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Coronavirus and working out at home
COVID-19 and the latest developments have made working out at home more relevant and essential than ever. Now that all the gyms have shut down and exercising outdoors is not always possible or advisable, creating a workout routine that can be maintained and adhered to while at home is crucial if you want to keep fit and continue your path to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
But working out at home isn’t just about picking the right exercises and following some training video. To make sure that you achieve the desired results, you need to take into account the following tips on how to stay fit.
Top 10 tips on how to workout at home
- Integrate the workout into your daily routine
- Put on your workout clothes
- Designate a workout space
- Eat healthy
- Set a specific workout schedule
- Set realistic goals
- Find a workout video/program that suits you
- Keep track of every workout
- Keep the workout equipment minimal
- Invest in quality active wear
1. Integrate the workout into your daily routine
Getting into the habit of a daily workout is key to sticking to it day in and day out, and it’s the only way to ensure you’ll hit your fitness goals.
As you know, weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint, that’s why you need to pace yourself and integrate the workout into your daily routine properly otherwise it will be very difficult to stick to it, hence building this commitment into your day will get your body used to your new schedule and eventually crave the exercise.
2. Put on your workout clothes
Putting on your workout clothes when exercising isn’t just a matter of functionality and utility; it’s also a psychological factor that will help you get motivated and make you “feel” that it’s time to workout.
If you stay in your pajamas all day long, then that makes you feel lazy and unmotivated and less likely to work out.
3. Designate your workout space
Much like needing a separate space for work and a separate space for living and relaxing, exercising requires a designated space that’s set up for this purpose only.
The good thing is that you don’t require a large space to do so, even a corner in the living room or the bedroom will suffice. Just make sure that you can fit when lying down, and there’s enough space to extend your arms and legs fully.
Having a designated physical space for working out also puts you in the mood and motivates you to start exercising.
4. Eat healthy
As you’re very well aware, weight loss is predominantly a matter of diet and eating healthy. Exercise alone is not enough to help you reach your target weight; you need to combine working out with a proper diet and keep your calorie intake below maintenance levels. A foolproof way to lose weight is to adopt a diet high in protein and good fats and low in carbs.
5. Set a specific workout schedule
Consistency and a tight schedule are necessary if you want to make sure you hit your weight loss and fitness goals. Much like the designated physical workout space, you need a schedule that you can follow.
Try to allocate enough time every day (or every other day) to do your daily workout. Whether that’s in the morning before you start your work or in the evening after you get off work or right before going to bed, set the same time window for exercising every day and stick to your guns. Having a proper schedule will help keep you in check and build your discipline.
6. Set realistic goals
Setting realistic goals is key to achieving the results you want in the long run. When first starting, the whole process, and end goals might seem overwhelming and impossible, and that’s precisely why you need to take it one step at a time and set small key milestones.
Don’t aim to lose 15 pounds straight away or get a six-pack. Instead, aim for 1-2 pounds lost every week and keep track of your progress. Setting realistic goals and smaller milestones gives you the motivation you need to keep going. While shedding off, say, over 20 pounds or dropping to single digit fat percentage levels might seem impossible, smaller goals are more than achievable, and they are important victories in your journey to your ideal body.
7. Find a workout video/program that suits you
Finding the right workout program is very important. Whether you’re familiar with exercising at home or not, there are countless amazing videos online to help you get started.
You may be used to working out in the gym, so working out at home without equipment or with the bare necessities is a change of pace, so you need someone to show you what you need to do. There are numerous videos online that will take you through yoga, HIIT, postpartum toning, strength training, cardio, and more without equipment.
8. Keep track of every workout
You need to keep track of your progress, your workouts, and your meals. This will help you see the progress you make week over week more clearly and keep track of your training regime.
By keeping track of your workout routine, you will ensure that you can properly plan your next workout sessions and adjust them accordingly. For example, you may be hitting different muscle groups in every workout or perhaps switch from HIIT to yoga and from strength training to cardio and vice versa.
Keeping a food diary is also great to help you keep track of your fitness goals. You can go as detailed or as top-level as you want as long as you log the meals of the day. That will also help keep you accountable as you can refer back to previous days and see if you stick to your diet.
9. Keep the workout equipment minimal
Working at home means you don’t have access to a fully equipped gym with free weights and machines. You need to keep your equipment to the bare minimum or even opt for a completely equipment-free training program.
If you decide to buy the basics, we’d recommend getting hold of a set of dumbbells with different weights, an elastic resistance band, and a jumping rope or training ball. With a combination of different exercises, you’ll be able to hit every muscle in your body.
10. Invest in quality active wear
What you wear when working out at home matters. You are much more likely to stick to your routine if you’re wearing actual clothes that are designed for exercising. Compression activewear offers optimum functionality and flexibility while also boosting your sweating rate, helping you shed off water weight lightning fast.
Compression activewear like Sweat Shaper’s Women's Athletic Tank, Men's Athletic Tank, and Leggings are lightweight, allow for a full range of motion, improve your posture, and provide muscle support. The great thing about Sweat Shaper’s compression activewear is that you can wear them throughout your day, not just when working out, but during your daily activities as well.
