There are a lot of different workout plans out there. Beginners don’t need to push themselves too hard and too fast.

Here are the exercises that will help you ramp up your fitness and shed those first few pounds without stressing yourself out.

A beginner’s routine should consist of basic exercises, and it should mix both strength and cardio. The exercises below offer a good mix of both.

1.      Squat

The Squat is part of the “Big 3” powerlifting exercise. It works just about every muscle in your legs, which is how it gets the name “Squat.” Broadly, squats work your butt, legs, back, and abs.

How to do a Squat

With toes pointed forward, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Look straight ahead, shoulders back, abs tight.

Lower your butt down as far as you can without bending or pushing it too far forward.

Slowly push yourself back up to start.

The Benefits of Squatting

Squats strengthen your core, which is good for your back, posture, and balance. They also tone and tighten your legs and butt.

Building strength in your lower body enhances movements for better balance, mobility, and posture. Moreover, incorporating squats in your overall workout routine also helps strengthen your tendons, ligaments, and bones; which reduce your risk of injury.

In a squat, your butt, quads, hamstrings, groin, hip flexors, and calves all have to work as you lower your body as if you were sitting in a chair.

2.      Lunge

Don’t mind the fancy footwork. A lunge shoulder-width is a compound move that’s great for building leg strength and stamina.

It’s especially effective because it works multiple muscles at once, engaging the major hip flexor muscles, your glutes, and your quadriceps.

How to do a Lunge

To perfect your form, stand with your feet hip-width apart.

Dip your hips back a bit, then step forward with your left foot, keeping your weight on your front foot.

Bend the knees and lower your body until the back knee is a few inches from the floor.

The front thigh is parallel to the ground with a 90-degree angle, the back knee points toward the floor a few inches off the ground, and your weight is evenly distributed between legs.

Push back up to the starting position, keeping your weight on the heel of your front foot.

The lunge is a great exercise, but you’ll want to use caution if you’re new to it or haven’t done a lot of lunges. Start slowly and smoothly.

Benefits of Lunges

Lunges are an excellent exercise for the lower body because it targets multiple muscles at once.

The lunge exercise targets muscles in your thighs and calves, as well as your core muscles. This strengthens your lower body and improves your balance.

The lunge is a multi-joint exercise, so it engages more muscles than other single-joint exercises.

When you perform the lunge, your lower back is protected from falling backward, which can help prevent back injuries.

The lunge can also strengthen your glutes, which can help improve your posture.

3.      Push-Ups 

Push-ups are one of the best exercises for developing strength, endurance, and flexibility, and for improving your posture. But most people do them wrong.

Most people do push-ups by lying on their stomachs, with their arms extended and their shoulders collapsed. This puts a lot of stress on the shoulders.

A better way to do it is to lie on the floor with your arms slightly wider than your shoulders, palms down.

When you’re on the floor, contract your abs and tighten your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine.

Slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself on the ground, until your elbows are at a 90-degree.

Exhale while contracting your chest muscles and pushing back up through your hands, returning to the start position.

Keep elbows slightly bent and your eyes focused on the floor in front of the toes, not your hands.

Don’t bounce up and down; this puts unnecessary stress and strain on your back. If it hurts, don’t push yourself; instead, take a short break and do the exercise again.

Push-ups are a compound exercise in which a person works out several muscle groups at the same time. Because of their versatility, push-ups can help develop strength in multiple areas of the body.

Overall, push-ups are a great exercise for building upper body strength. They will work your chest, biceps, and triceps while working your shoulders and back.

4.      Plank

The plank position builds strength, stability, and balance. Performed as a static exercise, meaning the starting position is frequently not changed throughout the entire set, and may be held as long as 30 to 60 seconds for starters.

To perform a plank place both of your arms on the ground underneath you at shoulder height, palms facing downward.

Your feet should be off the ground with toes on the floor. Look straight down at all times.

Lift your hips up and straighten your legs, keeping your back lengthened and without touching the ground.

Plank exercise is core-strengthening. This means it activates muscles in the abdomen called rectus abdominis, the hip flexors, and the muscles of the lower back that help support the spine. The plank exercise also engages the muscles of the arms, shoulders, and upper back.

5.      Burpees

What are burpees?

Burpees are a deceptively simple exercise. It is simple in form, but it takes practice to get right. But once you get it right, it combines strength, flexibility, and coordination into a challenging, full-body workout.

Burpees, also known as jumping squats, are an effective full-body exercise that burns fat, builds strength, and tones muscles. Done right, burpees can blast fat from your belly, thighs, and hips.

How to do a burpee

A burpee is an exercise in which your body makes 3 movements: squat, jump and push up.

Start your position by standing with your feet hip-width apart and weight in your heels. 

From a standing position, drop down into a squat position, placing your hands on the floor in front of you and just outside of your feet.

Keep your body in parallel to the ground from head to heels. Turn your toes under and press your hands onto the floor.

Then pull your knees close to your chest and stand up.

To build up strength, do 10 to 12 reps of each exercise, resting for 30 to 90 seconds before repeating. Start with 10 reps and gradually work up to 12, then up to 15, and so on.

Burpees target multiple muscle groups at once. In doing the exercise, you engage the hips, thighs, chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Create a fitness routine convenient for yourself by choosing exercises you can do at home or in the gym.

Make sure to warm-up. Use free weight machines when available. Mix it up with cardio conditioning classes. Most of all take it easy and have fun.