At-home workouts can be a great way to get fitter. During the lockdowns, it was a must for staying active but there are good reasons to keep up with home fitness now that life is returning to normal.
Here’s what you need to think about to get the most from at-home workouts.
The Benefits of At-Home Fitness
One of the great things about at-home fitness is the consistency you can produce. If you don’t feel like heading out to the gym on cold, dark days, you don’t even need to leave home to keep fit. It’s definitely possible to do effective workouts from the comfort of home without compromising on your fitness goals.
It can also be an affordable way to keep fit. If you can’t afford a gym membership, you’re not missing out.
Potential Downsides of At-Home Fitness
At-home fitness is highly convenient but there’s also much more potential for distractions. You’re contending with ringing doorbells, mealtimes, family commitments and the like. Because of this, you’ll need motivation and discipline to stay on track and not be derailed.
Another downside of not being in the gym is that you don’t get one-to-one support with form. If you adopt the wrong technique, you don’t have the benefit of anyone spotting it and correcting it. Workout apps and virtual fitness classes can help with this to some degree.
What You’ll Need to Succeed
Cardio, resistance work, and flexibility can all be worked on at home and you don’t need a mini-gym. If you’ve got the space for more equipment, your workouts can be a little more sophisticated but it’s not strictly necessary. You can do a very effective at-home workout with minimal equipment.
Exercise bands, resistance bands and dumbbells are just a few of the pieces of equipment that can help you feel the burn without breaking the bank or taking up lots of space.
Setting Up a Workout Space
Set goals around your workouts. What do you want to achieve through them? Are you trying to lose weight? Get stronger? Build more muscle? Your goals will have a huge impact on the type of workouts that will work best and the set-up you’ll need to make it happen. Once you know the amount of space and equipment that needs to be accommodated, you can create the perfect workout space.
Your workout space doesn’t necessarily need to be big. Depending on what you’ll be doing in your workouts, you may not even need a dedicated area. If you only plan to roll out a yoga mat, a quiet corner can work fine. But if your goals are more ambitious, your workout space will need a bit more planning.
Creating the right atmosphere is crucial. If you’ll enjoy exercising in this space, it’s a lot easier to stick to your routine. Music and decor can play a big role here, depending on what you plan to get from your workouts.
Setting up equipment is another thing to think about, especially if you’re following workouts on a screen.
Keeping Yourself Motivated
Consistency is crucial when you’re trying to boost your stamina or flexibility. It takes time to see the effects of your hard work, just the same as it would in the gym. But if you’re not actually going to the gym, it’s easy to put things off and lose consistency. Arguably, you’ve got to be more motivated for at-home workouts as the drive and commitment come solely from you.
This is why it’s so important to find ways to keep yourself motivated for at-home workouts.
Switch up your workouts to keep you motivated and feeling challenged. There’s plenty of free inspiration online if you need it. Just be sure that your choice of workout is helping you meet your goals.
Schedule your workouts to keep yourself accountable. Book them into your calendar just like any other appointment. The “appointment” may only be with yourself but you’re much more likely to keep it. If you only have vague plans to do a workout, it’s easy to push it aside and make other plans. Not so easy when it’s a firm appointment on your calendar!
