Low Impact, No Equipment Full Body Strength and Cardio for Beginners
We all know it's important to develop and maintain a healthy exercise routine at every stage in life, but sometimes life and work get in the way. However, as we reach and start moving past age 50, we need to dedicate (or re-dedicate) ourselves to incorporating full body strength and cardio exercises into our routine.
Strength and cardio workouts are equally essential to staying strong and vital, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Cardiovascular exercise does wonders for our heart health and circulation, while strength training helps prevent osteoporosis, brittle bones, and frailty by stimulating muscle and bone growth.
What to Expect in This Low Impact Workout
Our certified health coach, Lindsay Tullis, has designed a 30 Minute Full Body Strength and Cardio Workout for Beginners that requires no jumping or over-the-top equipment. You might need a chair or a wall for support, but nothing you don't have on hand.
With this program, you can start in comfort and at your own pace at home. Do what's comfortable at first, and keep building on it as you get stronger and fitter. Most importantly, just get started doing this for your health and well-being, and turn it into your new easily accessible healthy habit.
Lindsay recommends wearing gym clothes and comfortable sneakers. She provides modifications to ease you into some exercises that are potentially more challenging, and she says you can also find ways to make any of them more challenging as you make progress. That way, you don't have to start hunting for a new exercise regimen as soon as you start to feel and see improvements.
Class Structure
Coach Lindsay breaks everything down into three blocks of work, or sets, and will ask you to do it three times. The block of work entails a specific set of exercises, including two upper body exercises, two core exercises, and two lower-body exercises.
Here are the strength and cardio exercises Lindsay has put together to help you get on the path to better health once you do a nice march-in-place warm-up and other low-impact cardio for 3-5 minutes to get your heart pumping.
Block 1: Upper Body
Start with 10 repetitions of the push-up in your modification choice and follow with the bent-over reverse fly set.
Exercise 1: Push-Up
Don't let the idea of doing a push-up scare you. There are some modifications you can do to make this classic upper body exercise accessible to everyone at every fitness level.
Modification 1: Put your hands against the wall and lean forward to a achieve a good slant in the body.
Modification 2: Lean over, and place your hands on a sturdy chair to achieve a good slant of your body.
Modification 3: Do a traditional push-up, putting your hands on the floor and lift your body up to achieve a good slant in your body.
Exercise 2: Bent-Over Reverse Fly
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with a slight hinge in the hip. Bring your arms in front of you as if you are gripping a weight. Then bring your arms straight up and to your sides, keeping your arms parallel to your back without over-extending past your shoulders. Do this while maintaining the original stance.
Marching Break:
Before the next block of exercises, march in place and do some cardio exercises to keep your heart rate elevated. Grab some water, do some stretches, and prepare for the next block.
Block 2: Core Block
Do one set of 10 repetitions for each core block exercise. Remember not to stop between each exercise, moving directly from one to the next.
Exercise 1: Side Crunch
Place your right fingertips near your ear with your palm facing forward. Next, lift your right leg to meet your elbow, Repeat on the other side. Do five repetitions for each side.
Exercise 2: Mountain Climber
Use the same modifications you would use for push-ups, using the wall or a chair. With the same stance and position as a push-up, alternate lifting each knee to your chest.
Marching Break:
Once you finish, march in place, and sip some water if you need to.
Block 3: Lower Body
Do one set of 10 repetitions for each lower-body block exercise. Again, keep moving between exercises, and sip water if you need to.
Exercise 1: Squats
This exercise combines a squat with an overhead press at the top for a full body burn. Try not to feel intimidated by squats. Like push-ups, mountain climbers, and nearly every exercise, there are modifications available for everyone's current fitness level. Here are a few:
Modification 1: Just do a pulse as a beginner. Stand in the starting squat position, which is softening your knees with a slight bend, and press into your gluteus muscles. Next, stand and press your arms up vertically.
Modification 2: Do a chair squat, which is an intermediate squat position. Move to sit press your glutes barely onto the chair, then press back up.
Modification 3: Do a full squat, and press back up.
Exercise 2: Calf Raises
Use a chair for extra balance if you need to, but otherwise, this exercise is straightforward. Stand with your feet flat on the floor, then raise onto your tip-toes. Do this exercise 10 times.
Do Two More Rounds of Each Block at Your Pace
Now that you know all the exercises, go through each block again at your own pace. Remember to keep moving and drink water as you need to.
Would You Like More At-Home Exercises You Can Do With Confidence?
We hope you enjoyed this exercise session with Lindsay. We have a whole library of exercises and sessions developed by our certified health coaches at Mighty Health!
Download our Mighty Health mobile app, and find more workouts like these that you can do at your own pace and with the guidance from knowledgeable and caring coaches.
