A woman's decision to begin an exercise program is an important one. You have decided to commit a portion of every day to working out. This means no excuses, no rescheduling and no breaking these appointments with yourself. A beginner's workout program requires less than one hour, with most days of the week requiring 30 minutes of your time. You are worth it and the sooner you begin, the sooner you will feel the health improvements.
Cardiovascular
Your cardiovascular health depends on how well your heart, lungs, arteries and veins are working. You can improve your circulatory system's health through exercises that increase your heart rate, breathing rate and blood flow. These cardiovascular exercises include walking, running, swimming, cycling, rowing and dancing. The American Council on Exercise recommends walking for 15 minutes three or four times a week during your first two weeks of exercise. During weeks three and four, aim to walk for 20 minutes three or four times a week.
Strength
You can improve your overall strength and the tone of your muscular system through strength-training exercises. Strength training uses resistance in the form of weights, or your body weight, upon which your muscles move against. ACE recommends including one set of strength-training exercises for your lower body, upper body and core during your first week of exercise. A lower body exercise such as a squat in which you stand tall and then bend your knees to lower your hips can be repeated 15 times using solely the weight of your body. An upper body exercise such as an inchworm can be performed 10 times. An inchworm begins with your hands by your feet, and then you walk your hands away from your feet into an upper pushup position. Perform the pushup and then walk your hands back to your feet. A plank, held for 10 seconds, will strengthen your core. To perform a plank, lie face down with your forearms on the floor and your elbows underneath your shoulders. Lift your hips off the floor so only your forearms and toes remain in contact with the ground.
Flexibility
ACE recommends including stretching exercises into your workout routine. You can stretch your spine by beginning on your hands and knees. To perform a cat/cow stretch, flex your spine and look forward and then round your spine and look toward your feet. A supine stretch will increase flexibility in your hips and glutes. To perform this stretch, lie on your back with both legs straight. Bend one knee and hold the back of that knee to bring your leg into your chest. Stretches can be held for 20 to 30 seconds and repeated up to three times.
Workout
If you are feeling energetic, you can perform cardiovascular exercise every day of the week. The American Heart Associations suggests starting at an exercise intensity level of 50 percent of your maximum heart rate. Your MHR is calculated by subtracting your age from 220. To determine your beginning target heart rate, multiply your result by .5. As you exercise, find your pulse on the side of your neck, or the thumb underside of your wrist. Count the beats for 10 seconds and then multiply that number by six. Your result should be near to your target heart rate.
The strength-training exercises should be performed three days a week with a day of rest in between workouts. You can complete flexibility exercises daily after your muscles are warm from your cardiovascular exercise.
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