There are many different reasons for starting a beginner workout at home. You may be looking to fulfill a New Year’s resolution of getting in shape, or you may simply want to start a routine to improve your health.
Whether you are trying to lose weight or just want to challenge yourself, establishing a workout routine is a great idea. It can also be much safer than trying one of the many fad diets that are out there.
Workouts for beginners need to be approached carefully. Never start any sort of program – especially a challenging one – without first talking to your doctor.
A Workout Plan For Your Needs: Exercising To Lose Weight, Gain Muscle/Tone, And Support Cardiovascular Health
Before you start any kind of exercise program, it’s important to set fitness goals beforehand. Why are you starting an exercise routine? Do you want to burn fat? Then you’ll need a workout routine that ensures you will burn more calories than you consume through eating.
Are you looking to bulk up? That means building muscle by focusing on weight training. Always consult your doctor before trying and weight training exercises. If you aren’t familiar with weight training, seek the advice of a physical trainer.
You need to make sure you use the proper form for whatever type of exercise you choose. If you start by using weights that are too heavy for your fitness level or do not use proper form, you can easily injure yourself.
You might be looking to increase your heart rate and strengthen your cardiovascular system in the process. This will typically involve aerobic exercise to build up your energy.1
Starting A Workout Plan At Home
Two of the most popular types of exercise programs are aerobic exercise and weight training.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is designed to support heart health. It typically involves a cardio workout, such as jogging or bicycling. If you want to save wear and tear on your feet (and joints), you may want to consider making swimming a part of your fitness routine.
Aerobic workouts usually consist of repetitive motions that address large muscle groups. This type of fitness routine will usually last between 30 minutes to an hour, and it will involve working out anywhere from three to five days each week.2
Weight Training
Weight training is especially important for people 30 years of age or older. The reason is that this is about the age where you may start losing muscle and bone mass. You probably won’t notice this at first – it may take years before it becomes apparent.3
Experts recommend that people use weight training or resistance training two to three times per week.4
Great Cardio Workouts For Beginners: Power Walking, Jumping Jacks, Stair Steps, And More
The great thing about beginning a workout at home is that there are a lot of great exercises that are easy to start and don’t require expensive equipment. You don’t need to go out and buy a home gym to meet your fitness goals. You don’t even need to purchase a resistance band.
These are just some of the exercises you can incorporate into your fitness routine. They’ll help strengthen your hips, hamstrings, thighs, and more. With the guidance of your doctor, you can make it a habit to perform these exercises. It won’t be long until you start enjoying the benefits.
Power Walking
You can power walk without any special technology. All you really need is the ability to put your left foot in front of your right foot.
A brisk walk could help you burn belly fat and support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels.5,6 Power walking also appears to be good for your bones. According to one study, an hour a day of this kind of exercise can help support joint health.7
Studies also show that walking may help boost mood and self-esteem.8
Jumping Jacks
The chances are good that you performed jumping jacks if you took physical education in elementary school. What you might not have known at the time is that this exercise can help support your stamina, allowing you to perform a lot of the activities that can get harder to do as you get older.9
Stair Steps
Stair stepping can be a great exercise for adults that are in relatively good shape and do not have any sort of knee or other joint issues. If you’ve got questions, talk to your doctor before beginning this exercise.
Walking up and downstairs is another exercise that doesn’t require a gym membership or expensive equipment. If you have a two-story home, you’re already set. Even if you don’t, you probably won’t have to go far to find a set of steps that will work. If you can find a place that has 25 or so steps, that should work fine. Hold on to the stair railing lightly if you need to for balance.
If you want to change up your routine, try starting out slow and then picking up the pace now and then.10
Interval Training HIIT
High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is a complete workout, but it’s also very challenging. It’s basically designed to help you burn a lot of calories in a short time period. You go at a fast pace for a few seconds, take a rest, and then start another exercise.
It’s important to do this kind of exercise at a safe pace. You don’t want to go too fast and risk an injury. Using the proper form will always be key as well. And be sure to check with your doctor before you start a HITT program.
An example of HITT is jogging in place or doing jumping jacks for 30 seconds. After a brief rest, move your arms in a circle while standing up straight for another 30 seconds. Then do some more jumping jacks for another 30 seconds.11
Talking To Your Doctor About A Workout Schedule
As mentioned, you should never start an exercise routine without first talking to your doctor. This is especially important if you have any sort of medical condition or health concerns.
People who are in overall good health should still talk to a doctor first, then start their routine slowly. Your doctor will work closely with you to come up with the safest, most effective exercise plan for you.
Even though you won’t need a gym membership to perform these exercises, you should also speak with a fitness trainer before you start. They can help you determine the best type of exercises to meet your goals and the right techniques to follow.
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Sources
1 https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/whats-the-best-exercise-plan-for-me.htm
2 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16779-aerobic-exercise–heart-health
3 https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/healthy-bones-at-every-age/
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21694556
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4241903
6 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/ATVBAHA.112.300878
7 https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(19)30045-5/fulltext
8 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/
9 https://ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.cir.0000048890.59383.8d
10 https://www.berkeleywellness.com/fitness/exercise/article/stair-climbing-how-get-most-benefits
11 https://dailyburn.com/life/db/hiit-workouts-for-beginners/