Awesome Exercises you Can Do on Your Bed

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE
​https://linktr.ee/simonesfitfunlife

We can all be lazy sometimes.

So before you get out of bed in the morning, consider trying some of these great exercises to get you energized and ready to start your day before your feet even touch the bedroom floor.

You can do these exercises as a whole routine or pick and choose which ones work best for you!​

For all the modified versions feel free to prop up pillows where needed.

Let's break it up into 4 sections:

Warm Up 

​Warm up starts at 0:27

• ​Snow angels​
  • modified: bend the knees to take any pressure of the back as you open and close the legs and arms. Press the back into the bed to engage the core. 
  • intermediate/advanced: straighten out the legs and the arms like a full jumping jack. To make it even more advanced lift the legs off the bed. 

 

• Hand to leg tap
  • modified: bend the knee and arm instead of having them fully extend.
  • intermediate/advanced: lift up the head and upper body to extend the reach to the leg. 

 

• Clam shell to butterfly​
  • modified: do the clam shell only or the butterfly only. Whichever feels better to you. 

Strength

​Strength exercises start at 1:55

• Bridge 
  • modified: prop up pillows on your head and lift up the glutes gently and carefully. You can grip the sheets if it helps but try not to. 
  • intermediate/advanced: lift up 1 leg and keep the other foot flat on the floor and don't lower the back down fully. 
• Side push up​​
  • modified: bend the knees and don't come all the way up.
  • intermediate/advanced: straighten out the legs and as you press to sit up straighten out the arm fully (but don't lock the joint).
• ​Quad rise up ​ ​
  • modified: lie on your stomach, bent one knee at a 90 degree ankle and lift it off the bed while the other leg is straight and relaxed.
  • intermediate/advanced: sit on your knees and lean back to lift yourself up, squeezing the glutes. 

Core

Core exercises start at 3:30

• Oblique side reach or crunch
  • ​modified: bend both knees and lift up the legs rather than the head. 
  • intermediate/advanced: lift up the legs and head. Reach with the land to touch the thigh. 
• Plank (modified and advanced) OR static hold
  • modified: go on the knees and lower the hips and stomach to the floor but just enough to still be in line with the shoulders. 
  • intermediate/advanced: go onto your toes and hands or elbows.
• Pilates toe tap 
  • ​modified: keep one knee bent and foot flat while the other leg goes up and down.
  • intermediate/advanced: straighten out the legs and extend arm back and up to reach the leg. 

Stretches

Stretches starts at 5:05

• Lower back stretch turned into pretzel
  • ​modified: bend both knees, prop up pillows and don't do the bretzel or use a sheet to wrap around the ankle to pull it back into a bretzel.
  • intermediate/advanced: when going into the bretzel open up the chest to face the ceiling.
• Hug knees to chest
  • ​modified: hug one knee to the chest at a time, keep the other leg bent and foot flat on the floor.
  • intermediate/advanced: rock side to side and/or forward and back 
• Reach for toes the right way ​
  • ​modified: lean forward and don't reach forward at all or reach just to the thigh.
  • intermediate/advanced: prop a pillow under your ankle to lift your leg up higher.

I hope this helps! 

Have you ever done exercises on your bed? Leave a comment below!