Working Out From Home
Whether you are still concerned about the pandemic or just don’t have the time to constantly devote to going to the gym, making sure you have a decent set up and routine at home is important. The great news? It doesn’t take a lot of money either but will help you make fitness a lifestyle rather than just something you know you should be doing.
5 Steps of a Good Workout
1. Warmup- This component of a workout consists of easy movements that help get your body warmed up for more rigorous activity. Simply taking a walk around the block or a slow pace on a treadmill or stationary bike will get the job done.
2. Aerobic Workout- After your body feels adequately warm and loose, you can pick up the pace to get your heartrate going. Walking faster, running, peddling faster, jump rope, dance, kickbox—whatever you enjoy doing most, just make sure you move more aggressively than in warmups.
3. Strength Workout- When most people think or strength training their minds instantly go big, expensive equipment but that isn’t really necessary to build muscle. Something as simple as squats, pushups and sit-ups will do the trick. However, if you are more advanced and like a challenge adding some weights or resistance bands are a good, cheaper, space saving option for home.
4. Flexibility- Increasing your flexibility is important for your balance and avoiding injury while working out. These are simple exercises that can be done on the floor or even through yoga training. Just make sure you are using proper technique because while correct stretching can help you avoid injury, improper technique will cause more problems.
5. Cooldown- This should be similar to your warmup- lower intensity movement that helps you ease out of the intense workout you just completed by bringing your heartrate down.
Things to Keep in Mind
Listen to your body and understand where your fitness level is currently at. Rome wasn’t built in a day and if you haven’t been regular with your exercise routines no one expects you to be out running marathons day one. If you are just starting out try to aim for 30 minutes of cardio and strength about three times a week.
Your strength routines should cover all major muscle groups. It’s fine if you pick one day to focus on one area, just make sure whatever you choose that eventually your upper and lower body all get the same amount of time and attention.
Be mindful of distractions. On one hand having an at home set-up eliminates excuses, but on the other hand it can create them too. Various chores, the phone, kids, dog and even the fridge can derail even the most noble of attempts to get a good workout in. If you can swing it get your workout done earlier in the day. The sooner you are done with it the less likely everything else that comes up during the day will be an excuse.
Pro Tips
Working out from home can get stale because you don’t have a variety of machines or classes you can take. To avoid boredom and keep yourself challenged and motivated look through fitness magazines and the internet for ideas on fresh at-home workouts.
To avoid skirting out of your daily workouts make a schedule and find a partner. Seeing it written down and having a buddy will help keep you culpable and less likely to find an excuse.
Come up with some attainable goals to keep you motivated. Maybe you want to lose some weight, do an Iron Man or build more muscle. Write it down and take steps everyday to accomplish whatever your fitness goals are.