Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefitsTypesCalories BurnedGetting StartedWho Should Avoid Them?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits
Types
Calories Burned
Getting Started
Who Should Avoid Them?
Calisthenics are full-body exercises that use your body weight as resistance. Examples of calisthenic exercises are repetitions of squats, bending, kicking, jumping, stretching, twisting, sit-ups, and push-ups.You can use calisthenics as a warm-up or cooldown for another fitness routine or as a standalone workout.
1. Builds Strength and Endurance
According to one study, calisthenics significantly improved strength after eight weeks of training. Study participants had a 16.4% increase in strength on a push-up test and a 39.2% increase in strength on a pull-up test.
2. Builds Coordination and Body Awareness
Doing calisthenic exercises can help you improve coordination and body awareness. Through body weight exercises, you train yourself to learn where your body is in space and how to move most efficiently. This can carry over to your functional mobility in daily life.
3. Flexibility
Another benefit of calisthenics is improvedflexibility. During many calisthenics exercises, you extend your body to its full range of motion. Doing them regularly can improve your base flexibility.
One study found significantly improved total body flexibility in older participants who did calisthenics for one year.Another group that did yoga for a year had even greater improved flexibility, whereas the control group, which did neither calisthenics nor yoga, had decreased flexibility.
4. Improves Posture
A 2017 study compared a group that underwent eight weeks of calisthenic training to a group that did not. By the end of eight weeks, the calisthenics group had significantly improved posture with both eyes open and closed compared to the control group.
5. Promotes Brain Health
Many forms of exercise, including calisthenics, promote a healthy brain. Research has found that physical exercise improves cognition and memory, delays brain aging, gives a sense of well-being, and has pain-relieving and antidepressant effects.
6. Increases Bone Density
Like other forms of exercise, calisthenic exercises have the potential to improvebone density.Healthy bone density can help you avoidosteoporosis(decreased bone mass and bone mineral density) and broken bones, especially as you age.
7. Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
People who do resistance training have an approximately 17% lower risk of developing cardiovascular (heart) disease than people who don’t do any resistance training.
Calisthenics is one type of resistance training. The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes of resistance training per week.
8. Boosts Metabolism
9. Beginner-Friendly
A calisthenics routine doesn’t require gym equipment, making it convenient and accessible. Most calisthenics exercises are also modifiable, so you can make them as hard or as easy as you need, making them an ideal option for beginners.
Types of Calisthenic Exercises
Some examples of calisthenics exercises include:
These exercises are often done incircuits, meaning you’d perform repetitions of each exercise and then repeat them in multiple sets.
How Many Calories Can I Burn?
It’s impossible to say precisely how many calories you will burn with calisthenics because the amount depends on factors like age, weight, height, and the intensity of your workout. However, below is an estimate of how many calories you may burn during calisthenics.
Calisthenics Intensity125 Pounds155 Pounds185 PoundsModerate135 calories162 calories189 caloriesVigorous240 calories306 calories336 caloriesHow to Get StartedYou don’t need any gym equipment to start doing calisthenics. However, an exercise mat and gym clothes are a good place to start. A bar for pull-ups and dips can also help as you get more advanced.If you’ve never tried body weight exercises before, consider joining a group class or following along with a YouTube video to learn safe techniques and form.Who Should Avoid Calisthenics?You may want to talk to your healthcare professional before trying calisthenics if you have a history of:Knee pain, surgery, or replacementHigh blood pressureHip pain, surgery, or replacementLower back injuryPregnancyThat is not to say that you cannot do calisthenics with those injuries or conditions; however, you may need to modify your workouts a bit.SummaryCalisthenics are an ancient form of body weight exercise that have become very popular recently for their ease, affordability, convenience, and health benefits. People who do calisthenics can experience improved strength, flexibility, and coordination, as well as better bone density, brain health, and more.
How to Get Started
You don’t need any gym equipment to start doing calisthenics. However, an exercise mat and gym clothes are a good place to start. A bar for pull-ups and dips can also help as you get more advanced.
If you’ve never tried body weight exercises before, consider joining a group class or following along with a YouTube video to learn safe techniques and form.
Who Should Avoid Calisthenics?
You may want to talk to your healthcare professional before trying calisthenics if you have a history of:
That is not to say that you cannot do calisthenics with those injuries or conditions; however, you may need to modify your workouts a bit.
Summary
Calisthenics are an ancient form of body weight exercise that have become very popular recently for their ease, affordability, convenience, and health benefits. People who do calisthenics can experience improved strength, flexibility, and coordination, as well as better bone density, brain health, and more.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hoffman J, Gabel CP.The origins of Western mind–body exercise methods.Phys Ther Rev. 2015;20(5-6):315-324. doi:10.1080%2F10833196.2015.1125587Thomas E, Bianco A, Mancuso EP, et al.The effects of a calisthenics training intervention on posture, strength and body composition.Isokinetics and Exercise Science. 2017;25(3):215-222. doi:10.3233/IES-170001Farinatti P, Rubini E, Silva E, Vanfraechem J.Flexibility of the elderly after one-year practice of yoga and calisthenics.International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 2014;24(1):71-77. doi:10.17761/ijyt.24.1.5003007856u32q52Di Liegro CM, Schiera G, Proia P, Di Liegro I.Physical activity and brain health.Genes (Basel). 2019;10(9):720. doi:10.3390%2Fgenes10090720Hsu H, Chiu C, Chen W, Yang Y, Wang R.Effects of exercise on bone density and physical performance in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta‐analysis.PM&R. Published online July 20, 2024:pmrj.13206. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.13206Paluch AE, Boyer WR, Franklin BA, et al.Resistance exercise training in individuals with and without cardiovascular disease: 2023 update: a scientific statement from the american heart association.Circulation. 2024;149(3). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001189Harvard Health.Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hoffman J, Gabel CP.The origins of Western mind–body exercise methods.Phys Ther Rev. 2015;20(5-6):315-324. doi:10.1080%2F10833196.2015.1125587Thomas E, Bianco A, Mancuso EP, et al.The effects of a calisthenics training intervention on posture, strength and body composition.Isokinetics and Exercise Science. 2017;25(3):215-222. doi:10.3233/IES-170001Farinatti P, Rubini E, Silva E, Vanfraechem J.Flexibility of the elderly after one-year practice of yoga and calisthenics.International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 2014;24(1):71-77. doi:10.17761/ijyt.24.1.5003007856u32q52Di Liegro CM, Schiera G, Proia P, Di Liegro I.Physical activity and brain health.Genes (Basel). 2019;10(9):720. doi:10.3390%2Fgenes10090720Hsu H, Chiu C, Chen W, Yang Y, Wang R.Effects of exercise on bone density and physical performance in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta‐analysis.PM&R. Published online July 20, 2024:pmrj.13206. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.13206Paluch AE, Boyer WR, Franklin BA, et al.Resistance exercise training in individuals with and without cardiovascular disease: 2023 update: a scientific statement from the american heart association.Circulation. 2024;149(3). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001189Harvard Health.Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hoffman J, Gabel CP.The origins of Western mind–body exercise methods.Phys Ther Rev. 2015;20(5-6):315-324. doi:10.1080%2F10833196.2015.1125587Thomas E, Bianco A, Mancuso EP, et al.The effects of a calisthenics training intervention on posture, strength and body composition.Isokinetics and Exercise Science. 2017;25(3):215-222. doi:10.3233/IES-170001Farinatti P, Rubini E, Silva E, Vanfraechem J.Flexibility of the elderly after one-year practice of yoga and calisthenics.International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 2014;24(1):71-77. doi:10.17761/ijyt.24.1.5003007856u32q52Di Liegro CM, Schiera G, Proia P, Di Liegro I.Physical activity and brain health.Genes (Basel). 2019;10(9):720. doi:10.3390%2Fgenes10090720Hsu H, Chiu C, Chen W, Yang Y, Wang R.Effects of exercise on bone density and physical performance in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta‐analysis.PM&R. Published online July 20, 2024:pmrj.13206. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.13206Paluch AE, Boyer WR, Franklin BA, et al.Resistance exercise training in individuals with and without cardiovascular disease: 2023 update: a scientific statement from the american heart association.Circulation. 2024;149(3). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001189Harvard Health.Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights.
Hoffman J, Gabel CP.The origins of Western mind–body exercise methods.Phys Ther Rev. 2015;20(5-6):315-324. doi:10.1080%2F10833196.2015.1125587
Thomas E, Bianco A, Mancuso EP, et al.The effects of a calisthenics training intervention on posture, strength and body composition.Isokinetics and Exercise Science. 2017;25(3):215-222. doi:10.3233/IES-170001
Farinatti P, Rubini E, Silva E, Vanfraechem J.Flexibility of the elderly after one-year practice of yoga and calisthenics.International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 2014;24(1):71-77. doi:10.17761/ijyt.24.1.5003007856u32q52
Di Liegro CM, Schiera G, Proia P, Di Liegro I.Physical activity and brain health.Genes (Basel). 2019;10(9):720. doi:10.3390%2Fgenes10090720
Hsu H, Chiu C, Chen W, Yang Y, Wang R.Effects of exercise on bone density and physical performance in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta‐analysis.PM&R. Published online July 20, 2024:pmrj.13206. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.13206
Paluch AE, Boyer WR, Franklin BA, et al.Resistance exercise training in individuals with and without cardiovascular disease: 2023 update: a scientific statement from the american heart association.Circulation. 2024;149(3). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001189
Harvard Health.Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights.
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