

Wanna Start Working On Your Fitness? This Workout Plan Is Beginner-Approved
Exercising regularly is one of the best things you can do for your health.
Soon after you start exercising, you'll begin to feel and see the benefits that physical activity can have on your body and well-being. Regardless, working exercise into your routine takes a lot of determination, and when you're new to it, it can be overwhelming to come up with your own routines.
So, here is a week workout plan for beginners just like you. Before you start, though, consider the following:
For cardio workouts:
The trick to cardio workouts is finding out what is accessible to you, what fits your personality, and what you feel comfortable fitting into your workout routine. If you don't like running, don't. Stay away from the treadmill. If you don't like cycling, don't cycle. Leave them for someone else. There are several cardio alternatives like the elliptical, rowing machine, climber, pool, and more. So, use those instead of trying to make running and biking happen.
And if you're at home without the previously mentioned exercise equipment, don't sweat it. There are a variety of home cardio exercises you can do, like jumping rope, jumping jacks, jogging in place, burpees, and more.
You have many choices, so take some time to figure out what you do and don't like, then go from there.
For strength workouts, you’ll need some equipment:
Various weighted dumbbells. Some exercises require heavier weights, while others will need lighter weights or none at all. Try to have a range of dumbbells: a light set (three to five pounds), a medium set (five to 10 pounds), and a heavy set (10 to 20 pounds).
An exercise ball. These giant balls are one of the best tools to strengthen the abs and back and increase stability. They come in different sizes to accommodate your height. When you sit on one, there should be a 90-degree angle at your hip joints and knee joints.
An exercise mat. Yoga mats are thinner and have more gripping ability to hold poses. Thicker mats are best if you choose to do Pilates and abdominal exercises because they cushion the spine while you're lying on your back.
For stretching workouts:
If there are two things you take from this article, let them be this: stretch before you exercise and stretch after you exercise. It will help during the workout and it will help with recovery after it.
When you don't stretch, your muscles are left tight and this could lead to avoidable injuries occurring. So, in order to ensure that doesn't happen, take five minutes before and after your workout to take proper care of your body. Also, make sure to consult with your doctor before trying these routines if you have any injuries, illnesses, or other conditions.
Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, your workout awaits, below:
Day One: Cardio, Strength, and Stretch
Modify the workout as needed to fit your fitness level and style. Slow down or stop working out if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath.
As stated before, your cardio options are endless, including walking, running, aerobics, cycling, swimming, and dancing.
Type: Cardio
Length: 25 minutes
Whichever, exercise you choose, make sure to do it for 25 minutes; and make sure to increase intensity accordingly throughout the 25-minute span.
Type: Strength Training
Length: One set of each exercise, 10-20 minutes
Strength Training Exercises Tips
Choose about 8-10 exercises, targeting the major muscle groups, including the lower body, chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and abs.
Because you're a beginner, you'd want to do one set of 15 reps for each exercise. Choose weights that allow you to complete the reps. It should be hard at the end, but not impossible. If it's impossible you might have to start a lighter weight.
Progress each week by adding a set (until you're up to a total of sets per exercise), using heavier weights or trying new exercises.
Day Two: Recovery, Walking, and Stretching
You worked hard on day one, so give yourself a break on day two. Instead of heading into an intense workout, do some light cardio. Go for a jog, run for a couple of minutes from a light to moderate pace, take a long, brisk walk. Whatever it is that you choose to do, make sure you're up and moving. Because moving more every day contributes to your overall calorie burn.
Workout: 15-minute jog, walk, or light run
Once you're done, don't forget to stretch you back, neck, and shoulders.
Day Three: Cardio, Strength, and Stretch
Type: Cardio
Length: 21 minutes
Unlike day one, the length of this exercise routine is 21 minutes long; this is mainly because the workout for this day will be a little more intense. For this cardio routine, you will complete a workout that contains basic interval training that will push you, just a bit, out of your comfort zone.
Interval | Beginner Cardio Interval Workout (21 Minutes) | Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) |
5 minutes | Warm up at an easy pace. Make sure that you're starting off relatively easy here. Once you're comfortable, increase your intensity by going faster, raising the incline, or increasing your resistance. If you're using at home cardio routines, try to find a hill or simply increase your speed. | Level 3-4 Intensity (Meaning: You're still comfortable but are breathing a bit harder. And/or you're sweating a little but feel good and can carry on a conversation effortlessly.) |
3 minutes | Rest Set: Increase your speed from the warm up and increase incline 1%. Keep a moderate pace. You should feel like you're exercising, but you're also able to have a conversation. | Level 5 (Meaning: You're just above comfortable, you're sweating more, and can still talk easily.) |
1 minute | Work Set: Increase incline 1-3% to raise the intensity level. You should feel a slight change in your intensity, breathing a bit faster and just a little uncomfortable. You can raise the incline, if you're not feeling a difference between sets. | Level 6 (Meaning: You can talk, but you're slightly breathless.) |
3 minutes | Rest Set: Decrease your speed and incline to lower your heart rate back to a comfortable level. It doesn't have to be the same settings as in the previous rest set. | Level 5 (Meaning: You're just above comfortable, you're sweating more, and can still talk easily.) |
1 minute | Work Set: Increase your speed 3-5 increments and increase incline 1-2% to raise the intensity. Feel free to adjust these settings to work at the suggested intensity. | Level 6 (Meaning: You can talk, but you're slightly breathless.) |
3 minutes | Rest Set: Decrease your speed and incline to lower your heart rate back to a comfortable level. | Level 5 (Meaning: You're just above comfortable, you're sweating more, and can still talk easily.) |
5 minutes | Decrease your speed and incline even more to a very comfortable pace for your cool down. | Level 3-4 (Meaning: You can talk, but you're slightly breathless.) |
Once you're ready to move on, just add another work set/rest set to your cardio routine.
Day Four: Active Rest
You don't necessarily have a workout routine today, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be active. Here are a couple of suggestions for your not-so off day:
- Do some crunches or push-ups while you watch TV.
- Stretch before bed.
- Walk leisurely around the neighborhood.
- Roll around on an exercise ball.
- Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator.
Day Five: Walking and Stretching
You've worked hard all week and your body is still in recovery from the interval training you introduced on day three. So, just as before, give yourself a break.
Do some light cardio. Go for a jog, run for a couple of minutes from a light to moderate pace, or take a long, brisk walk.
Workout: 15-minute jog, walk, or light run
Once you're done, don't forget to stretch you back, neck, and shoulders.
Day Six: Cardio, Strength, and Stretch
Same as day one:
As stated before, your cardio options are endless, including walking, running, aerobics, cycling, swimming, and dancing.
Type: Cardio
Length: 25 minutes
Whichever exercise you choose, make sure to do it for 25 minutes; and make sure to increase intensity accordingly throughout the 25-minute span.
Type: Strength Training
Length: One set of each exercise, 10-20 minutes
Strength Training Exercises Tips
Choose about 8-10 exercises, targeting the major muscle groups, including the lower body, chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and abs.
Because you're a beginner, you'd want to do one set of 15 reps for each exercise. Choose weights that allow you to complete the reps. It should be hard at the end, but not impossible. If it's impossible, you might have to start with a lighter weight.
Progress each week by adding a set (until you're up to a total of sets per exercise), using heavier weights or trying new exercises.
Day Seven: Rest Up
You earned it, sis.
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here and check out the related reads below:
5 Common Exercises You Might Be Doing All Wrong
The Best Exercises To Get Your Stomach On Flat-Flat
Why Twerk Cardio Should Be Your Next Workout
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Featured image by Getty Images
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Taysha Robinson is a writer and high school English teacher, based in metro-Atlanta. A self described philomath, you can find her reading books and articles of every genre, attending educational conferences, and hiking wherever the terrain will allow.
How Content Creators Hey Fran Hey And Shameless Maya Embraced The Pivot
This article is in partnership with Meta Elevate.
If you’ve been on the internet at all within the past decade, chances are the names Hey Fran Hey and Shameless Maya (aka Maya Washington) have come across your screen. These content creators have touched every platform on the web, spreading joy to help women everywhere live their best lives. From Fran’s healing natural remedies to Maya’s words of wisdom, both of these content creators have built a loyal following by sharing honest, useful, and vulnerable content. But in search of a life that lends to more creativity, freedom, and space, these digital mavens have moved from their bustling big cities (New York City and Los Angeles respectively) to more remote locations, taking their popular digital brands with them.
Content Creators Hey Fran Hey and Maya Washington Talk "Embracing The Pivot"www.youtube.com
In partnership with Meta Elevate — an online learning platform that provides Black, Hispanic, and Latinx-owned businesses access to 1:1 mentoring, digital skills training, and community — xoNecole teamed up with Franscheska Medina and Maya Washington on IG live recently for a candid conversation about how they’ve embraced the pivot by changing their surroundings to ultimately bring out the best in themselves and their work. Fran, a New York City native, moved from the Big Apple to Portland, Oregon a year ago. Feeling overstimulated by the hustle and bustle of city life, Fran headed to the Pacific Northwest in search of a more easeful life.
Her cross-country move is the backdrop for her new campaign with Meta Elevate— a perfectly-timed commercial that shows how you can level up from wherever you land with the support of free resources like Meta Elevate. Similarly, Maya packed up her life in Los Angeles and moved to Sweden, where she now resides with her husband and adorable daughter. Maya’s life is much more rural and farm-like than it had been in California, but she is thriving in this peaceful new setting while finding her groove as a new mom.
While Maya is steadily building and growing her digital brand as a self-proclaimed “mom coming out of early retirement,” Fran is redefining her own professional grind. “It’s been a year since I moved from New York City to Portland, Oregon,” says Fran. “I think the season I’m in is figuring out how to stay successful while also slowing down.” A slower-paced life has unlocked so many creative possibilities and opportunities for these ladies, and our conversation with them is a well-needed reminder that your success is not tied to your location…especially with the internet at your fingertips. Tapping into a community like Meta Elevate can help Black, Hispanic, and Latinx entrepreneurs and content creators stay connected to like minds and educated on new digital skills and tools that can help scale their businesses.
During a beautiful moment in the conversation, Fran gives Maya her flowers for being an innovator in the digital space. Back when “influencing” was in its infancy and creators were just trying to find their way, Fran says Maya was way ahead of her time. “I give Maya credit for being one of the pioneers in the digital space,” Fran said. “Maya is a one-person machine, and I always tell her she really changed the game on what ads, campaigns, and videos, in general, should look like.”
When asked what advice she’d give content creators, Maya says the key is having faith even when you don’t see the results just yet. “It’s so easy to look at what is, despite you pouring your heart into this thing that may not be giving you the returns that you thought,” she says. “Still operate from a place of love and authenticity. Have faith and do the work. A lot of people are positive thinkers, but that’s the thinking part. You also have to put your faith into work and do the work.”
Fran ultimately encourages content creators and budding entrepreneurs to take full advantage of Meta Elevate’s vast offerings to educate themselves on how to build and grow their businesses online. “It took me ten years to get to the point where I’m making ads at this level,” she says. “I didn’t have those resources in 2010. I love the partnership with Meta Elevate because they’re providing these resources for free. I just think of the people that wouldn’t be able to afford that education and information otherwise. So to amplify a company like this just feels right.”
Watch the full conversation with the link above, and join the Meta Elevate community to connect with fellow businesses and creatives that are #OnTheRiseTogether.
Featured image courtesy of Shameless Maya and Hey Fran Hey
Halle Bailey Says She Appreciates That Everyone Wants To Protect Her, But She's Got This
Halle Bailey and her boyfriend of over a year, rapper DDG, are young and in love. We learned the two were dating in January 2022 after they were spotted together at Usher's residency concert in Vegas. DDG later confirmed the romance that March when he made it all IG official with a birthday shoutout to his bae. And since then, they've been seemingly inseparable, attending public events together, most recently, for the Vanity Fair Oscar party as Halle prepares for the premiere of her career-defining role in The Little Mermaid.
While there, DDG gave flowers to his bae, telling PEOPLE, "I'm very proud of her. And I'm just happy to see it. I feel like sometimes I'm even more excited than anybody else. Just seeing it and seeing everything that she dreamed of coming to life, it's really dope."
It's the support for me, m'kay?!
And listen, Halle loves her 'some him' too, showing that she pulls up for his music career by starring in the music video for his single, "If I Want You." "Everyone go watch 'if i want you' by @ddg it's out now ❣️you might see a familiar face 🤭💗," she wrote on an Instagram post. She doubled down on her support, revealing to ESSENCE that she had been "a fan" even before they met, adding to the cocktail of their romance that has captured the hearts of many by simply being two young lovebirds navigating their journey of fame, loyalty, and love for the world to see (and dissect).
Well, that was until a little drama, or ex (his), showed up on their doorstep and publicly tested whether the couple's relationship is what they say it is. And after the dust settled (and a little PR work), Halle hopped on IG Live to basically tell us what's understood between the two of them, does not--and will not--be explained. In fact, after sending comment sections into a frenzy for weeks because the culture was coming to her defense, she let us know that, yeah, she appreciates the love, but she's got this.
When speaking about the new music she's recording she said, "This music that I'm making right now, is a lot about the time, how I felt, when I was filming. I was very independent and on my own but also felt isolated and it's also about what happened when I got back home and being in love and all of that..."
She continued:
"I just think it's so funny, people getting to see me, you know, being in love, in a relationship...I think because I've grown up in the public eye since I was younger, people just feel like this sort of protective energy that they feel like they have to have with me, which honestly I think is sweet, but it's funny."
Halle also wrote on Twitter in a now-deleted tweet, "the devil is working ♥️ lol please don’t feed into the lies, especially from a third party 💕✨stay blessed everyone."
In other words, it's giving 'nothing-to-see-here-but-I-ain't-the-one-and-he-knows-that-so-we're-not-even-going-to-entertain-this.' And as grateful as Halle is for the continued support she has received, she admits is in the process of setting boundaries surrounding matters outside of her craft.
She touched on the subject again, telling Yahoo!'sThe Unwind, "They still see me as that 13-year-old girl that they first discovered and I understand how if you've been supporting somebody for a long time you get invested in their personal lives," she says.
"It's definitely been a learning experience for me. And the beautiful people that have supported me and stuck with me for a very long time, can continue to support what I do publicly in my business affairs, and I really appreciate that, but everything else is my business. And I have to make that priority."
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Featured image by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic