30 minute exercise routine (easy level)

30 Minute Exercise Routine (easy)

Some muscle soreness is normal to experience a day or two after working your muscles harder than you might be used to during everyday activities. It's a sign that you challenged yourself enough. Drinking plenty of water and moving often can lessen this discomfort. If you have pain, or soreness that does not go away after a few days, contact your doctor or physical therapist.

Before you begin any level of strength or resistance exercises, follow these tips for best results:

  • Warm up for a few minutes first so your muscles stretch more easily (walk briskly, march in place, or do another physical activity).

  • Keep good form and posture to avoid injury. If you find yourself losing your form, use less weight, or don’t move as fast or as far when doing that exercise.

  • Breath throughout each exercise — never hold your breath.

Strengthening exercises have two phases: Phase 1 is the movement from your starting position to the end position, and phase 2 is moving from the end position back to your starting position. Slow and controlled movements and keeping good form during both phases of each exercise will reduce the risk for injury and give you better results.

  • During phase 1: Use a count of 1-2 to complete the motion. Counting out loud will help you to breathe through the exercises.

  • During phase 2: Use a count of 1, 2, 3, 4 to return to your starting position. Count out loud to keep from holding your breath. It should take you longer to return to your starting positions (phase 2), than it does to complete phase 1 of each exercise.

Level 1: Easy Strengthening Exercises


Easy Bridge Exercise for Hip Extensors

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor, and your hands palm down at your side (Photo A).

  2. Press into the floor from your hips through your feet and lift your buttocks. Count out loud 1-2 to get to this bridge position (Photo B).

  3. Hold this position for five seconds, then while counting 1-2-3-4, return to the starting position. It should take you longer to return to your starting position than to get to your bridge position. Control is important.

  4. Repeat as many times as you feel matches your fitness level.


Note: To make this exercise more challenging, bend your elbows, or reach to the ceiling while going through the motions

Easy Hip Abductor Exercises


Standing abductor exercise

  1. Stand upright facing a counter or a sturdy piece of furniture for balance or stability, if you need it (Photo A).

  2. Keeping an upright posture, lift your leg up and out to the side (counting 1-2). DO NOT lean. Let your leg to do the work.

  3. Hold this position (Photo B) for 15 seconds, then lower your leg to the starting position. Repeat as many times as you feel matches your fitness level.

  4. Repeat on the other side.

Wall abductor exercise

  1. Stand upright with good posture with your shoulder touching a wall, and bend your knee closest to the wall (Photo C).

  2. Push your bent knee toward or into the wall without letting your body move.

  3. You should feel the muscles of both hips work. The muscles of one hip will work to push you against the wall, and the muscles of the other work to keep you in an upright position.

  4. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Repeat as many times as you feel matches your fitness level.

  5. Repeat on the other side.


Easy Sit-to-Stand Exercise for Quad Strength

  1. Sit on the front half of a stable, heavy chair that will not tip over backward (Photo A) or put the back of a lighter chair against a wall.

  2. Stand up using a 1-2 count (Photos B and C).

  3. Slowly lower yourself back down into a sitting position using a 1-2-3-4 count. It should take you longer to return to your seated position. Controlled movement is important. DO NOT plop down onto the seat. Repeat as many times as you feel matches your fitness level.

Tip: Work this exercise into your day. Every time you sit down to eat or watch TV or stand up from a chair to do something throughout the day, stop and complete this exercise three to five times before moving on.



Easy Heel Raise Exercise for Calf Strength

  1. Stand facing a counter with your feet flat on the floor. Use the counter to help with balance and stability, if needed.

  2. Slowly rise up onto your toes, counting 1-2 (Photo B).

  3. Return to your starting position even more slowly, counting 1-2-3-4 out loud. Control is important. Repeat as many times as you feel matches your fitness level.







Easy Pelvic Tilts for Abdominal Strength

  1. Lie on your back with your legs straight out in front of you.

  2. Pull your navel inward and down toward your spine, and flatten or press your lower back against the floor.

  3. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Repeat as many times as you feel matches your fitness level.

To make this exercise more challenging:

  1. Lie on your back with your legs straight out in front of you.

  2. Pull your navel inward and down toward your spine, and flatten or press your lower back against the floor.

  3. While holding this position, your lower back flattened to the floor and your navel pulled inward, lift one leg 4 to 5 inches off the floor. Do not allow your back to arch.

  4. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Repeat as many times as you feel matches your fitness level.

  5. Repeat with the other leg.

Easy Wall-Facing Chest Press

  1. Stand a little more than an arm's length from the wall and place your hands against the wall (Photo A).

  2. Slowly bend your elbows and allow your body to move toward the wall on the count of 1-2 (Photo B). Keep your body in straight alignment.

  3. Return to your starting position by slowly pushing away from the wall on a 1-2-3-4 count.

  4. Repeat as many times as you feel matches your fitness level.


Easy Shoulder Strength Exercise for Rotator Cuff and Scapula


Note: This exercise requires an elastic exercise band (in online stores), or you can use a bungee cord.

  1. Stand with good upright posture. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees with your hands in front of you, shoulder width apart, holding on to a rubber exercise band with each hand (Photo A).

  2. Keeping your elbows tucked at your side, rotate one arm out to the count of 1-2 (Photo B). Slowly return to the starting position with a count of 1-2-3-4. Control is important.

  3. Repeat as many times as you feel matches your fitness level.

  4. Repeat with your other arm.


Easy Biceps Curl with Overhead Press


Note: This exercise requires the use of small hand weights (1 to 5 pounds) or other objects that you can easily grasp with your hands and lift overhead. If you do not have weights, 16- or 20-ounce water bottles, canned goods, or quart-sized milk or juice containers will work.

  1. Stand upright with good posture, holding your weights in each hand with your arms at your sides (Photo A).

  2. Slowly bend your elbows and curl your weights up to a 1-2 count until your elbows are at 90 degrees (Photo B).

  3. Then, slowly press your weights overhead to a 1-2 count (Photo C).

  4. Slowly return to your starting position using a count of 1-2-3-4. Control is important.

  5. Repeat as many times as you feel matches your fitness level.