Best Group Exercises at Home (Any Fitness Level, No Equipment)
The best group exercises at home are the ones everybody can do at the same time at their own level: squats, push-ups, lunges, glute bridges, planks and step touches, plus a few partner moves and a simple team game. The exercise matters far less than picking moves that work for the fittest and the least fit person in the room at once.
At a glance: 14 group exercises, each with three difficulty levels so nobody is left behind or bored. A 30-minute session anyone can lead, a 15-minute short version, plus how to handle kids, older relatives, sore knees and the neighbours downstairs. No equipment needed.
Why group workouts at home work
Training with other people is one of the few reliable ways to make exercise happen when motivation does not. If you have arranged to work out with your partner at seven, you turn up at seven. On your own, seven quietly becomes half past, then tomorrow.
There are three specific things a group gives you that solo training does not:
- An appointment. Other people waiting is a stronger commitment than a note in your calendar.
- A pace. Counting out loud together stops everyone rushing the last few reps, which is where form usually falls apart.
- A reason to finish. Most people hold a plank noticeably longer when someone else is holding one next to them. Not because of competition, just company.
Doing it at home rather than at a class removes the cost, the travel and the self-consciousness. What it does not remove is the one problem that quietly ends most group sessions, which is worth solving before you pick a single exercise.
The mixed-ability problem, and how to solve it
Here is what actually happens. Two or three people decide to work out together at home. One of them runs occasionally. One has not exercised in years. Maybe there is a teenager, or someone in their sixties. They pick a workout video, and within ten minutes one person is bored and one person is quietly humiliated. Session three never happens.
Almost every list of group exercises ignores this completely, which is strange, because it is the entire difficulty of training in a group. The fix is not to find exercises everyone can do equally. It is to pick exercises that have three honest versions, and let people choose their own.
The three-level system
Every exercise in this guide comes in three levels. Everyone does the same exercise, at the same time, for the same number of reps. The only thing that differs is which version each person picks.
| Level | Who it is for | Example, push-up |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | New to exercise, returning after a break, older, heavier, or managing a niggle | Push-up against a wall |
| Level 2 | Moves comfortably, some fitness, no current injuries | Push-up with hands on a chair or sofa |
| Level 3 | Trains regularly and finds Level 2 easy | Push-up from the floor, slowly |
Because everyone is doing a push-up, nobody is doing a different exercise, and nobody is sitting one out. The group stays synchronised, which is the whole point of training together.
How to run it without singling anyone out
- Announce all three levels every time, in a neutral voice. “Push-ups next. Wall, chair or floor, pick yours.” No eye contact with the person you think should pick Level 1.
- Let the fittest person take Level 2 sometimes. It immediately stops the levels reading as a ranking.
- Never say “the easy one.” Say Level 1, or say wall push-up. Naming it as easy makes choosing it feel like an admission.
- Allow mid-set changes. Starting at Level 3 and finishing at Level 1 is a good set, not a failed one.
- Match reps, not effort. Everyone does ten. Ten wall push-ups and ten floor push-ups take the same time, which keeps the group together.
That last point is the mechanical trick that makes all of this work. Same count, different version, everyone finishes at the same moment.
What you need
| What | How much | If you don’t have it |
|---|---|---|
| Floor space | Roughly a bath towel per person, plus elbow room | Push the furniture back, or work in two shifts |
| A timer | One, out loud, for the whole group | A phone on the coffee table |
| Chairs | One per person, sturdy and not on wheels | A sofa arm, a windowsill or the bottom stair |
| A wall | Enough clear wall for everyone | Take turns, or use a door frame |
| Mats | Nice, not necessary | Towels, or a rug |
| A cushion or soft ball | One, for partner passes | A rolled towel |
| Equipment | None | Nothing here needs weights |
Two people work in a normal living room. Four is comfortable if you move a sofa. Six or more usually means splitting into two rows and running the floor exercises in shifts.
The 14 best group exercises at home
Each has its three levels listed. Read the level options out before each exercise and let people pick for themselves.
Warm up together (1 to 3)
Three or four minutes. Do not skip it because there is chatting happening, which is not the same as warming up. Our warm-up guide explains why it matters more than most beginners think.
1. March and clap. Everyone marches on the spot, clapping on every fourth step so the whole group falls into the same rhythm. Sixty seconds. Level 1: low knees, no clap. Level 2: knees to hip height. Level 3: faster, driving the arms.
2. Arm circles and shoulder rolls. Twenty seconds of small forward circles, twenty backward, then ten slow shoulder rolls. Level 1: seated. Level 2: standing. Level 3: wider circles.
3. Slow squat to a chair. Everyone stands in front of their chair and sits down and stands up eight times, slowly. It doubles as a warm-up and a way for everyone to work out which squat level suits them. Level 1: sit fully, use hands to push up. Level 2: touch and stand. Level 3: hover just above the seat without touching.
Everyone at once (4 to 9)
These are the backbone of any group session. Everyone does the same move, same count, own level.
4. Squat. Feet shoulder-width, hips back, chest tall, stand up through the heels. Level 1: squat to a chair and stand. Level 2: bodyweight squat to a comfortable depth. Level 3: pause two seconds at the bottom of every rep.
5. Push-up. Body in one straight line, elbows travelling back rather than flaring wide. Level 1: against a wall. Level 2: hands on a chair seat or sofa. Level 3: from the floor, lowering slowly.
6. Reverse lunge. Step back, lower the back knee, push through the front foot. Level 1: hold a chair for balance and take a small step. Level 2: unsupported. Level 3: take three seconds to lower.
7. Glute bridge. On your back, knees bent, press through the heels and lift the hips. Level 1: lift halfway. Level 2: full lift, squeezing at the top. Level 3: hold the top for three seconds.
8. Plank. Elbows under shoulders, straight line from head to heels. Level 1: forearms on a chair seat. Level 2: from the knees. Level 3: full forearm plank.
9. Dead bug. On your back, arms up, knees over hips, lower one arm and the opposite leg slowly, then swap. Level 1: legs only, small range. Level 2: opposite arm and leg, knee bent. Level 3: straight leg, moving slowly.
Cardio without jumping (10 to 11)
A group jumping in unison is loud, and jumping is where beginners hurt themselves. These raise everyone’s heart rate without either problem.
10. Step touch. Step to the right and tap the left foot in, then reverse. Arms reach overhead as you step. Level 1: small steps, arms low. Level 2: wider steps, arms overhead. Level 3: add a small squat on each step.
11. Fast marching or stair step-ups. March hard on the spot, or take turns going up and down the bottom stair. Level 1: steady marching. Level 2: fast marching with high knees. Level 3: stair step-ups at pace.
Partner exercises for two (12 to 14)
Pair up. If your group is an odd number, one person joins a pair and rotates. Pair people of similar height where you can, but not necessarily similar fitness, since all three of these work fine across a gap.
12. High-five push-up. Face each other, do a push-up, and tap opposite hands at the top. Level 1: both at a wall, side by side, tapping between reps. Level 2: both on chairs facing each other. Level 3: both on the floor. Partners can be at different levels as long as you agree the tap point first.
13. Cushion pass sit-up. Sit facing each other with knees bent, feet nearly touching. Lower back, come up, and pass a cushion across. Level 1: lean back a few inches only, no full sit-up. Level 2: half sit-up with the pass. Level 3: full sit-up, passing at the top.
14. Partner wall sit. Both slide down a wall into a seated hold, shoulder to shoulder, and hold until one of you calls time. Level 1: shallow bend, 20 seconds. Level 2: thighs approaching parallel, 30 seconds. Level 3: parallel, 45 seconds or more.
A word on the wall sit specifically: it is the exercise most likely to turn into an unhealthy competition between two people who should not be competing. Agree the target time before you start, and stop there.
| # | Exercise | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March and clap | Low knees | Hip height | Fast, arms driving | Low |
| 2 | Arm circles | Seated | Standing | Wide circles | Silent |
| 3 | Chair squat | Sit and push up | Touch and stand | Hover above seat | Silent |
| 4 | Squat | To a chair | Bodyweight | 2-second pause | Silent |
| 5 | Push-up | Wall | Chair or sofa | Floor, slow | Silent |
| 6 | Reverse lunge | Chair-supported | Unsupported | 3 seconds down | Low |
| 7 | Glute bridge | Half lift | Full lift | 3-second hold | Silent |
| 8 | Plank | On a chair | From knees | Full forearm | Silent |
| 9 | Dead bug | Legs only | Bent knee | Straight leg | Silent |
| 10 | Step touch | Small steps | Arms overhead | Add a squat | Low |
| 11 | Marching / stairs | Steady march | High knees | Stair step-ups | Medium |
| 12 | High-five push-up | Wall, side by side | Chairs facing | Floor | Silent |
| 13 | Cushion pass sit-up | Small lean back | Half sit-up | Full sit-up | Silent |
| 14 | Partner wall sit | 20 sec, shallow | 30 sec | 45 sec, parallel | Silent |
Each exercise has a fuller walkthrough with form cues in our Beginner Exercise Library if someone in the group wants to check a movement between sessions.
A 30-minute group workout anyone can lead
You do not need a trained instructor. One person reads this out and keeps the timer. Rotate who does it each week so it never becomes one person’s job.
| Block | What everyone does | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | March and clap 60 sec · arm circles 40 sec · chair squats ×8 | 4 min |
| Round 1 | Squat ×12 · push-up ×10 · glute bridge ×12 · step touch 45 sec | 6 min |
| Round 2 | Reverse lunge ×8 each · plank 25 sec · dead bug ×8 each · fast marching 45 sec | 6 min |
| Partner block | High-five push-up ×8 · cushion pass sit-up ×12 · partner wall sit ×2 | 7 min |
| Team finisher | One team game from the section below | 4 min |
| Cool-down | Slow marching, then hamstring, chest and calf stretches together | 3 min |
Rest 45 to 60 seconds between exercises. That gap is not wasted time, it is when people talk, which is a large part of why the group turns up again next week.
The 15-minute version
For weeknights, or when half the group is tired. Three rounds of four exercises, no partner block.
| Exercise | Per round |
|---|---|
| Squat | 12 reps |
| Push-up | 10 reps |
| Glute bridge | 12 reps |
| Step touch | 45 seconds |
Two minutes of marching to warm up, three rounds with a minute of rest between each, one minute of stretching. If even that is too long, our 15-minute full-body workout works fine done side by side.
Listen to your body, and let everyone else listen to theirs. This is general information, not medical advice. Group settings create pressure to keep up, so say out loud at the start that stopping early is completely fine. Anyone who is pregnant, has a heart condition or high blood pressure, is recovering from injury, or has been inactive for a long time should speak to their doctor first. See our medical disclaimer.
Group workouts with kids, teenagers and older relatives
A family session spanning three generations is the hardest version of this, and also the most rewarding when it works. A few things that make the difference:
- Younger children need games, not sets. Under about ten, counting reps is boring. Relays, follow-the-leader and animal walks keep them in. Let a child call one exercise per session and copy whatever they invent.
- Teenagers do best with a job. Timer, music, or leading a block. Being a participant among parents is awkward; being in charge of something is not.
- Older adults should start at Level 1 regardless of how fit they look. Balance and joints matter more than effort. Chair-supported versions of everything are in the table above, and our guide to workouts for women over 50 goes into it further.
- Put the chairs out before you start. If a chair is already there, using it reads as normal rather than as needing help.
- Keep sessions to 20 minutes with mixed ages. Attention, not fitness, is the limiting factor.
If anyone in the group is carrying more weight and worried about keeping up, workouts for overweight beginners at home covers low-impact options in more detail, and every one of them fits into the Level 1 column.
Keeping the noise down
Three people exercising is roughly three times the noise of one, and this is the single most common reason flat-dwellers stop. Almost no group workout guide mentions it. Fixes, in order of how much they help:
- Remove every move where feet leave the floor. No jumping jacks, no burpees, no jump squats. Nothing in the 14 above requires them.
- Land through the whole foot. Most workout noise is heels hitting a hard floor.
- Stagger the group. Four people landing in perfect unison produces one loud thump. Ironically, being slightly out of sync is quieter.
- Use a rug and keep the music low. The music usually travels further than the exercise.
- Train earlier in the day. The same session at 8am bothers a neighbour far less than at 9pm.
- Swap stair step-ups for fast marching if you share a staircase wall.
Our indoor workouts for rainy days guide has a longer apartment-friendly section if noise is a persistent problem.
Working around knees, backs and shoulders
In any group of three or more, someone has a niggle. Nobody wants to announce it, so build the modifications into the session and let people take them silently. General guidance only, and anyone with an ongoing problem should get it looked at properly.
| Issue | Go easier on | Do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Sore knees | Deep squats, lunges, wall sits | Chair squats, glute bridges, step touch |
| Lower back | Full sit-ups, straight-leg dead bugs | Glute bridges, chair planks, small-range dead bugs |
| Shoulders | Floor push-ups, overhead reaching | Wall push-ups, arms at chest height |
| Wrists | Floor planks and push-ups | Forearm planks, chair push-ups |
| Balance | Unsupported lunges | Everything with a chair alongside |
| Pregnancy | Lying flat later on, any sit-up | Standing and chair work, on medical advice |
Read the swaps out once at the start of the first session and then never mention them again. Everyone will know they exist and nobody has to ask.
How to run the session so it actually works
The mechanics of leading matter more than people expect. A few things that make a group session feel organised rather than chaotic:
- One person keeps the timer, out loud. Everyone looking at their own phone destroys the rhythm.
- Count down, not up. “Five, four, three” tells people how much is left. Counting up tells them nothing.
- Name the exercise and all three levels before you start it. Not halfway through.
- Stand where everyone can see each other. A rough circle or a line facing a wall. Facing each other is better for connection but harder for copying.
- Rotate the leader weekly. It stops one person becoming responsible for everyone else’s fitness, which is the fastest route to resentment.
- Do not correct anyone’s form in front of the group. If something looks genuinely unsafe, call a rest and mention it quietly. Otherwise leave it.
- Finish on time. Ending five minutes early is better for attendance than a great session that overran.
If your group is spread across different houses, all of this works over a video call. Use timed intervals rather than rep counts, because everyone finishes together regardless of lag or level.
Games and scoring that keep everyone in
Competition is the fastest way to make a group session fun and the fastest way to make the least fit person quit. The trick is to score the group, not the individuals.
| Game | How it works | Why it is fair |
|---|---|---|
| Team total | Group aims for 200 squats between everyone in 5 minutes, any level | Everyone contributes, nobody is compared |
| Countdown ladder | 10 squats, 10 push-ups, then 9 and 9, down to 1 | It gets easier as people tire, so nobody stalls |
| Beat last week | Write the group’s total on the fridge and beat it next time | The opponent is the group’s past self |
| Leader’s choice relay | Each person picks one exercise, everyone does 10 | Everyone gets a turn choosing something they like |
| Hold together | Everyone planks, the group stops when the first person stops | Removes the incentive to outlast anyone |
That last one is worth trying even though it sounds backwards. When the group stops as soon as the first person stops, nobody is left holding a plank alone while everyone watches, which is the single most demoralising moment in group fitness.
Making it stick past week three
Most home group workouts die between the third and fifth session. It is almost never boredom. It is scheduling.
- Fix the day and time before you finish session one. “Same time Thursday” beats “let’s sort it out in the group chat.”
- Agree it runs with whoever shows up. If one person cannot make it, the session still happens. Otherwise one cancellation ends the habit.
- Keep it to twice a week. Three sounds better and is much harder to sustain across several people’s diaries.
- Have a solo fallback. Each person should know what they do on the week the group session does not happen, so a missed week is not a missed fortnight.
- Do not add difficulty every week. Repeat the same session until it feels genuinely easy, then change one thing.
Our Workout Schedule Planner can lay out a realistic week including the group session, and How to Stay Consistent With Working Out goes deeper on the habit side.
Common mistakes with group workouts at home
- Picking a workout video and hoping. Videos are pitched at one fitness level, which is exactly the problem you are trying to solve.
- Letting the fittest person set the pace. Set it for the least fit person and give the fittest person Level 3 instead.
- Turning every exercise into a contest. Fine for two friends of similar fitness. Corrosive in a family with a wide range.
- Skipping the warm-up because of the chatting. Talking is not warming up.
- Making it too long. Thirty minutes that everyone attends beats an hour that two people skip.
- Nobody owning the timer. Sessions without a clear leader drift and end early.
- Not saying out loud that stopping is fine. Say it in session one and mean it.
More general ones in 8 Common Beginner Workout Mistakes.
How often should a group train together?
Twice a week is the realistic answer for most households, with people doing their own thing on other days. That fits comfortably inside the general activity guidance from the World Health Organization and the NHS, which suggest around 150 minutes of moderate activity a week plus two muscle-strengthening sessions. Two group sessions cover the strengthening part entirely.
Leave at least a day between sessions so everyone recovers, and encourage walking on the days in between. More on frequency in How Many Days a Week Should You Work Out?
Training with an older relative? Our core exercises for seniors has seated and standing levels.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best group exercises at home?
Squats, push-ups, reverse lunges, glute bridges, planks, dead bugs and step touches are the best group exercises at home, because each has an easier and a harder version so everyone can do the same movement at their own level. Add partner moves such as high-five push-ups and cushion pass sit-ups for two or more people.
How do you work out as a group when everyone is a different fitness level?
Pick exercises with three versions and let each person choose their own. Everyone does the same exercise for the same number of reps, so the group stays synchronised, but one person does wall push-ups while another does floor push-ups. Match the rep count rather than the effort.
How many people can work out together at home?
Two to four works comfortably in an average living room, allowing roughly a bath towel of floor space each plus elbow room. Five or more usually means splitting into two rows and doing floor exercises in shifts, or moving to a hallway or garden.
What equipment do you need for a group workout at home?
None. A sturdy chair each, a clear wall, a timer and optionally a cushion for partner passes covers everything. Mats are comfortable but towels or a rug work just as well.
How do you do a group workout without annoying the neighbours?
Cut every exercise where both feet leave the floor, land through the whole foot rather than the heel, use a rug, keep the music low, and train earlier in the day. Being slightly out of sync is actually quieter than a group landing in perfect unison.
Are group workouts at home good for families with children?
Yes, with adjustments. Younger children respond to games, relays and follow-the-leader rather than counted sets, and teenagers usually prefer a job such as timekeeping or leading a block. Keep mixed-age sessions to about twenty minutes, since attention runs out before fitness does.
How long should a group workout at home be?
Thirty minutes is a good target, including a warm-up and cool-down. A 15-minute version works well on busy weeknights. A shorter session everyone attends is far more valuable than a long one half the group skips.
Can you do a group workout over a video call?
Yes, and all 14 exercises here work remotely. Use timed intervals rather than rep counts so everyone starts and finishes together regardless of connection lag or fitness level, and have one person count down out loud.
Start with one session this week
The best group exercises at home are not exotic. They are squats, push-ups and planks, chosen because they have three honest versions and because a group can do them together in a living room without waking the downstairs neighbour.
What makes a group session work is not the exercise list. It is announcing three levels every time, matching reps instead of effort, scoring the group rather than the people in it, and fixing the next date before anyone leaves the room.
Pick one evening this week, run the 30-minute session above, and agree the next date before you put the chairs back. That single habit does more than any exercise on the list.
Want the session on paper?
Print our free beginner home workout plan and stick it on the fridge where the group can see it, no sign-up needed. New to all of this? Start with the complete guide to home workouts for beginners.
Where to go next
- Home Workouts for Beginners: The Complete Guide, the pillar that ties it all together
- 15-Minute Full-Body Home Workout, easy to do side by side
- Low-Impact Workout for Beginners, for the quietest possible session
- Indoor Workouts for Rainy Days
- The Warm-Up Routine to Do Before Every Workout
- The 4-Week Beginner Program, if the group wants a structure to follow
Explore more beginner guides in Home Workouts.
Sources and further reading: World Health Organization, Physical activity fact sheet · NHS, Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64 · CDC, Adult Activity: An Overview.
