Are you stuck at home because of the mandatory working from home or because of all the corona perils surrounding COVID-19? Make exercise part of your home routine (our preferred morning) with great workouts for training and improving your fitness at home!
Exercising at home can be a great alternative to going to the gym. It's actually quite ideal. This is why:
10 reasons why exercising at home is an excellent option
- You do not suffer from too hot, too cold or rainy weather
- No travel time or searching for a parking space
- You don't have to rush to get to a workout at a specific time
- You don't have to pack a sports bag and therefore can't forget it
- Your bathroom and kitchen are nearby - you don't have to wait for anything
- You can take a nice shower at home, which is nice and hygienic
- You don't have to store valuables in a locker
- You don't have to compare with anyone how you look or how fit you are
- You determine the playlist for the music that you enjoy
- It's free - or as good as.
And you don't need expensive equipment. You can do a great full body workout just using your own body weight, just train it at home with workouts in your own environment.
There are a lot of easy ways to get moving at home. Here are some tips and tricks to help you find a home workout, stick to it, and get the best results:
Choose a permanent place or training room in your house
Choose a corner or permanent place at home that you can consider as a nice training place in the house. You really just need a space the size of a yoga mat to have a ton of options for a very effective and efficient workout.
It sometimes works better not to exercise in the same place where you watch TV or eat. This will help you get even more into the training and stay committed. If it is not different due to some lack of space, it is of course also not a problem if you just make sure that you go for a good workout during your training time. Get away from all the distractions from your computer, phone or other people in the house. Make sure you can fully commit to training at home, a daily routine of 20-30 minutes is perfectly fine!
Schedule time to work out at home
The convenience of training at home is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, you can exercise at your leisure at a time that suits you. On the other hand, this freedom can make it easier to miss sessions and get distracted. Therefore, plan your workouts in your calendar or schedule at times you know you will stick to so that you remain committed and take responsibility. By using this schedule and time, it will become a habit, you will automatically remember that it is time to exercise and you will be able to stick to it better. Your body and mind will thank you for it!
Put on your training outfit, even when training at home
Dress as if you were actually going to the gym. You will feel more like exercising when you wear your sportswear.
If you can, you may also prefer to put on your running shoes and move around the house for 15 minutes, such as walking stairs. Of course not necessary, but it's a great way to warm up and get some extra energy before starting your home workout.
Do you have specific goals? Record it and reward yourself, for example with a new sports outfit once you have reached that goal. Of course only if your budget allows this.
No worries about equipment, because this is not necessary for training at home.
You don't really need that much. There are many body weight exercises ideal for training at home. A few favorites are planking, body weight squats, push ups, and abs crunches. With these exercises you immediately take many different muscle groups with you. They allow you to burn calories and build muscle with less exercise. It is always important to watch your posture and get into proper form to reduce the risk of injury. With a small selection of exercises for training at home you can create your own circuit training.
If you have basic equipment such as some small hand weights and a workout or yoga mat, you have plenty of options. If you are going to use weights, it is a good idea to have at least two different sets so that you can adjust your workout. It is important to keep your muscles stimulated to challenge them to grow and become stronger.
If you don't have hand weights and you want to provide extra resistance, try water bottles or something else that is heavy at home. Other equipment you may find useful include resistance bands or a foam roller. They can help you stretch your muscles before a workout and then pamper them during your cool down.
With your mobile, tablet or TV apps you provide inspiration for training at home
Don't you think you can create your own circuits? That's no problem! There are many interesting workouts available for training at home, especially through apps and videos on YouTube - almost all of them free.
If you have a speaker, you can also use it to guide you through a home workout. Play short workouts of a few minutes if you want to train vigorously in a very short time.
We often use YouTube on a smart TV (or Apple TV / Google Chromecast) with a nice search like “interval workout home” or “full workout at home” and you will see many options. An example of a workout that we regularly perform:
You can also try to create a stimulating and playlist on Spotify. Choose songs that cheer you up and refresh your playlist every now and then to keep it interesting.
Make sure that you do not do the same workout every day when training at home, but alternate between 2 sets of workouts. You ensure that you and your muscles remain stimulated. Alternating muscle groups is also an option, so that your muscles get the necessary rest every other day.
Set realistic fitness goals for yourself
Start slow, trust your strength and always observe your body. You don't have to jump in at full throttle all of a sudden. It is then better to build up gradually and thus maintain it much better in the long run, where it really is one habit should be in your (morning) routine. Plan how you want to start each week, maybe not daily but start with three days a week to start with, for example. Do more as you start to feel better conditionally.
Try to record your times and reps and continuously challenge yourself to improve them. It's a great way to track your progress and then encourage and keep improving. How nice is it when you feel that you are getting stronger and you even miss training at home at some point if you don't?
Do your best not to make excuses. Make exercise a regular part of your daily routine and schedule a workout time that works for you, whether you're a morning or evening person. Make it your own and do a workout at home training what you enjoy, you will then start to feel and see the results.
Finally about training at home
Exercising at home is convenient, effective, and inexpensive, but it's not always easy. Distraction, too much time, and a lack of space can make exercising at home more challenging than you'd like, but this doesn't have to be the case. Taking simple steps to optimize your training environment at home can make all the difference to your motivation, dedication and performance.
We ourselves are a great proponent of “Kaizen”And to make such a small improvement in our daily routine that it is almost“ ridiculously ”small. Even if you do that one push up extra every day or even week, where are you not a year later? At a very higher level with a vastly improved condition. So no more excuses - put it on with that home workout!
Sources ao Freeletics (link), Health (link), MensHealth (link), Sunlife (link)
