Exercise: A Beginner’s Guide

Aerobic

Walking is perhaps the easiest place to start. Begin by walking 5 to 10 minutes a few days per week. Once this is comfortable, build yourself up a little at a time to 30-minute walks most days of the week. Ready for more? Try tai chi, dancing, or swimming!

Strength Training | Arms

Push-ups/Modified Push-ups: If regular push-ups are too strenuous, try one of these instead. 1. Use your knees to rest on instead of your feet/toes. OR 2. Do a standing push-up. Start by standing a foot or so away from a wall. Place palms on the wall at shoulder height and, using your arms, slowly lean towards the wall, getting your nose as close to the wall as you can. (No cheating by stretching out your neck!) Other arm strengthening exercises to try include couch dips or weight lifting (start with 1 to 2 lbs).

Strength Training | Core

Crunches are always a good core-strengthening exercise. But if crunches are too hard right now, start with a plank or a bridge. Modified Plank: Lay on your stomach. Bend your elbows so that they are directly underneath your shoulders and lift yourself up to rest on your forearms and toes. Hold this position for 15 seconds (or as long as you can), making sure to keep your spine and neck straight while engaging your glutes, legs and stomach muscles.

Strength Training | Legs

Get (and keep) strong legs by doing lunges, squats, or by simply climbing stairs. Step-ups are a great place to start. Using a small and sturdy step stool, step up onto the stool alternating between your left and right leg. Keep your back straight and abdominal muscles tight. Start by doing 10 to 15 of these and work your way up to more sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Flexibility

Don’t overlook the immense benefits of stretching! These kinds of exercises help prevent injuries, reduce back pain and can help improve your balance. Mayo Clinic published this useful video series featuring nine common stretches. Try to hold a stretch for at least 10 seconds, working your way slowly up to 30 seconds. Do this most days of the week for the best benefits.

Hydrate!

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water while you’re exercising. Make sure you’ve had a full glass of water (16 ounces) a few hours before exercising. Drink at least half a glass every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise. Within a half an hour of finishing exercise, drink another half-glass at least.

A word on sports drinks: they often have added sugar and may be high in sodium. Unless you’re training for a marathon, water is more than sufficient!