What Are Towel Exercises For?

Sometimes the idea of a years-long gym membership contract or expensive workout machines can deter you from beginning an exercise regimen. But you can do a series of effective moves using only a towel or two. A towel can add resistance or act as an extender when you can't quite reach your toes or link fingers in an upper body stretch. They can also be used on a wood or tile floor for a sliding workout. Try these easy moves at home by grabbing a couple of towels.

  1. Towel Stretches

    • For a good shoulder and arm stretch, take a rolled-up towel and grab one end in each hand and place it behind your back. Slowly pull the towel straight upward with the hand that's on top and allow it to pull and stretch the lower arm and your shoulder. To stretch the hamstrings, sit on the floor with your legs stretched out straight in front of you. Wrap a towel around one flexed foot and use it to pull your upper body toward the toes. Be gentle and don't arch your back. You can add a towel as a helper to any stretch where you can't quite reach.

    Sliding Leg Circles

    • A towel workout can be fun by allowing you to slide into your exercises. For sliding leg circles, place a washcloth or small folded towel under one foot and get into a squat stance. Push your towel out to the side as if you're wiping the floor, then slide it back in a circle, then come back to center.

    Sliding Side and Back Lunges

    • Another way to use towels and to seriously work those quads and glutes is sliding lunges. For side lunges, you begin in a deep squat position and with a washcloth or towel under your foot, push out as far as you can to the side, then quickly slide back in. The motion is the same for back lunges, except you begin standing up and not in a squat position.

    Rocking Bicycle Crunch

    • If you ever feel like your neck gets tight during crunches, a towel can be an aid for this exercise. You are basically doing bicycle crunches but with a towel cradling your head as you rock from side to side. Lie on the floor, and using a rolled up bath towel, grab an end in each hand and place the middle of the towel behind your head, as if your head is in a hammock. Stretch your arms out to the side, and as you bring your right knee up to your chest, bring your left arm toward your right side while holding on to the towel and rock your body to the right. Switch from side to side and work up to 100 reps.

    Sliding Plank

    • A sliding plank works a bit like an ab rolling machine, except you are using the force of your legs on a towel. This type of active plank exercise works so many areas of your body at once -- your core muscles, your glutes, your quads, your biceps, your calves, your chest, and the list goes on. Start on the floor on all fours with your knees slightly elevated and your weight evenly distributed between the the balls of your feet and your hands. Both feet should be on the same towel folded into a long rectangle. From this position, use the towel to push all the way back into a plank pose, making sure to keep your tailbone tucked under as you slide back. You then use your core to bring yourself back to starting position. You will feel the burn after only a few reps.