If you’ve made up your mind to stay active and have decided to start a workout routine in the comfort of your home, then you deserve applause to have taken the first step to achieving a healthy body and mind. However, once you’re determined to start exercising, that’s where things can get a little overwhelming and it’s actually a feat to know where to begin.

There are multiple exercise options if you want to make movement a regular part of your day, but if you are unsure about how to start working out, it can be easy to give up when things don’t go as planned.

Fitness trainer, marathon runner and owner of Bodyskulpt health studio, Sehr Beg shares a few exercises for those who want to start working out but have no clue where to begin. Here’s what you need to know how you can begin an enjoyable and challenging exercise routine.

Basic movements

According to Sehr, the key is to start with basic, warm up movements. “It’s very important to prime your body for the best workout possible,” she says. Warming up helps prevent injury and gets the blood flowing. You can start by warming up your shoulders and chest by doing overhead arm circles as well as toning your arms and legs with jumping jacks and cross jacks. You can also incorporate some butt kickers and jogging leg lifts in your warm up routine, which can help get your heart pumping and improve circulation throughout the body.

Push-ups

“Push-ups are beneficial for building upper body strength; they not only work the triceps and pectoral muscles but are also good for the shoulders,” shares the fitness trainer. Push-ups are a fast and effective exercise for building strength and you will likely notice gains in upper body strength if you do push-ups regularly.

Squats

The squat, also known as a bodyweight squat, is the most basic type of squat that uses just your body weight for resistance. The squat is a lower body exercise that strengthens your legs and improves your lower body mobility. “It mainly targets the thighs (quadriceps and hamstrings) and the glutes,” informs Sehr. Start with three sets of 10 squats, and then add more reps (12, 15) as you get used to the motion. Focus on your form, and then worry about progressing.

Lunges

The fitness trainer further went on to say that lunges are a single-leg bodyweight movement that are simple yet highly effective and can be done literally anywhere. The classic forward lunge is great for multi-joint movement. It helps sculpt your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calf muscles, while your abs and lower back are called into action for stability.

Running on the spot

Jogging or running in place is a better choice if you are stuck at home and want to do something to get your heart rate up. The best part is that this exercise saves you time, and you don’t have to worry about the weather outside. “Running on the spot is a lower body conditioning exercise that is suitable for all fitness levels. It allows you to burn calories and get some good cardiovascular conditioning in,” says Sehr.

Mountain climbers

It’s time to get your cardio in and make your abs stronger with the mountain climber. TMC is a classic abdomen exercise that will strengthen your core as you simultaneously work on your cardio and muscular endurance. Starting in a traditional plank, you’ll alternate bringing one knee to your chest, then back out again, speeding up each time until you’re ‘running’ against the floor.

Plank

“Working the abs, arms, and back all at once, the plank targets and tones the entire body,” explains Sehr. With a solid plank, you will be working your abs, shoulders, triceps, as well as the glutes and quads. Hold as long as you can. Aim for 20 to 30 seconds in the beginning and work your way up to one minute as you get stronger.

Stretching and  cooling down

“Don’t forget to stretch after you’re done with your workout,” stresses Sehr Beg on a parting note, adding that it is equally important to cool down in order to gradually relax, improve flexibility and slow down your heart rate, bringing it back to normal. Include stretches such as the buttock stretch, hamstring stretch, tip-over tuck and butterfly, and hold each pose for 10 to 15 seconds.