Home workouts may seem intimidating at first, but you can build muscle and lose weight without a gym membership. All you need is your body weight, some creativity and a little determination.
Incorporating HIIT workouts, tabatha or other high-intensity exercises can increase the effectiveness of your at-home workouts. Adding some weights to these workouts can also improve strength and tone.
Find the Right Space
Homeowners can convert nearly any room in their home into a workout space, but they should choose the location carefully. If their space is too cramped, it will reduce motivation and make workouts feel difficult. In addition, the area should be close to natural light. This improves mood and can boost energy levels. It’s also wise to keep the room away from other areas of the house that are used for relaxing, such as living rooms and bedrooms.
If a homeowner has to set up a workout area in their garage, for example, they should consider whether their vehicles can fit inside the space and whether there’s enough storage for equipment. Those who focus on body weight exercises or simple equipment, such as a plyometric mat and resistance bands, might find a corner of their living room works just fine. They can even use totes or other storage furniture to keep the items organized when not in use.
Once they’ve chosen a location, homeowners should test it out physically. With masking tape, mark out where they’ll place equipment and then stand or lie down in the space to see if they can move freely without hitting anything else. They should also consider how high the ceilings are, especially if they plan to do jump-intensive workouts like jumping jacks. Ideally, they should be able to reach the ceiling with their hands without hitting anything.
Plan Your Workouts
Working out at home is not just cost-effective, but it’s also flexible. Unlike going to the gym, you can do your workout at any time of day or night and don’t have to deal with things like parking, equipment availability, crowds, or weather. Plus, you can do any workout you want — from basic bodyweight exercises to complex HIIT and strength-building routines.
While there are many benefits of exercising at home, it’s not without its own challenges. With no one to hold you accountable, it can be harder to stay committed. And when it comes to working out at home, it’s important to plan ahead and stick with your plan.
This can include creating a schedule or setting reminders on your phone so you don’t miss a session, and planning what workouts you’re going to do. Whether you’re going to do bodyweight exercises, a cardio workout, or a full-body muscle-building workout, it’s important to make sure your home exercise routine is varied and stretches every area of the body.
Over time, you’ll find specific workout types, channels, or trainers that you enjoy, and sticking with what works for you can help you stay motivated to keep going. It’s also helpful to leave room in your workout plan for unforeseen conflicts or obstacles that may pop up throughout the week.
Get the Right Equipment
Having the right equipment at home is essential to completing effective workouts at home. It’s important to consider your budget and workout preferences when deciding on what equipment you will purchase for your home gym. If you are purchasing equipment for a small space, prioritize compact designs or those that fold and can be easily stored when not in use. If you have a larger space, you can consider more versatile and expansive pieces of equipment.
It’s also important to consider the range of resistance that the equipment will offer to ensure that you can challenge yourself as you progress with your workouts. In addition, if you are prone to boredom when exercising at home, it may be helpful to look for multi-functional equipment that can be used in different ways and provides more variety.
One of the biggest advantages of working out at home is that it eliminates the need to travel across town or fight for a parking spot at the gym. This makes it more convenient to get your exercise in and cuts down on excuses that can be easy to make. Getting fit at home also means you can work out in the privacy of your own room, wear what you want, and blast music that gets you pumped. This is especially helpful for beginners who are just starting to build their fitness levels and don’t want to feel self-conscious around other people at the gym.
Stay Motivated
Working out at home can be a great way to fit exercise into your schedule, but it’s not without its challenges. There are no gym closures or class cancellations to throw off your routine, but there’s also less accountability when it comes to showing up – only you will know if you skip your workout. Luckily, there are many ways to stay motivated while working out at home, including setting goals and enlisting a support system, enjoying activities that you love, leveraging music and social media, tracking progress, and practicing mindfulness.
Creating and maintaining a healthy fitness habit takes time and persistence, but you’ll find that it gets easier as you go along. The best way to keep your momentum is to make it a priority by scheduling your workouts in advance and making sure you have the necessary space to work out. Set an alarm or reminder on your phone, and consider teaming up with a friend to hold each other accountable. Many fitness apps and classes also have personal trainers or coaches who can help keep you on track, as well.
Another important step is to figure out what time of day you prefer to train and limit distractions. Some people like to work out first thing in the morning before their day starts; others are more energized by exercising during their lunch break; while some prefer to work out at night, when they’re burning off extra energy before heading to bed.