move it back up, then get

quickly get back into squat position. Finally, jump from squat position as high as you can, and back down to squatting to immediately do more. 

Warning: these will exhaust you, so don't do

this on a day when you already have strenuous plans. 

So you want less explosive work and more focus on the abs? Maybe something where you're at least sort of lying down? Don't worry - we got you. Try leg lifts,

particularly scissor leg lifts. This workout targets your hips and your core. The ab muscles it works also help with stability and posture. 

Start by laying on the floor, and pulling your

stomach towards your spine, like in the plank. Raise your legs to about 45 degrees from your body, or a few inches off the ground, and then cross one leg

over another. Bring the leg out, alternate, and repeat. 

With all these exercises combined, you'll be ready hit your fitness goals with less hassle than you ever thought possible. Did we

miss any easy at-home workout ideas? Let us know in the comments!