Whether you’re stuck at home or simply can’t make your way to a gym for whatever reason, that’s no excuse to stop working out. There are a host of superb and successful home workout routines you can try out that will tone your muscles, get rid of that excess fat, and turn you into a well-oiled machine. Still, working out from home isn’t as straightforward as some make it out to be. Here are our top 10 tips to help you work out from home so that you can keep moving even while you’re housebound.
The worst thing you can do while you’re planning a home workout is allow yourself to become easily distracted. Turn off any other sources of sound in the house if you can; close windows and try to work out in a room that’s naturally quiet. It might also pay to switch off your phone so that you don’t receive any distracting notifications. The more you can focus on that workout, the more effective it will be and the less you’ll start feeling the desire to deviate from it and do something else.
The better your house looks, the more likely you are to want to work out there; that’s basic psychology, right? It’s a good idea to tidy up as much as you can and to ensure that your house is free of clutter and as clean as possible. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you could even visit a site like DIY Homefit to completely renovate some of the rooms in your house or to buy new furniture for them. If you make your house over, it’ll make the world of difference for your exercise psychology!
Thinking “I’ll work out when I’ve got time” is poison for a regular fitness regime. If you’re planning to start working out, you need to commit to a consistent, regular schedule in order to see results. Try not to skip days for any reason other than injury; if you’re not feeling up to it, you’d be amazed how quickly the adrenaline starts rushing through your body if you try to push through that feeling and commence the workout anyway. Trust us when we say a schedule is the key to home fitness.
While it might feel good to work out in your pyjamas, it won’t help you to get into the right mindset. When you’re working out, you need to wear appropriate attire at all times. Of course, you don’t have to look your absolute best - this is a workout, after all, so you’re going to get sweaty - but wearing proper gym clothing ensures that you won’t get your clothes tangled in your exercise equipment or damage your muscles while you’re lifting weights.
Science has shown that training in the morning is far more effective than working out at any other time of day. There are a number of reasons for this. Working out in the morning enhances your metabolism, making it easier to burn calories throughout the rest of the day. You’ll also be fresher and less tired by the rigours of the day than you would if you worked out in the evening, and you’ll sleep better at night because you’ll be fatigued and ready to rest.
Don’t just launch straight into a workout. Before you begin, it’s a good idea to limber up your muscles and move around a little to make sure you don’t get cramps while you’re moving. This helps your body to prepare itself for the workout to come, and when you’re cooling down afterwards, you’ll prevent your muscles from seizing up. If you’re not seeing results from your exercise routines, try implementing a more rigorous warm-up and cool-down routine either side.
There’s nothing that motivates you during a workout quite like music. While you’ll see many lists of the best workout songs - usually those with high tempos and galvanising instrumentals - any music that you really, really love can get you pumped and ready to move. We wouldn’t necessarily recommend slow acoustic ballads, but music can be an excellent way to motivate yourself. Not feeling the beats? Try an engrossing podcast instead. If the subject matter is interesting enough, your workout will fly by!
You’re bound to know someone who’s struggling to maintain a consistent exercise routine, so why not set up a little friendly competition? This can help you to stay motivated. Challenge a friend to see who can keep up a workout for the longest time and watch as your routine becomes second nature. Be careful; it’s not a good idea to push yourself too hard simply to win a competition of this nature. Keep everything friendly and low-stakes.
If you’re following a YouTube exercise routine or a workout video, it’s not a good idea to go into that routine completely blind. Take a little time to familiarise yourself with your routine and ensure you know the ins and outs before you begin. That way, if there’s anything particularly taxing, you’ll know when it’s coming up and you can decide what to do accordingly. Once you’re familiar with the workout, you may not even need to follow along with the video, but be sure not to start working out without knowing what you’re getting into.
If the exercise routine just isn’t working out for you, there could be a number of reasons for that. Perhaps you’re not following the correct diet; if you work out without eating well, you can severely impact your ability to lose weight. Not keeping a consistent schedule also means you may struggle to see results. Whatever you do, don’t simply consign the workout plan to the bin and start eating junk food; if you persist, you’ll see results, but if you give up, you definitely won’t.
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