I often get asked what the best workout is to do when you are trying to add fitness back into your life again. My answer always is: “The one that you will consistently do.” Consistency matters more than perfection, but I will show you a single workout that I think is highly effective (if you do it). You have three options with the following workout:

1. Do the entire thing from top to bottom: This will require time to invest and maybe a challenge if you are just getting back into fitness.

2. Do just the beginning section of cardio: There is a 30-minute cardio option at the top of the workout below. You can do this all at once or break the 30 minutes into three 10-minute sessions spread throughout the day. For instance, do 10 minutes to start the workout, then walk ten minutes after each meal. This habit works well alone, and you can accumulate calories burned throughout each day of the week this way. At the end of the week, you will have a caloric deficit if you are also watching what you are eating. So if losing weight is one of your goals, this method works for people starting if done nearly daily.

3. Do just the resistance section: If you are short on time and want to work on building muscle and getting stronger, just do the full-body circuit of the workout below:

Total Body Workout with Cardio

Walk, bike or other cardio option for 30 minutes (warm-up or complete workout of the day).

Increase the intensity a little on the cardio in the circuit below:

Repeat three times.

• Cardio for five minutes at faster than leisurely pace
• Squat/biceps/military press 10
• Dips max
• Pulldowns or dumbbell rows 10
• Lunges 5/leg

Start with a higher-intensity, five-minute cardio, then in a nonstop circuit, do the following options:

Squat/biceps curl/military press 10 reps: These three exercises combined into a single movement. Picture bending at the knees to pick up something, bring it to your chest, then over your head. Squat with the dumbbells in your hand, with your arms straight by your sides. Then curl them to your shoulders. Then push the dumbbells into an extended arm overhead position. Repeat in reverse order to the starting position. This is a classic leg and upper-body mixed exercise.

Bench dips (max effort): Sit on a bench or chair. Place your hands outside of your hips on the edge of the bench. Lower yourself slowly until you bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and lift yourself back up to the starting/seated position. If you can do a normal dip, try parallel bars.

Pulldowns, pull-ups or dumbbell rows 10/arm: If you have access to a pulldown machine, do 10 pulldowns. Otherwise, try pull-ups or assisted pull-ups by using bands or a gravity assisted machine. If you cannot access such equipment, replace pull-ups with dumbbell rows for 10 per arm. Place your right hand and right knee on a bench. In your left arm, hold the weight. Relax with your arms straight, then bend the arms at the elbow, pulling the dumbbell up to your ribs. Repeat on the opposite side in the bent-over row position.

Lunges 5/leg: Step forward and bend both knees, going as deep as you can. If you need to hold onto something, that is fine, but if you can, build up to walking lunges without the balance aid.

Anytime you need to rest, take a few minutes to sip some water, stretch and prepare for the following circuit exercise. The goal is to do what you can, but see whether you can do this circuit in 30 minutes. This gives you five minutes for each cardio section and five minutes for the four-exercise circuit.

You can make physical activity look like anything you wish. You can walk, hop on a bike, do yard work or join a gym. The answer is finding time each day to do it consistently. Consistency wins when looking for the best workout.

If you are new to exercising, check out the Military.com Fitness Section for more ideas on fitness training and building new fitness habits. This workout is from Stew Smith’s latest program, The Ageless Athlete–Fitness Over 50, midway through the beginner section.

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