Home Workout for Beginners
Working out is often associated with hitting the gym and doing a strenuous workout while using specialized gym equipment for cardio and resistance training. But what if you don’t have the time or simply aren’t ready to commit to a gym membership?
Well, lucky for you, you can start from the comfort of your own home. Working out at home can be effective if done correctly and consistently. Each of these routines focuses on strength training. Strength training helps boost your metabolism and burn fat. You can eventually add cardio to your workout routine to take it up a notch. Let’s first begin by getting the basics right. When you start seeing and feeling the results, you’ll be more likely to stick with the program and maybe even add something more advanced.
Beginner’s Home Workout
This plan focuses mainly on the large muscles that provide you stability and core strength. No special equipment is required here, and you can decide to do the exercises together in one session or split it up throughout your day.
You can start by performing two to three sets of four to six repetitions (reps) of each exercise. Gradually you can aim to do 10 to 12 repetitions per set.
Let’s begin!
- Push-ups
The classics are always the most effective. Remember that perfect form is important when doing a push-up. You can start out with a variation you can complete with good technique. Move on to the next level when you’re able to do 10 to 12 reps without dropping you back or shaking unsteadily.
- Squats
Squats work all the major muscles in your lower body and to help shape firm buttocks and thighs. Before performing squats, make sure you have the perfect stance – stand with your feet hip distance apart and let your hips sink behind you as if you are sitting in a chair.
- Lunges
Begin with a set of simple back lunges to help build your buttocks and thighs. You can use a wall or chair for balance if you need. Once you’re able to do 10 to 12 lunges on each leg without support, try doing the front lunge or another variation.
- Planks
A plank exercise demands a certain amount of will. Once you get across that threshold you’ll find yourself pushing further in no time. Planks strengthens the abdominal muscles and the muscles that support your back. Let your first goal be holding the plank position for 15 seconds. As you get stronger and build more resistance you’ll find yourself progressing to 30 seconds and eventually 90 seconds.
- Deadbug
The deadbug builds muscle that you can actually use on the sports field, as it works on not just your abs but your core stabilizers.
Begin by lying on your back with your hands above you and feet up so your knees are at 90 degrees. Start with the right leg and straighten your leg until your heel is hovering about an inch from the floor and then return to the start position. Repeat with the left leg.
- Side plank
The quadratus lumborum – a small muscle in your lower back. Strengthening it is vital for spine health and can help you avoid back pain as a beginner starting to work out.
Lie on your left side with your legs straight and prop yourself up with your elbow. Place your right hand on your hip. Tighten your core and raise your hips until your body forms a straight diagonal line. Hold this position while breathing deeply. Roll over and repeat on the right side.
To maintain a balanced exercise program, work out two to three times a week.
Take note that your weight might drop at first but then increase slightly as you build muscle mass. By this stage, your success should be measured not only in pounds and inches but how you feel. Should you reach a plateau, simply increase the intensity and/or duration of your workout.
By this time you should feel comfortable enough to start brisk walking or jogging, as you have already built up the stamina and resistance for it. The CDC suggests that “an inactive person could start with a walking program consisting of 5 minutes of walking several times each day, 5 to 6 days a week. The length of time could then gradually be increased to 10 minutes per session, 3 times a day, and the walking speed could be increased slowly.” The t?w™ watch is a great accountability buddy in this situation. Not only does it check the amount of steps taken, but going into Sport mode, it calculates distance travelled, amount of calories burnt and monitors your heart rate. The best part is that it collates all this data and gives you an overview of your progress, motivating you to push further and advance your fitness routine.
For more active adults who jog or run, the t?w™ serves its purpose as the perfect training tool. Its statistics show how fast you are going, the pace of your activity and calories burned. The GPS Movement tracks your real-time location and route you have walked/ran via your mobile phone. Time your fitness activities through the stopwatch feature on the app.
“Most adults should increase their aerobic activity to exceed the minimum level and move toward 300 minutes a week. Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week.”
Not only will your body respond in kind and put you back on the fast track to weight loss, but you’ll start feeling awesome!
