In the spirit of continuing my series of posts for real beginners, and I mean people exercising for the first time or getting back to fitness after a long time away, here’s a fun and simple beginner workout routine at home you can start right now.
Now I know you’re seeing tons of posts, articles, pins and whatever else, talking about beginner workouts and exercise.
What I’ve discovered is that lots of them are probably a little more advanced than they should be for people starting out.
I hope what I’ve posted isn’t too difficult for people just getting started with physical fitness.
The idea is to pass along some great exercises and routines that really helped me get back in shape, that I believe anybody else can do to start feeling great.
The key is to get up and get moving. Even a few moments of exercise every day can make a huge difference.
With that in mind, I’m putting together this series of posts that will introduce you to some really easy exercises for beginners.
Now I’ll admit, some are easier than others. But that’s the great thing about these movements.
You can mix and match to find the right exercises for you and to get your whole body in on the act.
As you get stronger, you can try tougher variations or simply add more sets. If you’re feeling adventurous!
For now give these easy exercises a try that I think are great for beginners.
I think the ones you’re going to be introduced to here, when put together, create an easy but still challenging beginner workout routine at home.
So if you’re ready… Let’s GET TO IT!
This first exercise I’m going to suggest is one of my faves. I still use it today as part of my regular workout and also as a warm up.
It is the one and only…
Jumping Rope
Now some of you might be thinking, hey that sounds like work.
Well, these are easy exercises for beginners but you still have to move a little to get started.
Truth is jumping rope is really great for you and easy to do.
Starting out you don’t even need the rope.
Wait, what?
That’s right. You can get the benefit of the exercise even without the actual rope.
Like I said. It’s easy.
Start by standing up, feet a little more than shoulder width apart.
Place your hands out next to your hips as if you were holding a jump rope.
Now turn your hands in a forward circular motion as if you were holding the rope and imagine as it goes around and comes down to your feet, jump up as if it was really there.
You’ll find that by “miming” jumping rope, you’re getting a great full body workout.
Of course it’s more enjoyable if you use an actual jump rope but I just wanted you to know you have the option, just in case you don’t have one right now.
Related Article: How To Get The Benefits From Jumping Rope
The important thing is with the actual rope or the invisible one, you maintain a steady pace and keep an eye on your form.
Best to keep your head up, shoulders back with a slight bend in your knees while jumping to minimize the impact.
Now when you first start jumping rope, you’re going to feel it all over.
You’re giving your muscles a good workout and if you’re not used to doing any cardio, you’ll be breathing heavy.
These things are supposed to happen.
I would recommend in the beginning that because this will be part of your new beginner workout routine at home, you’ll want to time yourself.
This way you don’t have to worry about counting jumps. You can just focus on technique and completing the exercise.
Initially try jumping for a 30 second interval. If that’s really easy, try going for a full minute.
But I think if you’re brand new to exercising or you haven’t exercised in a long time, you’ll be happy with that 30 seconds.
After you’re done, take a little breather for a couple minutes.
Your heart should be pumping and maybe you’re starting to get a bit of a sweat on. All good.
Hey guys, I found this amazing video that will give you all the basics to get started with jumping rope.
Check out this amazing demonstration by Amanda Kloots from Well & Good.
Wasn’t that awesome?
And by the way, did you catch the part where she was jumping without the rope? See, you don’t even need it.
It’s all about maintaining good form and consistency.
Now if your legs aren’t too wobbly, lets make our way over to a wall.
This is another great one for your lower body.
Instead of jumping up and down, we’re going to try an easy isometric exercise.
This move will probably become another staple of your beginner workout routine at home and is better known as…
The Wall Sit
If you had a Phys Ed program in high school you might remember this one.
I’m not sure why this move is so popular with gym teachers but they seem to really get a kick out of it.
It also happens to be great for building strength and endurance throughout your legs and glutes.
Best of all, it’s easy to do.
Find yourself a comfortable wall.
And by comfortable, I mean a wall that is relatively smooth.
Make sure you’re wearing a good pair of shoes. You want your feet to grip the floor well and not slide out from under you.
Nobody likes to fall on their butt.
Stand in front of the wall with your back towards it.
Stand close enough so that you can press your back against the wall.
Now, with your back remaining against the wall, take a step forward, away from the wall. Bring both of your legs forward and together.
This should cause you to start sliding a little down the wall.
Allow your back to slide down the wall until you’re in a sitting position with your legs forming approximately a ninety degree angle.
You should look like you’re sitting on an invisible stool, with your toes a little bit in front on your knees. Just a little bit. And your thighs should be parallel with the floor.
This is all happening while your back stays flat against the wall.
If you’re doing it right, you should really feel it in your legs.
Try tightening your stomach muscles to engage your core but keep your breathing even while you hold your position.
That’s it. You’re doing the wall sit! It’s a powerful isometric exercise.
Related Article: Bodyweight Strength Training For Beginners With Isometrics
This one is great for building endurance, strength and balance.
See if you can hold it for 30 seconds. If that seems too tough, hold it for as long as you can.
If it’s really easy, hold it for a minute. That should do the trick.
Here’s a great demonstration of how to do the wall sit from Layla Luciano over at Howcast.com.
Pretty straight forward right?
See, I told you. These are going to be easy to start.
Great points in there about body position and pressing up through your heels.
Now if you still feel like you’ve got some energy left, lets try one more.
Give yourself a couple minutes to rest.
Feel good? OK. Away we go.
This one will give you a chance to relax a little.
Or not. It’s still exercise. Let’s not kid ourselves.
When it comes to putting together a solid beginner workout routine at home, this is definitely a great movement to include.
It’s easy to execute and there are are several variations that you can try to make it more challenging. For now we’ll start with the easiest.
The Leg Raise
For this one, we’ll start by lying down on the floor, flat on your back.
Your legs should be straight and together, while your arms are relaxed by your sides, palms down.
The name of this exercise is a little deceptive as far as the challenging part goes, but you’ll see what I mean in a minute.
Keeping your legs together and relatively straight, slowly lift them up until your feet are pointing straight up to the sky.
With your legs straight up and down, you should be forming an “L” shape with your body.
Don’t worry if your legs aren’t perfectly straight. They can have a bit of a bend in them.
See! I told you these are easy exercises for beginners.
Despite what you might think, the next part of this exercise is the real challenge.
Slowly lower your legs together. But don’t let them touch the floor.
Did they touch the floor already? No worries. That happened with me the first few times I did this exercise.
Lower your legs together so that they hover about 6 inches above the ground. Try and hold them in that position for a couple of seconds.
Then gradually lift them together back up again until you’re in the “L” position.
If you’re doing this exercise right, the work is done while you’re moving your legs and the toughest part is when you’re holding them just above the ground.
Related Article: One Of The Best Beginner Workouts For Your Abs
At that point, even though it’s called leg raises, you should really be feeling it in your abs, especially the lower ones. This one is a great challenge.
Try and do 3 to 5 repetitions of the movement.
If it’s too hard to hold your feet 6 inches above the ground for a few seconds, don’t worry about it. Let your feet drop to the ground.
Really focus on the slow and consistent raising and lowering of your legs.
Don’t rush the movement. This exercise is all about technique.
Breathe out while you’re lifting your legs and inhale while you lower them.
You’ll definitely be feeling this one in your abs and if you stick with it, you’ll be getting stronger fast.
Check out this terrific demo by James J. Rizzo over at Howcast.com.
Pretty good right?
I prefer even speed going up and down with the legs. This gives you an even stronger burn in the abs.
Great point about hand position when you’re just starting out. This will help you with leverage.
Don’t worry about the 15 repetitions right away. You do what you can starting out. That’s why I recommend 3 to 5 for absolute beginners.
But hey, if you’re feeling stronger and can do more, go for the 15. I won’t stop you.
How you feeling? This is a very effective beginner workout routine at home that uses your legs to bring in other parts of your body.
The exercises are also easy enough that you can do them anytime and almost anywhere.
Let’s take a look at this workout routine all together:
- Jumping Rope – 30 Seconds
- Wall Sit – 30 Seconds
- Leg Raises – 3 – 5 Repetitions
That’s a pretty good beginner workout routine at home. It should be a challenge if you’ve never exercised before.
Even though you may be an absolute beginner, you may still be in pretty decent shape.
In which case you’ll probably want to try doing 2 to 3 sets total of the entire beginner workout routine at home. Then you’ll really feel it.
But hey, if you still feel like you can do more, maybe you’re not such a beginner after all. Way to go!
I’ve got a number of other workouts you can try that are still focused on beginners but a little more challenging.
Related Article: A Full Body Warm-Up/Workout In Just Minutes
If this did the trick for you today, that’s great! Keep tuning in because I’m going to continue to put together workouts with easy exercises for beginners that you can start with right away.
See you soon!
