Fitness Influencer Hayley Madigan Shares "Beginner Friendly Exercises" Fans Love

She Lifts Weights

Madigan is seen lifting weights in her Instagram post. ACE Fitness states that lifting weights has a lot of benefits. “Strength training with heavy weights improves muscle definition. Muscle definition occurs as the result of muscles remaining in a state of semi-contraction and heavy strength training recruits the larger type II muscle fibers responsible for a muscle’s appearance.”

She Hikes

Madigan likes to hike to keep herself in shape. She shared this post on Instagram of herself on a hike. Madigan captioned the post, “Celebrating my 35th Birthday exploring the Lake District, hiking Striding Edge and surrounded by nature 🥹🙏🏼🥳 It’s amazing how being next to mountains, lakes and nature can destress you in an instant 🙏🏼 I also don’t know how I suddenly blinked and I’m 35 years old 🥴😂 how the hell that happened so quickly I don’t know 🤣 Here’s to many more adventures and enjoying the beauty of our world 🫶🏻”

She Does Core Workouts

Madigan shared some of her favorite core workouts in this Instagram post. She captioned it, “Let’s build a stronger core 💪🏼 1) Kettlebell Frontal Raises - Whilst this exercise also works the shoulders, focus on controlling the weight slowly down - this is where your core is used to stabilise your body and keep your centre of gravity stable- Aim for 8-12 reps for 2-3 sets. 2) Standing Side Bends - Do NOT go too heavy on this exercise! Keep your torso and chest upright the entire time and if needed drop the weight and just use Bodyweight. You can Aim for 8-12 reps per side for 2-3 sets. 3) Kettlebell Pass Around the Body - Go slow and controlled ensuring the KB remains close to your body throughout. Aim for 6-8 reps per direction for 2-3 sets. 4) Overhead Hold with Knee Raise - If you hold the KB upside down this will also work and support your shoulder stability! Aim for 5 reps per leg then swap arms and repeat. Aim for 2-3 sets.”

She Prioritizes Recovery

Madigan makes sure to prioritize her recovery, especially during her menstrual cycle. She encouraged others to do the same in the caption of this Instagram video. “Our strength can change depending on where we are in our menstrual cycle. Now, everyone is different! You might not feel any changes or you may feel drastic ones! Due to the changes in our hormones - more specifically a drop in oestrogen and an increase in progesterone - you may feel like you just can’t lift the weights you lifted last week or compared to that in the first half of your cycle (hello epic strength during ovulation 🥳). And this is okay! This doesn’t mean you should stop all weight training during this time. Just simply listen to your body, decrease the weight if needed and aim for a higher rep range. Remember your pain threshold may be reduced meaning you may find exercise a lot harder to endure, your basal body temperature is slightly higher which can majorly affect endurance sports and your fatigue levels may be increased! Use this time to prioritise recovery. Progesterone is actually great for sleep quality, so try to maximise sleep! Aim for more rest days if you need them, focus on other means of recovery like massages, saunas and get that food in!”

She Works Her Back

Madigan makes sure to do back exercises to keep herself in shape. She shared some of her favorites in this Instagram video. Madigan captioned it, “Strong Back Workout Home Edition 💪🏼 You angels asked for it so here’s a home version for Back Day with only dumbbells/kettlebells: 1) Gorilla Row x 8-10 reps per arm for 2-3 sets. 2) Bent Over Wide Row x 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets. 3) Single Arm Narrow Row x 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets. 4) Seated Narrow Row x 10-12 reps for 2-3 sets. 5) Seated Reverse Fly’s x 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets. Ensure to have ~90 seconds rest in between sets and complete each exercise before moving onto the next 💪🏼”

She Strength Trains

In her Instagram post, Benepe is seen using weights to workout. According to The Mayo Clinic, strength training has a lot of health benefits. “Strength training can help you manage or lose weight, and it can increase your metabolism to help you burn more calories. Strength training may enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Strength training can also protect your joints from injury. Building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls.”

She Does Squats

Benepe is also seen doing squats in her Instagram video. Piedmont states that squats have a lot of benefits. “Squats are a compound, multi-joint movement, which means they exercise several muscle groups. When you perform a squat, you work your calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, core and part of your back.”

She Does Lunges

Benepe is also seen doing lunges in her Instagram post. Lunges are very beneficial. The Mayo Clinic says, “The lunge is a body resistance exercise that works the leg muscles. Specifically, the lunge targets the quadriceps and the hamstring muscles in the thigh, the gluteal muscles in the buttock, and to a lesser extent, the lower leg muscles. The lunge is a great conditioning exercise for many sports, especially those that involve lunging movements, such as tennis, basketball or soccer.”

She Does Hip Thrusts

Another exercise that Benepe is seen doing in her Instagram video is hip thrusts. Gymless states that hip thrusts are great a glute exercise to do. “Strong glutes are not only for aesthetic appeal; they serve a key functional purpose in supporting the posterior chain of muscles around the spine. Hip thrusts are also known for their capacity to develop and define glute muscles, contributing to their popularity on social media. After all, who doesn’t appreciate the look of a well-crafted pair of glutes?”

RELATED: 11 Amazing Bodies of Kaley Cuoco and Other 'Big Bang' Women

She Cooks

Benepe makes sure to eat healthy. She shares some of her favorite recipes in her Instagram story highlight. Harvard Health states that cooking can help you eat better. “The more people cook at home, the healthier their diet, the fewer calories they consume, and the less likely they are to be obese or develop type 2 diabetes. A growing body of scientific evidence supports teaching patients how to cook meals at home as an effective medical intervention for improving diet quality, weight loss, and diabetes prevention.”