When Emma Cannon, a health expert, talks about wellbeing, she often reminds women that exercise and diet are the building blocks of a strong body and clear mind. Instead of following generic information, I found that understanding your body’s function, ability, and goal helps create an integrated approach. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced, start with a plan that feels achievable—a foundation for long-term health and confidence.
At first, I was intimidated by the gym, but starting small at home in the evening with low-impact walking, bodyweight moves, and resistance training helped me stay motivated. As my strength, endurance, and fitness improved, I added weights, interval sessions, and tracked my progress using a fitness app. The truth is, every woman’s journey is unique—avoiding injury and burnout means adjusting the intensity, amount, and duration gradually. This female-focused approach turns a male-dominant space into a beneficial, empowering lifestyle—helping you stay fit, feel in shape, and celebrate your milestones each day.
How to start exercising
When I first started exercising, Emma Cannon and Tim Weeks, both fitness experts, inspired me to stay mindful, focused, and present in every moment. Their research showed that during a 12-week trial, women who practiced mindfulness while exercising saw a 53 per cent increase in muscle strength and a 35 per cent improvement in mental focus. I learned to imagine every move, even a finger lift, to stay mentally engaged and open to new possibilities.
Keeping good posture supports energy flow through the body, from the base of the skull to the pelvis and area behind the heart. This alignment allows a free flow of Qi, helping internal organs function better. I always breathe deeply to stay relaxed, enjoy the exercise, and reduce tension, which keeps me happy and protects my heart from disease.
Before each workout, I do a cardio routine like running, jumping rope, and stretching to warm up. This helps tone and balance my body, improving posture, reducing pain, and making me feel taller and leaner. For flat abs, I focus on core exercises—plank, ab builder, and the 7-day plank challenge by Anthony Mayatt—which strengthen deep core muscles and enhance core muscle strength.
When doing the plank, I align my whole body like a long pole—from heels to the crown of head—keeping my abs tight and my hips level. The key is good form and quality, even if it means doing it on your knees at first. Standing upright, I pull my abs in and up, engage glutes, lift my chest, and keep my spine straight to maintain balance and a tummy flat look.
Strong gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and quadriceps prevent pain and injury during rigorous workouts. I often walk, run, squat, or sit mindfully to avoid repetitive strain injuries in the lower back, hips, knees, and foot. For better activation, I have a pre-workout snack or protein shake about 30–45 minutes before exercise.
To strengthen glutes, I lie face down, place hands under forehead, and perform glute squeezes with a slight sideways slide for three seconds before release. Another favorite is the bridge position—lie flat on back, knees bent, hands by sides, palms to ceiling, clench glutes, lift hips, and alternate lifting legs for several repetitions and sets daily. This boosts activation, improves balance, and tones the core beautifully.
Full body workout for women
As women, we often aim to tone our bums, bellies, and those tricky bingo wings. According to Ben Pratt, Research and Development Manager at Premier Training International, a balanced circuit workout done two to three sets a week can make a real difference. From my own fitness journey, I learned that mixing strength moves with a clean diet helps target problem areas while keeping energy high.
To strengthen legs and bums, try the wall angel. Start by lying with your back flat against a wall, soles of your feet and knees at a 90-degree angle. Keep your upper leg and knee outwards, holding the position for 6–8 seconds, then lower and repeat—your back remains on the wall throughout. For bellies, the plank works wonders—lie facing down, lift your body from the ground, supported on elbows and toes, keeping hips and back in alignment, shoulders retracted throughout. Hold 20–60 seconds, breathing steadily. Finally, a dumbbell arm workout builds strength—stand in split stance, dumbbell in hand, bend forward, drive the arm backwards, then extend and accelerate upwards overhead, keeping a controlled elbow bend as you decelerate the dumbbell back to the start position and repeat.
Beginner Workout Plan for Women
When I start to train, I remind myself that consistency matters more than intensity in the beginning. Working out 6 days a week may sound tough, but alternating between aerobic activities like 10 minutes brisk walking or running on a treadmill and strength training keeps me strong and improves cardiovascular health. Always rest properly between workout days — your body builds muscle when you rest, not when you skip it.
A good beginner routine includes 3 sets of 8 reps squats to engage your quads, glutes, and core, followed by a bench press (2 sets of 10–12) that targets chest, shoulders, and triceps. Add bent-over rows (12 per arm) to strengthen your back and biceps, and a shoulder press (10 reps) that works the upper body. Finish with abdominal crunches for 30–45 seconds to enhance stability and strength. My tip—always start light weights, master your form first, and increase weight later.
I always pack my gym bag checklist: a water bottle, towel, comfortable workout clothes, good shoes or training runners, hair ties, and deodorant. Workout apps can help track your routine and remind you of rest days. On lower-body days, I love lunges (12 per leg), leg press machine (12 reps) for quads, glutes, hamstrings, and russian twists (15 per side) that engage obliques and core. With close grip shoulder press machine (12 reps) and dip triceps machine (10–12), you’ll specifically target triceps and isolate shoulders—the best way to build confidence and strength at any stage.
