The health benefits of regular exercise are clear.
Extensive research has shown that physical activity—as little as 10 minutes a day—helps you lose weight and greatly reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases. Exercise has also been shown to improve mood and boost energy. Needless to say, exercising is incredibly important to keep your body healthy.
But there are numerous challenges that prevent many from engaging in regular exercise: Expensive gym memberships and lack of time to name a few. Even getting started is fraught with confusion. Fortunately, you don’t need fancy equipment or an expensive gym membership to reap the benefits of exercising. All you need is you… and an understanding of your body’s make-up. “Research has found that by having your DNA tested, you can identify which exercise or exercises are best for you and have a better understanding of the frequency, duration, and intensity for your workout. This research translates into what is the most efficacious physical activities are most efficacious for an individual” states Victor Castellon, CEO of DNA-based weightloss company GenoVive.
Here we provide explanations of three simple full-body workouts you can get started on without any equipment.
- Swimming
Swimming is an excellent workout for the entire body that increases muscle strength and conditions the cardiovascular system. Other exercises tend to only focus on a specific part of the body. But swimming uses all the muscles and is a great way to tone down.
Swimming also has a relatively low risk of injury as it doesn’t stress your joints or bones. This makes it suitable for all ages and athletic backgrounds.
The best part is that swimming can be easily learned with practice and instruction. Chances are your local pool offers classes you can get started with. All you need is as good pair of goggles and a swimsuit, both of which you can find at a sporting goods store.
- Yoga
Yoga provides a number of benefits for the whole body by increasing strength and improving flexibility. There are no shortages of local yoga studios but many exercises can easily be done in your own home.
Here are a few to help you get started:
- Mountain pose: Stand with your feet together and your arms at your side. Take a deep breath and slowly bring your hands together above your head.
- Downward dog: Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees tucked in. Then slowly bring your body upwards into an inverted V. Hold for several breaths before starting again.
- Warrior: Stand with your legs apart then point your right foot out 90 degrees. Then extend your arms out so they point in the same direction as your legs. Switch sides and repeat the process.
These are only a few poses but there are literally thousands that offer work out every area of the body. What makes yoga so appealing is that you can easily fit it in your schedule. All you need is a simple mat to get started.
- Walking
One of the simplest and most effective exercises is walking.
Research points to the significant health benefits it has on the body. Walking briskly for 20 minutes a day prolongs life and reduces premature risk of death by a third. The reason why is because this cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart and lungs.
Just like swimming, walking is also low impact so the risk of injury is low. All you need is a good pair of shoes and some workout clothes. Experts recommend exercising for 30 minutes daily but even a 20 minute walk provides long term health benefits.
Conclusion
These exercises are good for overall health, however they don’t impact each person the same way. In other words, swimming will be more effective for some than for others. This is because a person’s genetics impact the effectiveness of a particular exercise. By understanding your individual DNA, “you can identify which exercise or exercises are best” for your body, says Tavis Piattoly, MS, RD, LDN of GenoVive.
You don’t need to spend money on an expensive gym membership or have all the latest fitness equipment. These three exercises are great full-body workouts that anyone can get started with. Do them at home or find a local community for weekly meetups.
