Start Fresh Every Day with These 15 Energizing Exercises
Most people begin the day with coffee. Others start their day by caring for their pets, feeding them, letting them out, etc. For others, it’s a struggle, which is normal. We've all experienced such days.
Other than chugging down a cup of coffee, you can start your day by working out. The exercises can be low-impact, quick, and easy, and you can do them as soon as you roll out of bed.
Here are some easy exercises that you can do to start your day right. These exercises can give you loads of endorphins and happy hormones, boosting your mood ahead of your day.
1. Walking
Walking first thing in the morning is the easiest way to move your body. Walking outside is especially visually and mentally stimulating. As an easy exercise, walking can be great for recovery and rest days.
Mix walking into your workout routine to ensure you stay active instead of skipping and avoiding workouts. A 30 to 60-minute stroll around your neighborhood is enough to get the good hormones pumping and start your day right.
2. Squats
If you’re looking for an exercise that targets your glutes, hamstrings, and quads, squats are your go-to exercise. Go as low as you can without feeling unbearable discomfort or pain when doing squats. Since your body and muscles will need some time to recover, you can alternate doing squats with other forms of exercise.
An article on Healthline states how including squats in your workout routine will help power you through your day. “Adding squats to your workouts can help boost your exercise performance, decrease your risk of injury, and keep you moving more easily throughout the day.”
3. Jumping Rope
Jumping rope is an excellent exercise to start your day on the right foot. And you can do it in the comfort of your home. As a beginner, jumping slower and steadily is advisable since over-exertion might cause issues with your knees or cause other jump rope injuries.
Stop and take short rests when you feel tired or start losing your breath. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at it. With time, your endurance will increase, and you’ll be able to skip faster and longer.
4. Push-Ups
Pushups can help you work on your chest, shoulders, and triceps muscles. As a newbie, you might struggle with pushups, but you can modify them to fit your body’s capabilities. Take it easy. Start with modified pushups with the support of your knees, then move to the toes as your body gets used to them.
Listen to your body and the signals it sends. When you start feeling pain or discomfort, take breaks.
5. Jumping Jacks
With every set of jumping jacks you do, you’ll feel more energized to accomplish the rest of the tasks in your day. They give your heart a good workout and are quick and easy. They can also help you build a workout habit that can be part of your daily schedule.
The good thing is that you can do as many as you want to. As you build endurance, you can get your heart pumping and obtain those endorphins.
6. Pull-Ups
Pull-ups target your back and biceps. To get started, you can get a pull-up bar that you can hang on one of your doorways and assistance bands. Perform modified versions of the actual movements, and over time, your grip and core strength will increase, allowing you to pull yourself up with little effort. You can also do assisted pull-ups as well.
7. Sit-Ups
To help balance the muscle groups, you should find exercises that alternate between your lower and upper body. Sit-ups are a good core and upper body workout. Simplify the exercise by anchoring your feet under something. Once your feet are secured, you can sit up halfway and then gradually move to doing complete sit-ups.
8. Step-Ups
Step-ups can improve your stability and mobility. You can do them on stairs or using a kitchen or dining chair at home. If you use a step-up box or platform, you don’t want it too high; go for something that matches your knee height or lower.
You can use weights, such as dumbbells or barbells, to increase resistance and target your leg muscles during the routine.
9. Crunches
Crunches are an alternative core workout if you don’t want to do sit-ups or have back pain.
As a beginner, avoid applying too much tension to your lower back by positioning yourself correctly. Your lower back should be in direct contact with the floor to prevent injury during the movement.
10. Planks
Planks help strengthen your core muscles and can improve your physical health. For a plank to be more effective, hold it for as long as possible. Once you can hold a plank for a minute or longer, you can move on to other variations of planks.
You can add weights to make the planks more challenging as your skills improve and strength increases.
11. Lunges
Lunges are great for leg training. Your quads, glutes, and hamstrings will feel most of the impact from this exercise. The good thing is that you don’t need a lot of space; you can do some next to your bed as soon as you wake up.
As with most exercises, start slowly and transition steadily. You don’t want to over-train and cause injuries to your body. Rest when it gets painfully uncomfortable.
12. Swimming
Swimming provides an alternative form of enjoyable cardio. It’s great for those days when you want a less intense workout. It improves your flexibility, core strength, and arm and leg strength. A 20- to 30-minute swim can improve your endurance while boosting your mood. Other benefits include burning calories, allowing you to socialize, and helping with mental well-being.
13. Dancing
Exercise can be fun and pleasurable, and dancing in the morning is one way to do it. Dancing can be diverse; you can do different routines and likely won't get bored.
As simple as dancing sounds, it can brighten your morning and energize you throughout the day. Additionally, dancing incorporates cardio, flexibility, and strength training into one workout, helping you reap physical benefits.
14. Yoga
Yoga can be an excellent exercise if you wake up stiff and tired. It can strengthen your core and back while improving your flexibility. Different forms of yoga exist, so you can choose what works for you based on your flexibility and endurance levels.
As you stretch, your muscles loosen, helping you start your day in a relaxed mode. Yoga is great for recovering from soreness from high-impact exercises or during low-energy seasons.
15. Burpees
The standard burpee has several variations, and you can tailor it to your needs. Whatever your variation, burpees can still provide a great cardio workout.
The best thing about burpees is that they combine different exercises. To get the most out of your burpees, use a mat to help ease discomfort and reduce impact with the bare floor. Additionally, do them in sets to build strength and rest between sets to help recover afterward.