Starting out can be hard, but with a good gym routine, you can soon develop healthy habits that will help string you along from workout to workout. It’s important not to push yourself too far, and always go at a pace your body feels comfortable with. A good place to start is to aim for 30-minute workouts. Once you get to know your body better and what you want to achieve, you can mix up the elements within the workout, this will probably change the length of your workouts too. Once you’ve warmed up, we’ve put together a few things for you to try out. Cardio will get your heart pumping, bringing much-needed fresh oxygen to your body. 15 minutes is a good place to start, and once you’re feeling comfortable, you can increase the time and intensity.
Machines like treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes will all provide enough of a challenge to get a sweat going. Some gyms may also be equipped with a stair climber and rowing machines. If strength training is what you’re looking for, then no workout would be complete without crunches, chest presses, and leg curls. Shoulder presses, back rows, and leg presses are also a great addition. You should start by doing 2-3 sets with 8-10 repetitions. There should be a personal trainer available if you’re unsure how to do any of these. If the gym still isn’t the place for you, and you’d rather do some toning at home, we’ve got you covered too.
To get your heart pumping, jumping jacks will do the trick, and just one or two minutes will loosen your muscles ready for your workout, plus they’re super fun to do. While you’re still standing, we suggest doing 2-3 sets of squats. Start with the basic one, and branch out to the variations when you’re feeling confident. The plank is one of the best exercises for strengthening your abdominals, which are vital for a lot of other exercises too. From there you can transition into pushups, and further strengthen your core muscles. One final thing to do is bicycle crunches. A bit more challenging than a regular crunch, but worth every bead of sweat. Cooling down is just as important as warming up. No matter your choice of workout routine, doing some stretching at the end helps prevent your muscles from becoming tight during the day after.