What is exercise?
In simple terms, exercise means engaging in a planned and structured
physical activity that increases your heart level beyond its resting state. A group of exercises makes a workout.
Contrary to the popular notion, exercise is not always about sweating it out during the gym, especially exercises for beginners. People who are just starting on their fitness journey can initiate their fitness regime with several simple exercises.
What are beginner’s exercises?
A beginner is a person, who has never engaged herself in a systematic exercise plan and may decide to do so for goals like
losing weight or looking aesthetically good. There are four broad categories of exercises including:
Endurance: These help increase your heart rate and breathing and include dancing, swimming, jogging, etc.
Strength Training: These exercises are aimed towards increasing muscle strength and include free weight exercises, etc.
Balance: Balance exercises are aimed at improving the balance and coordination to avoid falls like
yoga for beginners, Tai Chi, etc.
Flexibility: These are aimed at improving the range of motion. These easy exercises include stretching, yoga, etc.
Exercises for beginners are personalised according to several factors like:
Age
Gender
Any existing medical conditions
Goals of exercising
How effectively can we do beginner’s exercises at home?
For doing simple exercises, especially when you are a beginner, you don’t need fancy machinery or a gym membership. Beginner workouts can be started at home and you can get a great workout by doing some simple exercises. This is how you can use your home space for basic exercises:
For at-home workouts for beginners, choose a space that is clean and free of distractions.
The spot that you choose for your beginner workout must not have any heavy furniture.
You will probably just need a chair/bench, a yoga mat, and comfortable & breathable clothing to get started with your simple exercises.
Who can do beginner’s exercises?
Beginner workouts can be done by anyone who has fitness as their priority and wants to learn to exercise to be healthier and free of diseases. A great advantage of exercises for beginners is that not only are they easy to start but can also be integrated into your daily routine. Simple exercises for beginners can be customised i.e. scaled up and down for:
Children can begin kid exercises when they are as young as 3 years.
There are simple teenager exercise routines developed for those between 13-19 years of age.
Women who have had an uncomplicated pregnancy can start with simple exercises soon after birth.
Seniors can do easy workouts.
People who have undergone surgeries or experienced injuries and are recuperating can start simple exercises to regain their strength.
Who should avoid beginner’s exercises?
Beginners experiencing any of these conditions should avoid exercising without consulting their instructor or doctor:
You should avoid exercising if you have a fever.
If you are experiencing anxiety or stress, you should avoid exercising since it may exert unnecessary pressure on your heart.
If you have sore or fatigued muscles.
If you have recently suffered an injury or have undergone surgery.
Pregnant women should start with easy exercises only after their doctor’s approval.
If you have recently experienced an asthma attack, heart-related disorder, etc., you should avoid even simple exercises.
What is the list of best beginner’s exercises?
Here is a list of some easy exercises for beginners, with and without the use of equipment:
Dead bug
Step-ups
Bench dips
Bear crawl
Squat jump
Press-up
Reverse alternating lunge
Shoulder press
Goblet squat
Dumbbell swing
Beginner’s exercises explained
Here is a detailed step-by-step explanation of some of the most effective workout routines for beginners:
Deadbug:
This is one of the most effective beginner workouts that engage your shoulders, legs, and abdomen.
Start by lying on your back with your arms extended towards the ceiling. Your legs must be raised and bent at an angle of 90-degrees.
Lower your arms behind you as you extend your left leg in front while exhaling. Return to the starting position.
Repeat with the left leg.
Total sets: 5 sets of 10 reps each
Total time: 3 seconds
Step-ups:
This easy exercise is quite effective for working out your glutes, quad, and calves.
Start by stepping with one foot flat on a chair or bench.
Keep your hands in the front at the chest level and shift your body weight on the front leg and stand up.
Total sets: 3 sets for each leg of 10-15 reps each
Total time: 3 seconds
Bench dips:
Bench Dip is a simple exercise to build strength in your triceps, chest, and shoulders.
Place your hands outside your hips on the chair or the bench.
Place your feet outwards with your knees bent.
Lower your hips until your upper arm is parallel with the floor and your hips are close to the bench.
Push through your hand and extend your arms.
Hold for a few seconds at the top.
Total sets: 4 sets of 10-15 reps each
Total time: 3 seconds
Bear crawl:
This easy exercise is also quite fun and very effective for targeting your shoulders, hips, and abs.
Start with your hands under your shoulders and knees around 3 inches off the floor directly under your hips.
Move your left hand and right foot forward for a short distance and repeat on the opposite side.
Total sets: 4 sets of 5-10 reps each, where 4 steps forward and back make one rep.
Total time: 3 seconds
Squat jump:
One of the best at-home workouts for beginners, this is great for toning your legs. This is also one of the most-effective basic exercises to strengthen your calves and glutes.
Place your feet hip-width apart and squat so that your thighs are parallel with the floor.
From the bottom of the squat, start with a force and drive your feet off the floor as you lift your chest.
Bend your knees as your land and repeat.
Total sets: 4 sets of 15-20 reps each
Total time: 2 seconds
Press-up:
This is the perfect beginner workout for strengthening the triceps, shoulders, and chest.
Stand with your hands positioned just outside the shoulders and lower your chest so that your shoulders are in line with your elbows.
Return to the starting position as you squeeze your chest.
Total sets: 4 sets of 10-15 reps each
Total time: 3 seconds
Reverse alternating lunge:
Though this is a basic exercise, it is very effective for working your glutes and calves.
Take a long step backward while keeping more of your weight over the front leg.
Your chest should be lifted and the heel of the front foot should remain firmly planted on the floor.
Total sets: 3 sets of 16-20 reps each
Total time: 2 seconds
Shoulder press:
This is a great exercise for beginners who want to work on their triceps and shoulders. This is an easy exercise that can be done seated or standing.
Hold dumbbells just above your shoulders and elbows.
Press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended.
Return the dumbbells without letting them touch your shoulders.
Total sets: 4 sets of 8-12 reps each
Total time: 3 seconds
Goblet squat:
This is an easy at-home workout that is great for sculpting our legs and strengthening our core.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold the dumbbell under your chin.
Bend your knees and sit your hips back until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Lift your chest while keeping your back straight.
Push through the heels of your feet as you stand with your knees aligned over your big toe.
Dumbbell swing:
For this full body workout, beginners can use a dumbbell or kettlebell. Though it is an easy workout, it fires up your hamstrings and glutes and helps in burning calories.
Start with your feet hip-width apart so that you can swing the dumbbell comfortably.
Start swinging the dumbbell slowly and bringing it to your shoulder height with a strong hip movement.
Total sets: 4 sets of 15-20 reps each
Total time: 3 seconds
What are the benefits of doing beginner’s exercises?
A beginner workout comprises of easy exercises that have tremendous benefits for our health. Easy workouts, done consistently, have great benefits not only for beginners like:
Incorporating simple exercises in your routine helps in improving insulin sensitivity and regulating blood pressure. All these easy exercises in turn help in preventing diabetes and cardiac diseases.
Intense activity through simple exercises helps in reducing oxidative damage. This helps in keeping our skin healthy.
With full body workouts, beginners can improve their memory and brain health.
Regular beginner workouts help in improving sleep quality.
Simple exercises that are also fun help in releasing serotonin and norepinephrine hormones that help in relieving depression, stress, and anxiety.
With a full body workout, beginners can start strengthening their bones and muscles. This is especially beneficial for seniors in preventing falls.
Beginner workouts are great for losing weight. This in turn helps in boosting our self-esteem and confidence.
These easy exercises also help in boosting our energy, which is especially beneficial for people suffering from chronic fatigue and illness-related sluggishness.
What are the disadvantages of doing beginner’s exercises?
Here are some risks that occur from not doing beginner workouts properly and without supervision:
Not incorporating a warm-up and cool-down session may increase the risk of injury despite these being easy exercises.
Starting exercises for beginners without consulting a trainer or doctor may do more harm than good.
Workout routines for beginners that involve high-intensity exercises every day may result in injury.
What are the dos and don’ts of beginner’s exercises?
Here are some basic exercise tips for beginners:
Dos:
Check with your doctor about your physical readiness to begin your workout routine for beginners.
Be consistent with the exercises for beginners to gain their benefits.
Though these are simple exercises, you still need to integrate warm-up and cool-down sessions to avoid fatigue.
While doing a workout for beginners at home, females should take special care when they are pregnant.
Don’ts:
Though they are easy at-home workouts, you should never increase the intensity or duration of your exercises without consulting your trainer.
While doing a workout for beginners, females and males who are over the age of 60 should never overstrain or overexert themselves.
What are the things required to do beginner’s easy exercises when you are at home and the gym?
Here are the things that you may require while doing these simple exercises at the gym:
Leg extension machine
Hanging leg raise
Bench
Dumbbells
When doing these simple exercises at home, you will need:
A yoga mat
Exercise videos
Jump ropes