Here at 30DayFitness, our mission is to make fitness and glowing health accessible for all. We know that it can sometimes be overwhelming when you first get started with exercise. Don't worry; we've got your back. We are here to help you create your perfect starter workout routine.
A Workout Routine for Every Body
Exercise is for everyone. Your age, fitness level, weight, and experience are not obstacles to fitness. Of course, you need to consider these things, to ensure the efficiency and safety of your workout routine. But, they don't need to prevent you from working out. You should check with your doctor before starting exercise if you suffer from any medical conditions.
How to Build a Workout Routine
Firstly, it's important to stress that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Exercise should be a regular part of your weekly routine. Doing too much too soon can leave you sore, overwhelmed, and can even lead to injury. Let's look at the two main types of exercise in turn.
Cardio Exercise
Cardio exercise is movement that increases your heart rate. It has many benefits, including maintaining a healthy heart, boosting circulation, improving mood and focus, increasing energy, and weight loss.
Here are a few of the most popular forms of cardio:
- Walking
- Running
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Rowing
- Cross trainer (aka Elliptical machine)
The critical thing to remember when starting with cardio is to listen to your body. Begin slowly and build up as you get used to it. You may find it helpful to use a heart rate monitor to recognize when you reach the ideal heart rate zone. This zone will depend on your age and is easy to research online.
Resistance training
Resistance training is exercise where you are resisting a force. This force may be weights, your own body weight, or gravity. The benefits of resistance training include strengthening your muscles, increasing your metabolism, aiding correct posture, and toning your body.
Here are some great resistance exercises for beginners:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Ab crunches
- Tricep dips
- Bicep curls
- Shoulder press
- Chest press
- Seated row
- Calf raises
- Lat pull down
The exercises above combine to form a full-body workout routine. Go slowly and test the weights that are right for you. You should be able to complete three sets of 12-15 reps.
An Effective Workout Routine for Beginners
Start with your chosen form of cardio for 15-20 minutes to warm up your muscles. Then complete your resistance training. If you find that completing all of the exercises in one session takes too long, you can alternate between push and pull exercises.
At the end of your workout routine, stretch the muscles that have been working. This aids recovery, minimizes pain and reduces the risk of injury. Aim to repeat this routine 3-4 times a week.
Final tip: Choose exercises that you enjoy! You are much more likely to stick with your new workout routine if you enjoy it.
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