Floor exercises are any exercise you do on the floor, sans fancy props or equipment. While the definition can include pilates, yoga and aerobics, floor exercises also include repetitive movements that target certain areas of your body. Those main areas include your arms, legs, abdomen and core muscles.
Arms
Arm floor exercises use your body weight and your arms to tone and sculpt your biceps, triceps, back and shoulder muscles. One of the most notable examples is the push-up. Jazz up the standard version with variations from "Fitness" magazine. The T-push-up starts off in the standard push-up position, but you move your body sideways until you're leaning on the palm of one hand with your other arm up in the air to create a T. Hold the position, return to center and repeat on other side. Another variation is the staggered arm push-up. Place one arm in the traditional push-up position and the other arm with your palm flat on the floor near your waist. Try the push-up with leg lift by starting in the standard push-up position and the lifting one leg straight up behind you as perform the push-up. Repeat with other leg lifted. Add a leg lift to the T-push-up by raising your your top leg straight out to the side when in the T position.
Legs
Leg floor exercises work your legs, of course, and surrounding muscles. Lunges, like the standard push-up, are the usual fare, according to "Fitness" and Women Fitness. While the lunges might also bore you, they are too effective at working the major muscles of your glutes, hips and thighs to be kicked out of a workout lineup. Lunge one leg forward about three feet in front of the other with your foot flat on the floor. Balance your back leg on your toes and as bend your front knee to a 90-degree angle. Hold, lift, repeat on other side. Hold a lightweight dumbbell in each hand for added effectiveness.
Abdomen
Like the push-up, the sit-up is a standard exercise with myriad variations. One is the crunch. Lie on your back with your knees bent and hands behind your head. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your head and shoulders off the floor. More variations offered by "Fitness" work not only your abdomen but your thighs, buttocks and arms. Try a pike and extend by lying flat on your back with your legs straight up in the air. Bring both hands over your head then crunch up and reach your arms towards your upright legs. Lower your upper body and one leg to the floor, hovering above it. Crunch up again, repeat on other side.
Core
More floor exercises work your core muscles, those handy dandy deep inner muscles that support your entire body. Deep abdominal muscles are part of your core, so some abdominal exercises are already giving you a head start in this area. Other floor exercises that work your core include pelvic tilts and pelvic clocks, Women Fitness notes. Lie on your back as if you were about to do a sit-up but, for the pelvic tilt, raise your pelvis upward then bring it down and slightly arch your back. Repeat. For the pelvic clock, rotate your pelvis in a circular motion, as if you were following the numbers on a clock face. Do the clock both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
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