Words by Paul Adrian Galo
Have you ever wanted to go to the gym to work out alone but got conscious of yourself? Or maybe you’ve struggled with difficult, hard-to-follow exercises? Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s normal to feel that way. After all, everyone started out as a beginner! We just cannot shake off that feeling of insecurity even though we want to be fit. But there’s an easy solution to that—and that is following a beginner workout routine that’s doable at home!
I started on the wrong foot when I first tried exercising this year because I struggled to find the right workout routine for myself due to my inflexibility and lack of experience, knowledge, and will to exercise. It wasn’t until I discovered these exercises that I now regularly and confidently work out at home, and I’ll gladly share them with you.
WHY SHOULD WE EXERCISE
First thing’s first, we have to remind ourselves why it’s important to exercise regularly. Exercising is important especially during this pandemic because we cannot move outdoors as much as we did before the lockdown happened. We need to work out to stay fit, healthy, and strengthen our immune system!
THE ROUTINE
For this seven-day workout routine, I’m incorporating exercises that are neither too simple nor too complex. Forcing your body to follow a hard routine when you are inexperienced will only strain your muscles. Some of these exercises are unfamiliar to most beginners, so here are the steps on how to do the exercises properly.
Squats
Benefit: Lower body strengthening
1. Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend your knees and drive your hips back.
3. Strengthen your shoulders and keep your chest up. The position should form 90 degrees.
4. Maintain the position for as long as you can endure.
Planks
Benefit: Core strengthening
1. Face downwards with your forearms and toes on the floor.
2. Straighten your body and torso and ensure the shoulders’ position does not go above the ears.
3. Maintain the position depending on your desired time.
Frog Jumps
Benefit: Muscle Endurance
1. Set your feet in a wide stance, bend down and place your arms in between. That should be your starting position.
2. After maintaining your starting position, jump with your arms raised and feet wide. Land in your toes and squat before returning to your starting position. Repeat until finished.
Bridge
Benefit: Hamstring and Butt Muscles Strengthening
1. Lie flat on your back with hands at the sides, palms down.
2. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the ground.
3. Slowly raise your hips with your arms still on the floor. The position should form a straight line from your knees to the shoulders.
4. Maintain the position depending on your desired time.
Burpees
Benefit: Cardio Endurance
1. Start with a squat position.
2. Prepare to do a push-up by placing your arms on the floor before kicking your feet back into a push-up position.
3. Do one push-up and position yourself in a squat position before raising your arms.
4. Put your arms down, go into a squat position, and repeat the steps.
Mountain Climber
Benefit: Shoulder and Core Strengthening
1. Get into a plank position.
2. Pull your right knee into your chest as far as possible, then switch legs after.
3. The position should always be one knee in and one knee out. Alternate your legs as fast as you can without bouncing your toes.
With these exercises, here is the basic workout routine just for you.
Remember: warm up to stretch your muscles before starting the routines. Always take a rest in between the routines for at least 15-30 seconds before continuing. As each day progresses, the difficulty of the exercise should be increased depending on your capability to do the exercise in order to achieve consistency in the results. There are days allotted for resting in order for the body to absorb the exercises and not be overworked.
It may seem hard at first but it will all be easier once you get used to it!
(ALSO READ: 17 YouTube Channels to Subscribe To For Your Daily Workouts at Home)
Do you have any tips for fellow beginners? Share them in the comments!
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