Exercising for Beginners
I was the kind of kid who dreaded gym class for most of middle school. I’ve never had hand-eye coordination, and I couldn’t kick or throw a ball to save my life. The only sport I ever played was softball when I was 8, and I was awful at it. I quit gymnastics after a few years and stopped dancing after 6th grade.
It seemed like every other kid was a dodgeball god or a kickball menace, and I could barely do ten pushups. So, from 6th grade to 8th grade suffered through PE. But towards the end of my 8th grade year, I got more athletic. I started biking, and then running. I did pushups before I went to bed and sit-ups in the morning. Slowly, I did better in PE. I still sucked at catching and throwing and kicking, but I could run and keep up with everyone.
So if you’re in the position I was in at that time, don’t worry. You can get better. The trick is to start out small and build yourself up. Here is a sample 6 week exercise regime for starting out, that you can do in the privacy of your own home, if you can’t afford a gym or are too embarrassed to go to one. You should do this at least 5 days a week (preferably 6 or 7), and do it once a day (or twice, if you’re feeling ambitious).
Week 1:
- 10 pushups
- 25 situps
- 50 jumping jacks
- 30 lunges
- 25 squats
- Go on a walk for 10 minutes
Week 2:
- 15 pushups
- 35 situps
- 75 jumping jacks
- 35 lunges
- 30 squats
- Go on a walk for 20 minutes
Week 3:
- 20 pushups
- 45 situps
- 100 jumping jacks
- 50 lunges
- 35 squats
- Walk for 20 minutes and run for 5 minutes
Week 4:
- 25 pushups
- 50 situps
- 25 crunches
- 100 jumping jacks
- 5 burpees
- 50 lunges
- 45 squats
- Walk for 20 minutes and run for 10 minutes
Week 5:
- 30 pushups
- 60 situps
- 30 crunches
- 100 jumping jacks
- 10 burpees
- 50 lunges
- 50 squats
- Walk for 15 minutes and run for 15 minutes
Week 6:
- 30 pushups
- 75 situps
- 30 crunches
- 100 jumping jacks
- 15 burpees
- 50 lunges
- 50 squats
- Walk for 10 minutes and run for 20 minutes
This exercise routine slowly increases endurance, and engages your core, legs, and arms, and improves your cardiac endurance. If you find week 1 challenging, adjust the lengths to a lower number and start from there. If you like this routine, you can continue to add onto it after the 6 weeks are over. And if you get bored of the exercises, try variants of them, such as spider-man pushups or reverse lunges. But anyways, there you have it, an easy workout routine that can be done at home, and will help you get in shape!
