Last Updated on July 25, 2024
Ladies, whether you’re new to fitness or looking to enhance your current routine, basic exercises are your best friend. Basic exercises are fundamental movements that are essential for gaining strength, flexibility, metabolism boosting muscle, and improving health and appearance… aka they get the best results.
In this blog post, I’m diving into why basic exercises are important and the incredible benefits they offer. Plus, I’m sharing the 10 best basic exercisesthat’ll transform your figure and get you stronger and healthier better than other exercises.
The best part? Basic exercises get results without any impact, unnecessary stress on joints, or crazy complicated movements. They’re also known to boost feel good hormones, reduce inflammation, and make you look and feel great.
Why Basic Exercises Are Important
Building Blocks for Progress Basic exercises form the building blocks for more advanced movements. By mastering these, you’ll create a strong foundation, ensuring you’re ready to take on more challenging exercises safely and effectively. Think of them as the ABCs of fitness!
Efficient Calorie Burning Compound movements such as back rows and chest presses engage large muscle groups and multiple joints, leading to higher calorie burn. This makes basic exercises effective for weight management and fat loss, helping you feel confident and healthy.
Functional Strength for Everyday Life Basic exercises mimic everyday movements, helping you build the strength needed for daily tasks. Whether it’s carrying groceries, playing with your kids, or even gardening, you’ll find everything becomes a little easier with a strong, fit body.
Enhanced Endurance Including basic exercises in your routine can boost your cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Movements like squats, lunges, and deadlifts challenge your stamina, making it easier to keep up with your busy life.
Better Flexibility and Mobility Basic exercises often involve a wide range of motion, promoting flexibility and joint mobility. Movements like lunges and inner thigh lifts stretch and strengthen muscles, helping you stay limber and reducing the risk of stiffness and injury.
Improved Posture Exercises that target the back and core, like crunches and back rows, are essential for maintaining good posture. Strong back and core muscles support your spine, reducing the likelihood of back pain and helping you stand tall and confident.
Versatility and Accessibility Basic exercises require minimal equipment and can be performed anywhere, making them accessible to everyone. Whether you’re at home, in the gym, or on the go, you can easily fit these exercises into your routine.
Injury Prevention Performing basic exercises with proper form strengthens your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, reducing the risk of injury. A strong core and stable joints are your best defense against strains and sprains, both in and out of the gym.
10 Basic Exercises
Ready to embrace the power of basic exercises? Start incorporating these moves into your routine and watch as your strength, endurance, and overall health improve. Remember, consistency is key, and proper form is crucial for getting the most out of your workouts and staying injury-free. Let’s get moving, ladies, and build a foundation for a healthier, stronger you!
Bicep Curls
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a pair of dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing away from you. This is your start position. Exhale and curl your dumbbells up until your wrists are facing your shoulders. Inhale and slowly lower the weight back down to the start position to complete one rep.
Tricep Kickbacks
Stand holding dumbbells. Bend over slightly with your arms bent, with a neutral spine. This is your start position. Keeping your elbows in close to your body, extend both dumbbells back and up, until your arms are extended straight behind you. Hold for a count, then reverse the movement, lowering the dumbbells back down to the start position to complete one rep.
Overhead Press
Stand, holding your dumbbells, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart in line with your shoulders. Your arms should look like a wide “W.” This is your start position. Exhale and push the weights up until your arms are extended overhead. Inhale and lower the weights back down to your shoulders to complete one rep.
Chest Press
Lie down on a stability ball (or bench) with a dumbbell in each hand hovering above and close to your armpits. This is your start position. Exhale as you push the dumbbells up. Hold for a second and then inhale and slowly lower the weight back down to the start position to complete one rep.
Back Row
Stand with your knees slightly bent, holding dumbbells. Keeping your back flat, bend forward at your hips at a 45-degree angle. Bring your weights down in front of you with your wrists facing each other. This is your start position. Exhale and pull the weights up towards your chest, lifting your elbows up and back as far as you can. Reverse the movement and return to start position to complete one rep. Tip: Keep your elbows close to your body and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
Squat
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your arms down by your sides. Keep your back neutral. Don’t arch your back and stick your butt out. Lower your butt, back and down, as if sitting back into an invisible chair. Lower as far as you can. Your knees should not extend past your toes. Keep your chest upright as you move backward. Hold for a count, then push back up to the start position to complete one rep.
Lunge
Stand, holding a pair of dumbbells, in a split stance with one leg in front and the other behind you. This is your start position. Lower your body down until your front knee is at a 90-degree angle. Do not let your knee extend past your toes. Exhale and push back up into the start position to complete one rep.
Deadlifts
Stand holding dumbbells (or barbell). Your feet should be slightly narrower than shoulder width apart. This is your start position. Bend at the waist lowering your chest towards the floor, while keeping your back neutral. Keep your legs straight but not locked. Your butt will naturally go backwards. Don’t arch or round your back. Lower down as far as you can while keeping the weights in close to your legs. Exhale and lift your chest back up to the start position to complete one rep.
Inner Thigh Lifts
Lie on your side and straighten your bottom leg with your toe pointed. Cross your upper leg over the top and plant your foot flat on the floor. This is your start position. Lift your leg up off the floor as far as you can then lower back down to the start position to complete one rep. Quickly pulse your toe up and down, racking up reps until you feel the burn. Once you feel the burn do 5 more. Complete the same number of reps with both legs to complete your set.
Crunch
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands behind your head with elbows out to the side. This is your start position. Squeeze your abs and lift your head off of the ground about 6 inches. Exhale as you lower back down to the start position to complete one rep.
Basic exercises are a must-have in any fitness regimen. They lay the groundwork for advanced movements, enhance functional strength, prevent injuries, and offer numerous physical benefits. By consistently incorporating basic exercises into your workouts, you’ll build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient body. Start using these basic exercises today and experience the incredible benefits of these fundamental movements.
Remember, to Pin these basic exercises to Pinterest
How to do these Basic Exercises in a Workout
- Warm up with some cardio for 5-10 minutes.
- Do 15 reps of all 10 exercises.
- Do 2 full sets to complete this workout.
- Cool down with stretches when you’re done.
- It’s best to do this workout in conjunction with a full body training program. Take this Program Style Quiz to find the workout program that’s perfect for you and your goals.
These basic exercises only work, if you work them! So work it. The results are worth it.
Your Coach & Biggest Cheerleader,
LOVED this article Christina! ^_^ Makes me realise I was trying to lift too far up off the ground when doing crunches – putting unnecessary pressure on my neck. Thank you for the little video clips that show how to do the exercises properly, it’s so important! So grateful for your blog <3
Awww yay! Hi Claire 🙂 Yes, lifting the head too high can strain the back and neck unnecessarily. I’m so happy this helped you. Sending lots of love to you in Africa! xoxo