Best exercises for beginners: No gym membership required!

 

It’s easy to find excuses not to exercise, especially if you don't have a gym membership, home exercise equipment or time to spare.

However, exercise doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. You can do it at home, with no equipment and even when you’re busy.

Whatever your fitness goals are, now is the time to start. Think about how you'll feel — and how your health will benefit — a week, month or year from now if you start exercising today.

You can get all the exercise you need using household items or your own body weight, and it doesn't have to take hours a day. The first step is knowing where to begin.

How much exercise do you need?

Experts advise adults to move more and sit less throughout the day. Specific recommendations for physical activity include:

  • Get moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity. This includes any activity that gets your heart rate up, such as brisk walking, biking or dancing. Aim for 150 minutes (2.5 hours) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week. If you exercise 5 days a week for 30 minutes per day, you can reach the 150-minute goal.
  • Do muscle-strengthening activities that use all major muscle groups at least twice a week. These activities include yoga, Pilates and exercises using your body weight (like push-ups).

Remember, those recommendations are a goal. If you aren't meeting those guidelines now or even next month, don't worry. Progress — not perfection — is the name of this game. Any exercise is better than no exercise. So make a plan to reach those fitness recommendations, at your own pace.

Best no-gym exercises for beginners

Exercising at home can be just as effective as a fancy gym workout, especially if you focus on functional fitness — simple exercises that use many muscle groups at once. The goal of functional fitness is to mimic the movements you use in daily life — such as squatting to lift a child or reaching up high for groceries. You can improve your strength and flexibility and reduce your chance of injury while doing everyday activities.  

Here's how to use functional fitness to target your heart health and build muscle:

Cardio workouts

3 to 5 hours per week of aerobic exercise may seem overwhelming. So make it more manageable by doing something you love and breaking up your exercise into smaller sessions.

Start by adding short bursts of movement to your day:

  • March in place while you wait for water to boil or tea to steep
  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator
  • Walk the dog morning and night

Here’s an easy way to break it down so you can reach your movement goal. Move your body:

  • 10 minutes at a time
  • 3 times a day
  • For 5 days

If you have a full 30 minutes to dedicate to exercise, go for a brisk walk or ride your bike. Exercising with a friend or taking your workout outside has added benefits for your mental health.

Strength training

You can strengthen all your major muscle groups with a few basic exercises, such as:

  • Lunges for your upper legs and glutes
  • Planks for your core, back and shoulders
  • Push-ups for your chest, shoulders, triceps and core
  • Shoulder presses for your core, shoulders and back
  • Squats or your legs, stomach and lower back
     

For full-body workouts that focus on form and include strength-training and cardio, check out:

Begin with your body weight and work on proper form. Once the exercises feel easy, add weight using canned goods, water jugs, filled backpacks or bags of rice.

Tips for sticking to a workout routine

A healthy exercise habit doesn't happen overnight. These steps can help your habit stick:

  • Work your workout into your schedule: Be realistic about when you can exercise and put it on your calendar like an appointment.
  • Be consistent: Exercising at the same time each day, especially in the morning[KC4] , can help you stick with it.
  • Start slowly: Injury is the quickest way to kill an exercise habit. Do what you can and modify whenever necessary — for example, hold onto a chair for squats and lunges or use a wall for push-ups.
  • Make exercise enjoyable: Work out with a friend, listen to a podcast while walking or blast your favorite music for strength training to make exercising more fun.
  • Keep going: If you miss a workout, don't beat yourself up. Just get back on track the next day.

Talk to your doctor before starting a new workout routine — especially if you haven't exercised recently. They can help you identify fitness goals and safe exercises personalized to your health and lifestyle.

Contact us

Need help figuring out the best exercises for your health and lifestyle? We can help. Find a doctor at MLK Community Healthcare or call 424-529-6755 today to make an appointment.

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