The reason why a lot of people are discouraged from exercising is the use of weights and machines, especially with what they see on advertisements. But of course you can perform exercises even without weights or machines; you just have to be resourceful and creative. You may even find that there are exercises specifically developed so you won’t need anything else but just your body movements to execute them.

You can perform the following hamstring exercises without weights:

1.    Dead lifts use only your body weight for resistance. Stand with your feet apart and pointing forward. Bend your knees a little, your arms hanging loosely in front of you. Keeping your spine straight, bend at the waist to lean forward and reach the floor. If your hamstrings aren’t too tight, you may be able to touch the floor. Push through your heels, buttocks, and hamstrings to return to standing position. Do 2 sets of 20 reps each. Progression: do it one leg at a time.

2.    Ball hamstring curls are done by lying on your back with your legs straight and your feet on top of a stability or Swiss ball. Squeeze your buttocks and lift your hips. While pushing into the ball and bending your knees, roll the Swiss ball under your hips. Extend your legs straight once more while your hips are still in the air. Do 10 reps initially, followed by 3 sets of 15 reps each.

3.    Lying hamstring curls are done by folding your arms and relaxing your head on your arms. With your legs straight, bend your left leg and let your heel touch your buttocks. Return to starting position and do it with your right leg. Do 10-20 reps with each leg.

Remember to warm up before and cool down after whatever exercise you do. Work on these exercises regularly and you’ll have improved hamstrings—and glutes—in no time.