A fitness journey is something people start for different reasons. It could be to get the body of your dreams, keep your heart healthy, or because you need energy to keep up with your kids. Whatever your reason is for choosing to join the fit fam, it’s a commendable step to take.
One of the biggest challenges some people face when making the time to be active is figuring out what workouts to do. Let’s not get into how embarrassing it can be when you’re fumbling your way around the gym and trying to learn how to use the equipment.
As with any new skill you’re building, getting good at fitness takes patience, persistence and time. That said, it’s a good idea to start with simple workouts until you begin building strength and momentum.
When you’re working out you also want to think about what your goals are and which exercises will help you achieve them. Here are a few you may want to add to your new fitness routine.
Low-Intensity Cardio
As a beginner, you may want to ease into cardio, which means engaging in low-intensity cardio exercises. By definition, low-intensity cardio is when you keep your heart rate at about 50% of its total capacity while exercising. Jogging, going for a power walk, riding a bike and swimming are common examples. The goal of low-intensity cardio is for you to burn calories without quickly burning yourself out. As you edge towards becoming a fitness pro, you can pick up the intensity and push your own limits.
15 to 30-Second Planks
It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t warn you that doing a plank for even just five seconds can feel like you’ve been doing it for 50. While this isn’t the easiest exercise, it offers many benefits like improving posture, core strength, flexibility and metabolism. As a beginner, you probably want to start with 15 to 30-second planks. Before you know it, you’ll be able to hold a plank for a minute even if your arms wobble the entire way through. Planks are a single exercise you can add to a workout routine.
30-Minute Dance Workouts
Let’s keep it real—not everyone is into the gym or exercise, period. If that’s you, it’s ok to explore an alternative mode of fitness like dance. Working out doesn’t have to be in the gym nor does it have to be comprised of push-ups each time. As a newbie trying to make fitness a habit and lifestyle, start with something that’s engaging and fun. There are tons of dance workout videos you can access on YouTube for free and they focus on various genres of music and movement. It’s a great way to burn calories and have fun while you do it. Dancing is also considered an aerobic workout, so it’s a form of cardio too.
HIIT
If you’re feeling up for the challenge and want a full-body workout, try high-intensity interval training also known as HIIT. You’ll be doing short bursts of high-intensity workouts and if you do it right, you will end up drenched in sweat. As a beginner, you may want to check out some HIIT videos on YouTube. Toni Mitchell is a Black woman with a YouTube channel that has plenty of clips that are around 25 minutes long. Warning: If you do one of them, be ready for soreness the next day.
Five to 10-Pound Weights
If one of your goals is to build muscle, then you want to get into weight lifting. Yes you can do that as a beginner! The key is to start with the lightest weights and work your way up. Weights starts as low as two and a half pounds, so you could test your strength with those. There are a range of weight-lifting exercises you can do depending on which muscle group you’re trying to work. For instance, if you’re trying to grow your glutes, you can do reverse lunges while holding the weights or squats. To build the middle and lower trapezius (or back muscles), you may do bent-over rows with five-pound dumbbells. The good thing with weight lifting is you can build muscle and burn calories simultaneously.
Pilates
You may be familiar with Pilates because the likes of Lori Harvey are die-hard fans, but it’s an exercise anyone can try and excel at. Pilates is a form of strength training that’s slower and more controlled than your typical weight-lifting exercise. The goal of Pilates is to improve muscle tone. If that’s a goal for you, consider getting involved. You may join a beginners Pilates class or copy a YouTube video to learn the basics for free on a mat at home.