Beginner-Friendly Workouts for Apartment Residents

Starting a new workout regimen can be intimidating for beginners. Sometimes the biggest hurdle is finding the right fitness plan for you and the time and place to execute it. Fortunately, there are so many simple body weight exercises that you can do in the comfort of your home that will produce visible results in as little as ten minutes a day. Let’s get started!

Find a Routine

Consistency is key in fitness. Starting with even 10 minutes a day will help to build endurance and strength. Pick a time that works for you and put it in your calendar so that you are held accountable to use the allotted time for your health.

Make sure to grab a water bottle and stay extra hydrated when adding exercise to your daily regimen, and consider putting together a workout playlist (or checking out pre-made ones on Spotify or Apple music) to keep your energy high.

Warm-Up

Straining muscles and burnout are real concerns for beginners in fitness. One way to decrease the likelihood of muscle soreness or injury is to begin your workout with light stretching and deep breathing. Dynamic stretching is also a fun way to begin your exercise session. Some familiar warmup exercises to consider are jumping jacks, jogging in place, high-knees and butt-kickers. Remember that it is important to stretch before and after you exercise.

Body Weight Exercises

Arms/Chest

Push-ups are challenging for people who are lacking core (abdominal/lower back) strength, but the great thing about a simple exercise like a push-up is that it can be modified in many ways depending on your level of fitness. If you have never worked out before, consider push-ups against a wall, or leaning over a high (and stable) table. If you have decent core strength, start with push-ups on your knees, and work until you build the strength to perform traditional plank push-ups.

Another great exercise for your arms is a triceps dip. This movement will help tone and strengthen the back of your arms. All you will need is a sturdy chair and determination, because these can be tough if you do enough of them.

Biceps are the beach muscles. A traditional bicep curl with weight is the quickest way to see results, but if you don’t have weights on hand, here are some awesome alternatives for you.

Core

Having a strong core can drastically improve how you feel overall because so many things that we do daily revolve around core strength and flexibility. Most people think of abdominal muscles as their core, but it is so much more than that. Check out these great beginner core-training movements:

Legs

Squats, lunges and calf-raises are a great way to start for beginners. As you progress, however, you can take on modifications like jump squats and lunges, which also serve an important cardiovascular purpose.

Create a Circuit

Cycling through these exercises in circuit form is a good way to prevent boredom in workouts. Try to start with 10 pushups, a 30-second break, triceps dips, a 30-second break, one core exercise, a 30-second break, followed by one lower body movement. At the end of the full-body circuit, take a one-minute break, and then start again until you have completed all of your upper-body, core, and lower-body work.

If you prefer to workout outside, walking is another great way to burn calories and stay active. Did you know that you can burn almost as many calories on a brisk one mile walk as you can on a one-mile run?

Fox Ridge Apartments in Longmont, Colorado has the ideal environment for your outdoor exercise adventures. You may get tired physically from working out, but you will never get tired of taking in the stunning views of the Rocky Mountains that Fox Ridge provides its residents. Contact us today for more information on our bright and spacious floor plans.