You don’t need weights to build strength and boost your fitness—try this nine-move bodyweight routine instead

Kayla Itsines is well-known for her accessible, effective home workouts, so it's no surprise that this recent routine from her Instagram offers a full-body blast that requires no equipment.

The circuit of nine exercises targets the upper body, lower body and those all-important core muscles. And while some of those moves look pretty exhausting, the whole routine takes less than 15 minutes, so you can easily squeeze it into a lunch break.

Ready to get started? Watch the video from Itsines below, and make a mental note of the correct form for each exercise before tackling the workout.

Watch Kayla Itsines' new nine-move bodyweight workout

This is an example of a HIIT workout, and a sample of what you can expect from the Sweat app Itsines co-founded. It's super-easy to follow—simply perform each exercise for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, then move onto the next one. Once you've completed the nine exercises, repeat the whole routine two more times to get a full workout. 

As this is a HIIT session, you'll get your heart rate up and challenge your cardio fitness. Your legs and arms will get a strength-training workout too, thanks to movements like the lateral lunges and negative push-ups. But your core muscles receive the most attention in this routine. 

That's no bad thing, as this group of muscles play a crucial role in our physical fitness. They allow us to transfer power between the upper and lower body, maintain good posture and stay stable. 

Having a strong core can make everyday tasks like picking up heavy objects or bending down to pick something up feel like a breeze, so we think core strengthening exercises should be a regular part of everybody's routine. 

Not everyone enjoys planks and crunches, though. If that's true for you, try doing some core yoga or learn how to do weighted squats, which will also engage your mid-body muscles.