…Exercises
- Goblet Squat (quads)
- Narrow Squat (quads and glutes)
- Stationary Lunge (quads and hamstrings)
- Lateral Lunge (outer thighs)
- Step-Ups (total leg)
- Calf Raise (calves)
- Glute Bridge (glutes and hamstrings)
- Hip Thrusts (hamstrings)
- Deadlift (back, hamstrings)
- Wall Sit (quads)
3. Choose your weights wisely. Before you start to lift those weights, you want to make sure that they are heavy enough to challenge you, but aren’t so challenging that your form falls all way off. If you’ve never lifted a weight before, try to use an 8-pound weight to start for upper body and 12 pounds for lower body.
If you are flying through the moves without a care in the world or a drop of sweat on your brow, put that down and go heavier. As a rule of thumb in lifting, you should struggle to get through your last two reps.
4. Conquer your cardio by having a clear plan before you take your first step on the treadmill or sidewalk. First, cardio is a huge deal to your overall health. It can make a big difference in your heart health, lowering your cholesterol, and assisting with fat loss. And not all cardio is alike.
You don’t have to run nonstop on a treadmill to get the benefits of cardio. You could also mix up your cardio days for a session of high-intensity interval training. Basically, all you need is 8 exercises (or more) and a clock to keep time.
Pick 8 exercises from the list below, do each move for 30-45 seconds and quickly move to the next exercise without taking breaks until you finish all the moves. You’ll take 1 min of rest and then do at least 2 more rounds. So simple!
Exercises for High Intensity Interval Training
- Air Squats
- Jumping Jacks
- Push Ups
- High Knees
- Ab Crunches
- Alternating Lunges
- Plank Jacks
- Burpees
- Squat Press (with weight)
- Supermans
- Leg Lifts
- Reverse Fly
- Chest Fly
- 1-2 Punches
- Alternating Side Kicks
- Jump Rope (real or imaginary)
Set Your Day One
Now that you have a plan to follow, there should be nothing stopping you from getting started on your fitness journey. All the days of the week are perfect for getting started, not just Monday!
Sharita Jennings is a fitness and travel enthusiast and creator of Get Fit Like That, LLC. She is a health policy attorney and ACE certified group fitness instructor and fitness nutrition specialist. She provides online fitness plans and leads group fitness classes in Washington DC. Check out her fitness tips and workouts at GetFitLikeThat.com.