Best Workouts For Beginners

A lot of beginners to fitness living in Pittsburg, CA, aren’t sure what workouts they should do or the most effective way to get fit. Some focus strictly on one type of fitness, like running for cardio or weightlifting for strength, and ignore the other forms of fitness, such as flexibility or balance. A well-rounded fitness program is necessary to be truly fit, such as flexibility training to increase range of motion and avoid torn or sore muscles. The first thing to learn is to vary the workouts so you address all types of fitness.

Your workout should start with a warm-up routine and end with cool-down exercises.

A warm-up routine mimics the workout you’re about to do and prepares the muscles for the extra effort by increasing circulation and slowly raising your heart rate. If you’re doing cardio, such as running, doing calf stretches, or just pacing or jogging can help. Warm-up exercises can be anything from jumping jacks to leg swings. Cool-down exercises are also simple. They allow your body to return to normal functioning. Slowing the pace of the run and walking a bit is one example.

Include all types of exercise in your workout program.

You don’t have to do all types of exercise in one day’s workout. You can devote days to cardio by biking or running, work on strength with weightlifting on other days, and practice yoga or tai chi for flexibility and balance on still others. Before you start any exercise, focus primarily on form. Even if you’re only walking, using proper form is vital. Don’t push yourself to do more or do it faster until you’re sure your form is impeccable. You’ll avoid injury later and get more from every session.

Don’t do strength training for the same muscles every day.

If you’re doing strength training, don’t work the same muscles two days in a row. You build muscle tissue with exercise that causes micro tears in the muscles. When those tears heal, the muscle is stronger. If you do strength training every day, muscles don’t have a chance to heal. If you’re doing a full-body workout, focus on your core, chest, back, shoulders, triceps, and biceps. Planks are good core exercises. Push-ups, walking lunges, tricep extensions, dumbbell rows, and bicep curls are excellent for other body parts. Always do active recovery the next day, which is as simple as walking.

• Always check with your healthcare professional before starting any workout program. Take a physical before you start.
• Don’t push yourself too hard initially. Pushing too hard when you first start is a recipe for failure. You’ll end up too sore to workout. Make realistic goals and expect it to take longer for results to show.
• Create a consistent schedule for exercising. Make exercise an appointment on your calendar. It helps you stay more consistent and gives exercise a priority status. Getting fit is all about consistency.
• Find ways to increase activity in your daily life. Take the stairs instead of an elevator. If you live close enough, walk or ride a bike to the store.

For more information, contact us today at Thrive Fitness!