Beginner Fitness Plan: Week 1 Workout Routine

As I had mentioned in my prior post that we’ll follow a fitness plan for this week, here it is, check it out!

DayWorkoutSide noteDay 1Simple warm up and cool downTo open up and lengthen the muscles.Day 2 1 mile walkSimple way of burning 100 caloriesDay 3Cardio video -15 minVery simple beginners level cardio to access the body’s level of endurance.Day 4 RestDay 5Warm up 1 mile walk and cool downTaking it at slow pace to help body to adjust to the changes.Day 6 Warm up , cardio 15 min, cool downTaking it at slow pace to help body to adjust to the changes.Day 7 Rest

Here I am sharing the workout for Day 1 – Warm up and Cool down 

WorkoutVideoDuration1.Warm Uphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0XGO6HNPeY12 min2.Cool Downhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oj9-4ZQes412 min

Things to consider BEFORE the workout:

• There should be a gap of at least 1 hr between your workout and the last meal. If it’s a heavier meal then keep the gap of at least 2 hrs.
• If the meal is taken before 2.5 hr eat a fruit 1 hr before the workout.
• Wear comfortable clothes in which you can stretch easily.
• Always opt for good support sports shoes.
• Keep a towel and water bottle handy.
• Try and use exercise mat if possible, but if not available use a thick layer of towels instead. Don’t make the unavailability an excuse.
• You can take a 5 min break between the two videos.
• Don’t overexert yourself. Listen to your BODY not your mind. If your body cannot take more just stop.
• Try and exercise in an open space with an open window or anywhere with circulating air.
• The most important part is to watch and hear the instructions carefully before exercising. It’s advisable to carefully watch the video once or twice before exercising.
• Most videos will be full length videos, so you can play them and try to exercise along with them. But adjust the difficulty level according to yourself. 

Workout 1 – Warm Up

According to the instructors from the fitness industry, while warming up, a position should not be held for more that 10-15 seconds. For a pre workout stretching routine, a hold should be short, which is enough for loosening up stiff muscles. It should not affect the bone joints in anyway. While warming up, stretches shouldn’t be for extended period of time as it may expand and loosen the joint muscle which makes it more vulnerable to injury.

Why do we need to warm up before any form of exercise?

When the body directly gets into a high intensity motion from a standstill condition, the heart rate gets raised and muscles are engaged which causes more stress to the body. It happens because the blood vessels are constricted while heart is trying to pump the blood to fulfill the oxygen supply to the muscle tissues. The constricted blood vessels provide a restriction or say a resistance; this increases the blood pressure momentarily.

The total body warm up routine engages the muscles in such a way that the blood flow and the flexibility increases gradually, without shocking the system which challenges the muscles before they are ready to workout.

Workout 2 – Cool Down

According to the instructors from the fitness industry, a cool down and a total body stretching routine is required after the workout as it brings down heart rate at an ideal pace. 

Why is a cool down and stretching routine important after the workout?

While strenuous exercising, body accumulates waste products, so while bringing down the heart rate gradually body is allowed to flush out these waste products. The heart rate gets lowered at a steady rate rather than a sudden drop.

Synopsis of a workout for day 1:

Beginners should start here as this is a very simple routine of warm up and cool down, and it includes 5 min of cardio in between. It’s a great starting point, as body will slowly realize and adjust itself according to new changes. Muscles which are not used to a lot of movement will get activated without any vigorous movement. For a complete non exerciser this also may be challenging, but it is recommended to push yourself ahead, as it is not the body it is the mind which is not allowing you o move forward.

If you find this very easy then you can increase the time of cardio at the end of workout 1. The bottom line is to Challenge yourself and push your mind to perform better.

So just stop thinking and start performing.