At-home Workout Plans For Women

Whether you're trying to lose weight, boost your mood or energy, or improve your fitness, regular exercise can help you to meet your goals. At-home workout plans for women provide several advantages such as cost-effectiveness and convenience. However, so you don't take your workouts for granted and start missing them, schedule them in your diary or planner as you would any other important appointment.

Walking

Women reap several benefits from walking such as a lower risk of chronic diseases, better all-around health at age 70 and beyond, and increased longevity, according to a study published in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" in January 2010. It's also one of the easiest and most accessible exercises you can do at various levels of fitness. Start with just 10 or 15 minutes daily and gradually work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes daily over the course of a few weeks.

Strength Training

You don't need to join a gym to use fancy weight-lifting equipment. A pair of dumbbells, resistance bands and your own body weight can help you to build and tone your muscles in the comfort of your home. Women are born with less muscle mass than men. As you get older you naturally lose muscle, especially if you're not used to exercising. Loss of muscle mass decreases your metabolism and increases your risk of gaining weight. To preserve muscle and stay toned, do two sets of eight to 12 strength-training exercises at least twice a week.

Circuit Training

This workout is particularly beneficial if you've hit a weight-loss plateau or if, like many women, you're caught in the time crunch. During circuit training you alternate anaerobic exercise with aerobic exercise. For instance, start by performing one or two sets of eight to 12 repetitions of a weight-training exercise, such as lunges, and follow it with three to five minutes of cardio activity such as brisk walking or running. Repeat the cycle focusing on different muscle groups during the anaerobic part of your workout until your exercise session is up.

Precautions

If you haven't exercised in a while, or you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before beginning a fitness routine. When you begin to exercise, start slowly and increase your pace and the duration of your workouts gradually. Wear a heart rate monitor to make sure you stay within your target heart range, which is 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, according to the American Heart Association. To calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.