Easy exercises for a beginner

BlackPup
BlackPup Posts: 242 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi I'm 34 and haven't been very active recently. I want to start doing more exercise. I need stuff I can do at home with minimal equipment while my baby sleeps. I've got an exercise bike to do cardio on. I was planning to work up to 30 min per day because that helps with my depression. But I need to do some strength work. I was looking for some suggestions on exercises that use your body weight as resistance. I need to start slowly and work up to more intensity and variety as I get confused and overwhelmed easily.
Any help would be appreciated.

Replies

  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
    My suggestion check out an exercise DVD from the library or if you have netflix check them out. When you find one you like buy one. It would be a great thing to do while you're baby is napping.
  • Sovictorrious
    Sovictorrious Posts: 770 Member
    There are so many DVD's. When I started I could not walk down the block without back pain. I was very out of shape. I did Leslie Sansone Walk away the pounds.
  • dorrymc
    dorrymc Posts: 36
    If you do nothing else please try to get out for a walk if you have a reliable babysitter. It's good to get moving but is so good for the head. All the best and enjoy your baby, fitness can wait a bit :flowerforyou:
  • bkw99508
    bkw99508 Posts: 204 Member
    You can also do excercises just using your body weight and your couch. Just google couch excercises and you will find lots of ideas.
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

    http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
  • dustin807
    dustin807 Posts: 8 Member
    How many pushups can you do? The most basic bodyweight exercise is pushups. Set a number goal, like being able to do 30 pushups consecutively, then spend the next 3 months training nothing else but pushups. Start with standing pushups, then graduate to pushups leaning against a countertop, the girl pushups, then real pushups.

    spend every spare minute practicing push ups.
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
    Youtube has some really decent videos.
  • xilka
    xilka Posts: 308 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/user/KozakSportsPerform

    and

    http://www.youtube.com/user/FitnessBlender

    Lots of free videos to choose from. Look for the ones for beginners.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    Suggest you google "nerd fitness," "convict conditioning," or "you are your own gym." All good body weight exercise programs.
  • vhuber
    vhuber Posts: 8,779 Member
    You do not need to leave your home or have fancy equipment to burn calories. Set your timer for 30 minutes (or more) march in place at a good pace, jog for a minute then march again or skip in place, jump rope or turn on the music & dance dance dance, etc.. You can do girl pushups, crunches, squats, lunges , over head press ups, raise arms to the side/front and if you have no dumbells use soup cans or put water in soda bottles or milk jugs. JUST MOVE (to where you are breathing harder) without stopping for 30 minutes! Every week up your time & move a little faster! YOU CAN do this!!!
  • BlackPup
    BlackPup Posts: 242 Member
    Thanks for all your suggestions :)
  • pugsleyjean
    pugsleyjean Posts: 135 Member
    You do not need to leave your home or have fancy equipment to burn calories. Set your timer for 30 minutes (or more) march in place at a good pace, jog for a minute then march again or skip in place, jump rope or turn on the music & dance dance dance, etc.. You can do girl pushups, crunches, squats, lunges , over head press ups, raise arms to the side/front and if you have no dumbells use soup cans or put water in soda bottles or milk jugs. JUST MOVE (to where you are breathing harder) without stopping for 30 minutes! Every week up your time & move a little faster! YOU CAN do this!!!

    ^^^This! All very good and simple ways to keep you movin.
  • codycsweet
    codycsweet Posts: 1,019 Member
    Find something that you like/love and add to it. I started out with Zumba and still love it so much I have every Wii Zumba and Just Dance. there are a lot of YouTube videos check them out. Take a walk around the block or down the end of the street to start with. This summer I started walking with my family around the block and we spent time together. I also do Just Dance and Zumba with my 6 & 3 yr old girls. They love to join me.
  • rella_1003
    rella_1003 Posts: 70 Member
    Google the NHS strength and flex. Its a series of podcasts for the course of 5 weeks with an instructor telling you how to do strengthtraining without weights. There are different levels for each week that get progressively harder and they're about 35 mins long each.
  • pineapple_jojo
    pineapple_jojo Posts: 440 Member
    Can you pop your baby in a buggy and go for some nice long walks?
  • coppertop_4
    coppertop_4 Posts: 258 Member
    Youtube
    Search for Weightless by Kiya
  • cherryblossomrose
    cherryblossomrose Posts: 41
    Can you pop your baby in a buggy and go for some nice long walks?

    Get together with some other mums, do a stoller walk together or stoller jog together. Post-baby mums will be keen to get moving again and lose some of those baby pounds. Some local authorities (in UK) organise weekly Mums n Buggies walks or jogs in the local parks round here. I had great fun doing these some years back. Great way to meet and make new friends too!
  • AlmondLily
    AlmondLily Posts: 4
    Where I lived up until recently I had a great park that had a 0.9 mile concrete paved walking path around the lake that was wide enough for three strollers. It was only a mile away so I'd take my son down there almost every day starting when he was about three months old in his stroller and I'd walk around 2 to 3 times just depending on how I was feeling and how much time I had. Sometimes I'd do four laps. It was great for him to get out and see new things and we both got fresh air and it gave me done "me time" since he was busy looking at everything. It was cold out but I just always made sure he was well bundled and he never got cold. My neighborhood wasn't safe for walking but that park was perfect for us and very family friendly. Maybe you have a nice park like that within a reasonable distance?

    Now where I'm living I have nothing like that but I've got a treadmill and a few yoga DVDs so I'm doing that for now. My husband is deployed so I'm basically a single mom with zero support or anyone I can trust to babysit so I totally know where you are coming from with looking to exercise at home! My son is a light sleeper so I have to use the treadmill when he's awake and I can do the yoga when he's sleeping since it's quiet. I would like to do my more intense DVDs but it makes too much noise if I'm jumping around and whatnot.

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