10 Best Daily Exercises

Do you ever wonder if the exercises you are doing during your workout are the best overall exercises for your body? Have you ever wondered what are the best overall exercises to do daily?

Your trainer wouldn’t do anything to hurt you but maybe you want to work harder in one area, or maybe you are feeling less confident in one area of your body. How can you make sure that the baseline of daily exercises is being met for your overall fitness, and how can you and your trainer build upon that baseline?

The 10 most beneficial daily exercises:

Lunges, Pushups, Squats, Dumbbell presses, Dumbbell rows, Deadlifts, Burpees, Side planks, Planks, and Glute Bridges.

According to writer and ACE-certified personal trainer, Nicole Davis for www.healthline.com, “After 30 days of daily exercise performing these 10 moves, you should see improvements in your muscular strength, endurance and balance.” Healthline encourages fitness for 30 minutes 5 days per week. Try to be consistently reaching for 10-20 reps (repetitions) of each of the following exercises, on each leg and/or arm if called for, in 3 sets.

How do each of these exercises benefit our bodies?

“Daily exercise is one of the keys to excellent health.”

Lunges: Lunges challenge your balance. This exercise is an essential fitness exercise for a well-rounded routine. Lunges increase strength in your legs and glutes. As we age, balance becomes a big issue. Balance exercises improve coordination and strength, enhance stability and mobility, joint stability, and injury prevention.

“To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise.”

Pushups: This can be done in the modified version, knees on the ground stretched to the back of you, feet up in the air, pushing up from the shoulder blades with strength coming from the arms. The standard version is feet stretched out behind you, toes on the ground, bending your elbows from your arms trying not to let your knees touch the ground. This strengthens your shoulders, arms, triceps and biceps.

“Good things come to those who sweat.”

Squats: Squats increase lower body and core strength as well as flexibility in your lower back and hips. Bonus: Squats are a major calorie burner. Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart, arms at your side. Buttocks tucked in, stomach pulled in tight, chest and chin up. Bend at your knees, buttocks out behind you like you are sitting in a chair, making sure that your knees do not go past the front of your toes.

Overhead Dumbbell Press: This exercise is considered a compound exercise because it uses multiple joints and muscles. This is an excellent exercise for shoulders, upper back and core.

Pick a set of dumbbells (a weight you are comfortable pressing overhead), water bottles, or soup cans and start by standing, either with your feet shoulder-width apart or staggered. Move the weights overhead so your upper arms are parallel to the floor.

Bracing your core, begin to push up until your arms are fully extended above your head. Keep your head and neck stationary.

After a brief pause, bend your elbows and lower the weight back down until your triceps muscle is parallel to the floor again.

“The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen.”

Dumbbell Rows: Another compound exercise that strengthens muscles in the arms, upper back and core.

Start with a dumbbell in each hand.

Bend forward at the waist, so your back is at a 45-degree angle to the ground. Be certain not to arch your back. Let your arms hang straight down. Ensure your neck is in line with your back and your core is engaged.

Starting with your right arm, bend your elbow and pull the weight straight up toward your chest, making sure to engage your lat (latissimus dorsi muscle- largest muscle in the back located below the shoulder blades) muscles and stop just below your chest. You can also do this exercise with both arms engaged at the same time.

Single Leg Deadlifts: This exercise helps with balance. This exercise requires stability and leg strength by working hamstrings and glutes.

Begin standing with a dumbbell in one or both hands, and your knees slightly bent.

Hinging at the hips, begin to kick your left leg straight back behind you, lowering the dumbbell down toward the ground.

When you reach a comfortable height with your left leg, slowly return to the starting position in a controlled motion, squeezing your right glute. Ensure that your pelvis stays square to the ground during the movement.

Burpees: The most hated exercise by far, Burpees are a whole- body exercise that increases cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength. According to www.health.clevelandclinic.org, the proper way to perform a burpee exercise is:

1. Begin in a standing position. Position your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight, your chest out and your arms at your sides.

2. Drop into a squat. Bend your knees, driving them out slightly past your toes, while bringing your butt down. Keep your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the floor (palms down) in front of your feet.

3. Kick your legs back into a high plank position. Your body should be in a straight line from shoulders to heels. Lock your arms in place. Keep your head straight, eyes looking slightly ahead. (“You’re going to feel some core activation,” says Nykor.)

4. Lower toward the ground. Bend your elbows and bring your body toward the floor. (Basically, the bottom part of a push-up.) Keep your body straight and your core tight.

5. Rise back to high plank. Focus on keeping your body straight.

6. Return to a squat position. Jump your legs forward. When you land, make sure your feet are flat on the floor. (Your positioning at the end of this move should be the same as in Step 2.)

7. Jump! Reach your arms up as you launch toward the ceiling. “It should be an explosive jump,” says Nykor. Land in the original standing position and then go back to Step 1 and restart the process.

“A little progress each day adds up to big results.”

Side Plank: This exercise is for core strength.

Lie on your right side with your left leg and foot stacked on top of your right leg and foot. Prop your upper body up by placing your right forearm on the ground and elbow directly under your shoulder.

Contract your core to stiffen your spine. Lift your hips and knees off the ground, forming a straight line with your body.

Return to start in a controlled manner. Repeat 3 sets of 10–15 reps on one side, then switch.

This can also be done isometrically, by simply holding the side plank position for 20-30 seconds at a time.

“When you exercise daily, you may not feel or see results right away, but you are closer than you were yesterday.”

High Plank: Planks stabilize your core without straining your back the way sit-ups can.

Begin in a pushup position with your hand and toes firmly planted on the ground, your back straight, and your core tight.

Keep your chin slightly tucked and your gaze just in front of your hands.

Take deep, controlled breaths while maintaining tension throughout your entire body, so your abs, shoulders, triceps, glutes, and quads are all engaged.

Glute Bridges: This exercise works your entire posterior. Also is great for balance and tight buttocks.

Start by lying on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat on the ground, and arms straight at your sides, palms facing down.

Pushing through your heels, raise your hips off the ground by squeezing your core, glutes, and hamstrings. Your upper back and shoulders should still be in contact with the ground, and your core down to your knees should form a straight line.

Pause 1–2 seconds at the top and return to the starting position.

Did you see any exercises that you would like to improve upon or try for the first time?

Ascend Experience, LLC helps you get the body you are looking for. Alex makes exercise fun, informative, and each workout uses these basic fitness moves in various ways. Take control of your personal fitness and performance with the help of an expert in the field of overall health and nutrition.

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