Goal: The aim of this workout is to build cardiovascular endurance with a steady-state
approach while simultaneously strengthening the lower body.
Daily Benefits: Regular cardiovascular training can improve heart health, increase stamina, and burn calories. Strengthening the lower body muscles, like the quads, hamstrings, and calves, is essential for daily movement and stability.
Warmup Exercises
- Marching in Place
- Instructions: Lift your knees alternately as high as comfortable, swinging your arms in coordination with your legs.
- Equipment used: None
- Duration: 3 minutes
- Muscles worked: Hip flexors, quads
- Standing Hip Circles
- Instructions: Stand with hands on hips, lift one knee to hip height and rotate the hip to make circles. Switch sides after 1 minute.
- Equipment used: None
- Duration: 2 minutes
- Muscles worked: Hip flexors, glutes
Stretching Exercises
- Arm and Shoulder Stretch
- Instructions: Extend your arm in front of you, use the opposite hand to pull it gently across your chest to stretch your shoulder.
- Toe Reach Stretch
- Instructions: While standing, hinge at the waist and reach towards your toes, keeping legs straight.
Main Exercises:
- Steady-State Jogging or Brisk Walking
- Instructions: Maintain a consistent pace that elevates your heart rate but allows you to carry a conversation.
- Equipment used: None or Treadmill
- Duration: 15-20 minutes
- Muscles worked: Cardiovascular system, lower body
- Bodyweight Squats
- Instructions: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, squat by bending hips and knees until thighs are parallel to the floor; return to start.
- Equipment used: None
- Duration: 3 sets of 15 reps
- Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes
- Alternating Lunges
- Instructions: Take a step forward and lower your body to drop the back knee towards the floor, keep the front thigh parallel to the floor; alternate legs.
- Equipment used: None
- Duration: 3 sets of 12 reps per leg
- Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes
Cool-Down:
- Slow Walking
- Instructions: Gradually slow your pace to lower your heart rate and start the recovery process.
Post-Workout Stretching Exercises
- Heel Drop Calf Stretch
- Instructions: Stand on the edge of a step with heels hanging off, lower them down to feel a stretch in the calf muscles.
- Seated Butterfly Stretch
- Instructions: Sit down, bring the soles of your feet together, and gently press your knees down with your elbows.
Consistently include this workout in your weekly routine for improved endurance and muscle tone. Add resistance using dumbbells or resistance bands for squats and lunges as you progress. Document your sessions in a workout planner and optimize overall well-being with a weekly meal plan subscription, aligning your fitness and nutritional efforts for maximum results.
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