10 Exercises to Try if You're an Exercise Newbie | Win a Workout

Confidence can be one of the biggest things holding you back when you first begin to exercise & that's completely understandable - you're in a new surrounding & are unsure of what to do. Well guess what, we've all been there! But now we are happy & confident in what we do & that will become you too. One of the best ways to find that confidence is to find a form of exercise that you enjoy! Don't feel pressured to exercise in a specific way because that is the 'only' way - that's rubbish. The more you enjoy exercise, the more you will want to continue with it & you'll start seeing results, inside & out.

I want to encourage you all to start enjoying exercise & building your confidence through fitness, but I can understand how daunting it can be to start. So I've come up with a list to help you find the exercise that is right for you. Don't know where to begin? Grab a friend to tag along with you. Get in contact with a trainer at the gym, to help motivate you & ease you're nerves. Or perhaps even build your strength & confidence from the comfort of your own home at first. Take a look at my list bellow to inspire your starting point - I'm confident you'll find at least one that's for you!

10 Exercises to Try if You're A Newbie

1. Home Workout  Vastly underrated - this can be as challenging as you want. After all Insanity workout started as a home workout! And how many of us completed that... With the likes of YouTube, we can access thousands of different home workouts all for free & whenever suits us best. Just be sure to give it your all, as unlike working out with others, you'll have no one but yourself telling you to work for it. This is how I got so into exercise - I built my confidence, endurance & strength up all from the comfort of my bedroom. I personally recommend Popsugar's workout videos - they have everything from body weight training, interval training, Pilates & yoga videos.

2. Yoga  There are so many classes available - just ask your gym for advice on which to start with. Yoga can be both intense & relaxing, a great workout & a fantastic stretch. And even the best of us fall over from time to time! Once you get into the basics, there are so many types to explore - there's hot yoga, dance yoga, boxing yoga & even yoga for men, called Broga.

3. Boxing  Don't worry, I'm not suggesting you get in the ring! But if you're more of a fan of an adrenaline fuelled exercise, try one inspire by boxing. Most gyms do Boxercise classes, which aims to teach boxing techniques, whilst combining them with traditional body weight exercises. These classes are so much fun, that you don't even realise how hard you're working! Some gyms also offer more intense boxing HIIT classes & boxing yoga (as mentioned before). And then of course, you could try your hand in the ring!

4. Callanetics  A perfect way to ease into exercise, as it is a low impact workout. What do I mean by that? Unlike running or weight training, you are not putting your body & it's joints under as much stress, as the movements are much softer. These workouts aim to activate the deepest muscles in the body, through a series of gentle movements, to improve posture & tighten your deepest muscles. This is a great workout to start with if you're range of movement is limited or want to start off gently. I would personally recommend the new DVD Callanetics Countdown 30 days as a good place to start. Want to win a copy? Scroll down for more information!

5. Tabata  I love to do these workouts if I'm travelling, am short on time or want a full body workout. Tabata is a form of interval training, that typically takes the structure of 20 seconds all-out work followed by 10 seconds rest & then its onto the next exercise; each round usually lasts for 4 minutes & repeated 4 times - short, but powerful workouts. Each exercise aims to engage as many muscle groups as possible, whilst keeping the heart rate high, to ensure a very productive workout. You can find tones of tabata workouts online or ask your gym to write one up for you.

6. Boot Camps  If you need someone to push you further than you'd push yourself, but enjoy working out with others, this is perfect. There are so many variations of boot camp style classes that you are bound to find one you enjoy. These classes are designed to improve your overall fitness - your strength, stamina & cardio all at one - whilst continuously challenging your limits, no matter your fitness level.

7. Dance  We've all heard of aerobics, zumba & body pump classes, but the class that intrigues me the most this year is barre themed classes. I love the idea of channelling my inner ballerina - the grace, the posture & the movements. These classes focus strongly on body weight exercises & improving flexibility. But if barre isn't for you, there are many other forms of fitness dance classes to explore too & they're a fantastic way to express yourself whilst keeping fit!

8. Cross Fit  This has become HUGE in the last year! I have yet to try it, but am keen to do so. Cross fit incorporates elements from high intensity training, weight training, gymnastics, plyometrics & many other forms of exercise to create a strength & conditioning program that will truly challenge you. 

9. Swimming  Thought of as one of the best forms of exercise, swimming activates the whole body, whilst putting the least stress on our joints. Another low impact activity. If you already enjoy a casual swim, try challenging yourself to a number of laps, then increase that as you improve or try to beat your best time. This is a great sport also if you like a bit of thinking time or like to escape from a stressful day, as it can be very peaceful.

10. Trampolining  It's time to act like a kid again! Whether it's visiting a trampoline centre for an hours jumping or going to specifically tailored trampolining classes, this form of exercise is for someone who wants to have a laugh whilst working out. So give it a go!

Want to get your hands on a copy of the new Callanetics Countdown 30 days DVD to give it a try?! Just follow me via Facebook & leave a comment bellow to be in with a chance of winning!
I hope this list has helped inspire some of you to try something new! And if is anything that I have left off, I'd love to hear what else you guys get up to, so comment bellow.