Working out at home (particularly if you're trying to ease yourself into a new workout routine) is an ideal way to ease yourself into exercising and building confidence with the added benefit of privacy. That's one of the reasons England Rugby launched their Inner Warrior campaign [1] in January, to help women across the country get fit for free. Even though the camps have wrapped up for 2020, the team still wants to help you build your fitness up, from the comfort of your own home.
Luke Woodhouse [2] is the Red Roses' strength and conditioning coach and, with a bachelor's and master's degree in sport and exercise science and currently doing a PhD in the field, he definitely knows a thing or two about fitness. So, we've tapped him to give us four key exercise moves he puts the team through on a regular basis. Best of all, they're all simple moves that can be done at home and without any fancy equipment. "The Red Roses are competing at the very top of their level, so it's imperative that they are at peak fitness throughout the season," Woodhouse tells POPSUGAR. "To do this, we employ a range of training tactics that target different muscle groups and focus on various areas of fitness, such as strength, stamina, stability, and speed."
Keep on reading to find out about four exercise moves you can easily do at home and how to perform them correctly (and safely).
Bear Crawl With Balance
"To do this exercise, begin on all fours with your arms straight and your knees raised about one inch from the ground," Woodhouse explains. "Place a foam roller — or another soft object such as a cushion — on your lower back, and then slowly step your feet forwards. Always keep three points of contact on the ground at any one time and don't let the object fall off of your back. This is a great exercise for core control and endurance, helping to improve balance and stability and reducing the likelihood of injury."
Move ten steps forward and then ten steps backwards, and repeat this 3 - 5 times depending on comfort level. You should be able to breathe and speak without difficulty while performing the bear crawl.
Shoulder Press Up
!["Starting in the plank position with your elbows and forearms on the ground," explains Woodhouse. "Your elbows should be in line with your shoulders, and also keep your legs and back straight. Then, slowly move into the press-up position with your arms extended straight, keeping your legs and back straight [throughout the entire movement]. Repeat this ten times, going back down onto your elbows, and then back up into the press-up position. This exercise builds shoulder stability and overall endurance."](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/ZX6p4kqgPo_IOaxD7pb4619_i-0/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2020/01/31/611/n/37141241/5ce1a7b1233bab18_rugby_workout_Shoulder_Press_Up_1/i/Starting-in-plank-position-with-your-elbows-forearms-on.jpg "\"Starting in the plank position with your elbows and forearms on the ground,\" explains Woodhouse. \"Your elbows should be in line with your shoulders, and also keep your legs and back straight. Then, slowly move into the press-up position with your arms extended straight, keeping your legs and back straight [throughout the entire movement]. Repeat this ten times, going back down onto your elbows, and then back up into the press-up position. This exercise builds shoulder stability and overall endurance.\"")
"Starting in the plank position with your elbows and forearms on the ground," explains Woodhouse. "Your elbows should be in line with your shoulders, and also keep your legs and back straight. Then, slowly move into the press-up position with your arms extended straight, keeping your legs and back straight [throughout the entire movement]. Repeat this ten times, going back down onto your elbows, and then back up into the press-up position. This exercise builds shoulder stability and overall endurance."
Repeated Vertical Jump
"To perform a repeated vertical jump, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart," Woodhouse explains. "Then, squat down as though you're going to sit on a chair, and then jump up as high as possible, using your arms to drive you upwards. When you land, immediately repeat another jump, doing this for a total of ten times. Keep the landings nice and soft, bending your knees on impact. This is a great exercise for pushing and accelerating, which is important for rugby players who have to find sudden speed at multiple points throughout the game."
Reverse Hyper on Bench
!["The reverse hyper on bench exercise is great for glute and lower back coordination, as well as building endurance for pushing and sprinting," Woodhouse explains. "Ideally, you'd use a bench for this move. So, lay face down, with the edge of the bench in contact with your hip bones (so your legs are dangling over the edge of the bench). Secure your body against the bench [by holding on] with your hands and then push your legs up and back until they're parallel to the floor, squeezing your bum at the top. Don't raise your legs higher than parallel, and repeat this ten times – though don't worry if you can't quite manage this many repetitions when you first start out — you can build up to it over time."](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/nc1-Zg3-4zUpaiHjQya2rsT_wjQ/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2020/01/31/621/n/37141241/faa7de62b98a38d1_Reverse_Hyper_On_Bench_2/i/reverse-hyper-on-bench-exercise-is-great-for-glute-lower.jpg "\"The reverse hyper on bench exercise is great for glute and lower back coordination, as well as building endurance for pushing and sprinting,\" Woodhouse explains. \"Ideally, you'd use a bench for this move. So, lay face down, with the edge of the bench in contact with your hip bones (so your legs are dangling over the edge of the bench). Secure your body against the bench [by holding on] with your hands and then push your legs up and back until they're parallel to the floor, squeezing your bum at the top. Don't raise your legs higher than parallel, and repeat this ten times – though don't worry if you can't quite manage this many repetitions when you first start out — you can build up to it over time.\"")
"The reverse hyper on bench exercise is great for glute and lower back [3] coordination, as well as building endurance for pushing and sprinting," Woodhouse explains. "Ideally, you'd use a bench for this move. So, lay face down, with the edge of the bench in contact with your hip bones (so your legs are dangling over the edge of the bench). Secure your body against the bench [by holding on] with your hands and then push your legs up and back until they're parallel to the floor, squeezing your bum at the top. Don't raise your legs higher than parallel, and repeat this ten times – though don't worry if you can't quite manage this many repetitions when you first start out — you can build up to it over time."