Nowadays, more and more people are beginning to see the benefits of daily exercise, even if it happens to be just for a few minutes. There is even a new form of exercise called HIIT (High-intensity interval training) that is the perfect option for most people out there who have little to no time on their hands due to hectic work. A while back, this trend of exercising every single day had not caught on with most of the people there, but now, that is no longer the case. However, with a limitless supply of information available on the Internet as well as general exercise options, one can very easily get stumped about what exactly to follow in the grand scheme of things.
Having said that, the first step to take is to understand that simple and easy steps initially are the key to eventually carving out a thorough exercise regime that you will have no trouble following every day. Because, here’s the thing most people don’t realise – sheer willpower is not enough to ensure that you exercise on a daily basis. You will need to find ways to actually enjoy the daily routine of exercise, otherwise, in a few days, you will run out of motivation and stop exercising completely. Sadly, that’s how the cookie crumbles for a lot of people out there. So be sure that you keep that fact in mind.
The below list is a detailed and comprehensive list of all kinds of exercises across the board. And contrary to what most people think, anyone and everyone, in general, can do them. None of the listed exercises require a certain level of stamina or strength to do in any way. If the person concerned is determined enough and focused on a daily basis, they can surely make sure that the exercises are followed regularly. Having said that, here is the list of the five best daily exercises:-
Lunges:
Out of all the exercises, this one is probably the least challenging of the lot. Plus, it keeps your overall body balance in check which is an essential chunk of a well-rounded exercise regiment. Not only do lunges increase strength in your glutes and legs, but also make sure that functional movement is promoted.
With you standing straight and your arms by your side, put your right leg forward while making sure that your thigh is parallel to the ground and that both knees are bent. Once that is done, return to the starting position. You should ideally do three sets of ten reps in total.
Pushups
While this may not be the easiest exercise to do at first, it is certainly one of the most common ones out there. Enough studies have shown that it is the most basic, yet effective exercise when it comes to daily exercise. This is mainly because of the sheer number of muscles that are used while performing them.
While most people know how to do the exercise, the majority of people out there forget the importance of keeping their elbows as close to the body as possible during the exercise. Ideally, if one is doing it for the first time, start with about two sets of five reps each. It is important not to overstress yourself in this regard as a lot of people don’t find it as easy as it looks.
Squats
If you are looking for a simple and straightforward exercise that will particularly strengthen your core and lower body, this is the one. It also gives you an additional level of flexibility in the hips and lower back region. And if that wasn’t enough, they burn the most amount of calories simply because they engage some of the largest muscles as well.
Since everyone knows how to squat, the main aspect to remember is that your feet need to be slightly more wide apart than usual and your thighs need to be completely parallel to the ground. Once you master that, it is pretty much smooth sailing from that point onwards. Start with three sets of about five reps in the beginning.
Burpees
Now this exercise is one of the newer ones that a lot of people have taken to in the recent few years. Now quite a few people find this too tiring, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find another extremely effective whole-body exercise that takes care of both cardiovascular endurance and muscle strain at once.
It is basically a combination of initially doing a pushup followed by a jump in the air. Take it slowly by starting with three to four sets of five reps. You need to be careful not to overdo things with this exercise initially.
Side planks
Now this exercise takes care of a very integral and vital component of a healthy body – a strong core. Being a core-specific exercise, this involves lying half-down with your left side propped up and lifting your hips and knees off the ground. About three sets of five reps is the best deal for you.
It is important to keep in mind that while doing these exercises initially might seem like an impossible task to deal with, the twin aspects of patience and willpower will certainly take you a long way in making sure that you follow through them daily. Even if you are unable to start off with all the above exercises regularly, one can certainly do five of them for a start and then work your way up from there. Rather than trying to tackle more than you can handle, this will be a good way of ensuring that slow, but steady progress is made on the exercise front.
All in all, while it is indeed necessary to follow all of the above to ensure that you lead a functioning, healthy and fit life overall, one should not be afraid to mix things up every now and then in terms of the exercises. Plus, once you get used to the exercises, you will want to add an element of variety to your regime in order to make things a lot more interesting for you on the whole. This can be done either by adding more weight or number of reps. Both are preferable, but it is much better for you to see which of the options actually work for you and then take things forward. As previously mentioned, even the HIIT workout is ideal for those of you who would rather prioritise the time period of the exercise regime rather than the weight or number of reps.
Most importantly, one should not get carried away and start all the listed exercises on a war-footing, especially if your body is not that used to it eventually. In this regard, self-acceptance is key – recognising the fact that there are certain exercises that one can do and one cannot do. Just like the realisation that for some people, certain exercises will be easy while others will be difficult to do initially. Over-exercising by getting too carried away is a sure shot way for you to lose any motivation that you have within a few days. Plus, you may end up seriously injuring yourself as well, leading you to a one-way-ticket into a doctors clinic for several days on end. This is a vital point that you cannot afford to forget.