Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, exercising at home has become a popular trend in order to stay in shape. Doing so has its own benefits, including the fact that it is convenient and cost-effective. However, many people believe that they make the most of their time exercising at home because they don't have the right equipment.
To some extent, this might be true. When you have the right exercise equipment for home, workouts can become a breeze. You will never feel the need to go to the gym either. However, regardless of whether or not you have the equipment, home workouts can help you meet your exercise goals.
Here are some tips for home workouts and how you can make them easier and more effective so that you can enjoy exercising at home and yield better results.
Benefits of Exercising At Home
Before we discuss useful tips that can help enhance your workouts at home, here are some benefits you can enjoy when you take up workouts at home. If you have been on the fence about whether or not to take up this lifestyle habit, perhaps these reasons will convince you
It is convenient
Saves you time, money, and effort that you would otherwise spend on traveling to the gym
You don't have to feel conscious about the way you look since no one is around
You can still workout regardless of the kind of weather it is outside
Working out at home is free
You don't need expensive equipment to exercise at home
You get to pick the playlist
Germs are no longer a concern
There is no time limit, so you will not need to rush
You can work out in whatever attire you want since no one is watching you
Fewer distractions
Tips for Home Workout
As you can tell, exercising at home can be an excellent choice for nearly everyone, especially for those looking to save costs and time. Having the right equipment and knowing the right techniques can lead to quick results, and your workouts will also be much more fun.
Here are some tips for home workouts that can help you stay in optimal shape and make your time spent working out at home effective and enjoyable:
Set Realistic Fitness Goals
You should only take up working out as much as your body can handle. Don't rush into it and start exercising excessively at full speed. It's best if you begin working out thrice in a week with a few exercises and then steadily build it up as you build strength and get more comfortable.
Moreover, you should also set realistic fitness goals depending on your exercise routine. You cannot expect to see results overnight or even work out that much. Hence, try to keep a balance.
Create a Space in Your Home for Working Out
You should also have a designated space in your home that is only for working out. This could be a separate room, but that is not an option for most people. Your workout space does not have to be too large but good enough to fit all of your exercise equipment, such as your yoga mat.
You should not work out in the same space where you eat or lounge. When you have a dedicated place for exercising at home, you will stay more committed, focused, and motivated as well and not get distracted.
Lift Weights
If you are doing cardio at home, that is great. However, you should also incorporate strength training through lifting weights. This will make your workout significantly more effective because strength training helps increase your metabolism and reduce fat build-up; this is especially true if you incorporate strength training with cardio.
You can easily get a few free weights for your home gyms, such as dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells. These are relatively inexpensive.
Have a Solid Workout Playlist
Everybody knows how music can help pump you up and make your workout even more effective. This is why it is important that you have a playlist of all of your favorite songs that can help you make your workout more productive. You can make a playlist on Spotify of all your favorite music and blast it through your headphones or speakers.
Besides this, you should also have a few relaxing songs when you are done with your workout. This is because they can help with post-workout recovery. Music boots your serotonin and dopamine production, which help you feel better and faster in recovery.
Pre Plan All of Your Workouts
Don't just get up in the morning and start doing random workouts. You should plan what type of workout to follow each day and get into exercising with that routine. Don't think you can plan your own workout routines? There are multiple apps and websites that provide you with workout plans depending on your fitness goals.
Most of these are free, but some might require a subscription via payment. Besides this, you can also follow workouts on YouTube. There are many videos targeting certain muscle groups and for various fitness goals and purposes that you can choose and pick from.
Keep Yourself Accountable
One of the most challenging things that can hinder home workout's effectiveness is the lack of accountability you have since there are no personal trainers tracking your routine. It can be easy to lose motivation, skip a few days, and have cheat meals. This is why you should do everything you can to keep yourself accountable.
You can do this by having a workout buddy with which you can do home workouts via Zoom and video calls. It can be anyone as long as you both are committed to checking on each other. Both of you can work out together via video calls as well.
Lastly, to stay accountable, you can also have a personal trainer who can provide you with workouts and build a plan for you specifically that they provide you virtually. They can do all of this while simultaneously helping you stay accountable.
Move-in the Morning
It can be quite tempting to skip your workout when you are working out at home with no accountability or strings attached. This is why it is best that you get done with it in the morning. It increases your chances of completing your workout and gives you no excuses to skip.
There are also multiple benefits of exercising at home, including the fact that it boosts your energy and mood and enhances your productivity, focus, and motivation throughout the day.
Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
When exercising at home, it can be easy to fall into a cycle of working out that feels comfortable, and you might seldom challenge yourself. Not to mention, when no one is around watching you work out, it can be easy to assume to believe you are working harder than you actually are.
Unlike working out at the gym with a trainer or in a class where someone pushes you to come out of your comfort zone, you might get too comfortable at home. This is why you should develop the discipline and motivation to push yourself when exercising at home. Not all of your workouts should require maximum effort, but you should try to push yourself beyond your limits at least once or twice a week.
All of this can then help you make the most out of your workouts and achieve your goals easily and faster.
Mix Things Up
When you follow the same workout routine and movements every day, it can become boring, and you will likely lose motivation. When you adopt different workout routines, you target various parts of your muscles, helping you make your time exercising at home much more effective. You can also include multiple variations of the same exercise to change things up or incorporate more reps or sets.
It should essentially help target various muscle groups and help you stay motivated.
Drink Water and Have Enough Sleep
The number one rule to follow whether you exercise at home or in the gym is to drink plenty of water, at least eight glasses in a day. Similarly, you should also have enough quality shut-eye. Both of these contribute to muscle build-up, fat loss and enhance your strength. Hence, they will help you achieve your fitness goals much faster.
