10 Easy Workouts for Beginners
Verywell / Ryan Kelly
Reviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPTReviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPT
You don't need sweaty, intense workout sessions to gain the benefits of physical activity. In fact, basic exercises for beginners are better choices when you want to lose weight. And you can do them at home or outdoors, whichever is better or more convenient.
Workouts for beginners—especially those who have failed to maintain an exercise program—are designed to build confidence and create life-long habits for well-being. Beginner-level exercise can also help you lose weight and get healthy.
Health Benefits of Easy Workouts
Basic exercise sessions are the building blocks of a beginner fitness program. They will help you create habits that lead to significant weight loss and lifelong weight management.
These 10 workouts are considered easy because they don't require fancy gym equipment, their intensity can be adjusted to match your physical activity level, and some can be done from a chair or bed if you have trouble standing for long periods.
Engaging in any exercise offers immediate benefits, including boosting your brain health and improving your mood as well as long-term effects like reduced risk of disease.
Easy Exercises to Lose Weight
If you are completely new to exercise, low-intensity activity sessions can help you burn more calories. You may lose weight if you don't compensate for this physical activity by consuming more calories.
Combining diet with exercise can help if weight loss is your goal. This might involve eating lean protein, fruit, and veggies. Watching portion sizes is important, too. But what does research say about easy exercise for beginners and weight loss?
Studies of low-intensity exercise show the body burns fat when participants perform basic exercise. Another study evaluated the effect of easy workouts on cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone associated with abdominal weight gain when levels inside the body stay elevated for long periods. The study authors found that low-intensity exercise reduced circulating cortisol levels.
Benefits of Working Out
Easy exercises to lose weight also help to:
Burn more calories to stimulate weight loss
Decrease your stress level
Develop strong muscles
Establish a healthy daily habit
Improve your sleep
While high-intensity workouts are mainstream, basic exercise remains a core component of fitness programs for many different populations. This includes people with type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or cardiovascular disease.
Related: How Much Exercise Do You Need to Lose Weight?
Easy Workouts For Beginners
Below you will find more on the following types of workouts for beginners:
Bodyweight training
Chair workouts
Dancing workouts
Online workouts
Shadowboxing
Stairclimbing
Aqua jogging
Biking
Walking
Gardening or yard work
Easy At-Home Beginner Workouts
Set a short-term goal to complete three workouts during your first week, then add workout days gradually until you perform some form of activity on most days.
The type of exercise you choose to do is less important than the consistency of your program. But if you are short on ideas, here are five simple workouts to get you started.
Related: How to Do a Beginner Workout at Home
Bodyweight Training
You don't need special gym equipment to burn calories and build stronger muscles. Take 10 to 15 minutes for five incline push-ups (against a surface that allows your body to be at an incline, like a bathroom sink), five chair squats, and five walking lunges (or a set of stationary lunges holding on to a countertop for support). Repeat the sequence two to three times.
Chair Workout
If you are not yet comfortable standing for long periods, grab a sturdy chair and complete 10 to 15 minutes of movement with a seated workout several times each week.
Dancing
Put on music and dance for 15 to 30 minutes. No choreography necessary; the important thing is to move to the music.
Online Workouts
If you want to avoid the gym, exercise at home. It's easy to do with online workouts. Many of them are free and most offer easy workouts for beginners. Plus you can enjoy the benefit of working out in the privacy of your own living room.
Explainer
We've researched and reviewed the best online exercise classes. If you're looking for an online class, explore which option may be best for you.
Shadowboxing
Try shadowboxing at home if dancing isn't your cup of tea. No equipment is required and it helps to decrease stress.
Stairclimbing
Take 10 minutes to walk up and down a flight of steps. If you don't have a staircase available, use a step or platform.
Related: At-Home Strength Workouts for All Levels
Easy Outdoor Workouts
Exercising outside provides extra perks. There are stress-relieving benefits to breathing fresh air and enjoying your local park, pool, or nature preserve.
Aqua Jogging
If your joints don’t feel good when you walk for long periods, try pool running, or aqua jogging. Many public pools provide the blue belt to keep your upper body afloat. Once you’re in the water you walk without letting your feet touch the bottom of the pool. No belt? Just walk in the water with your feet on the pool floor.
Biking
Dust off your bike and hop aboard. Take a leisurely spin around the neighborhood or find a continuous path that allows you to pedal for 20 to 30 minutes without stopping for lights and traffic.
Walking
Enjoy a 30-minute walking workout and count it as your daily exercise. Walk slowly for five minutes, pick up your pace for 20 minutes, then cool down and walk slowly again for five minutes.
Gardening or Yard Work
If you like to spend time in your yard, this is a great way to work your muscles and burn calories. Digging, weeding, raking, and mowing are all good activities that count as exercise for beginners looking to lose weight at home.
A Word From Verywell
Remember, when you're a beginner, the point is simply to get moving, establish a routine, and build confidence. If you want to increase your enjoyment and boost the health benefits, add at least five minutes of easy stretch exercises at the end of your session.
Read Next: How to Burn 100 Calories: 10 Ways to Move More Now
Read the original article on Verywell Fitness.
