It's easy to find excuses to skip the gym. We've all probably uttered, "I don't have the time," "gyms are too expensive" or "I have no motivation" at least once in our lives. These are all legitimate reasons, but we really should be making fitness a priority.
There are so many incredible benefits of regular exercise, from improving mental health to reducing the risk of illnesses to getting stronger. There's even proof that exercise lengthens lives. Living a longer, healthier, happier life is vital – so shouldn't exercise be equally prioritized?
Money and time are very understandable reasons to put off exercising. Gyms are expensive, and going can take two to three hours out of your day. The solution? Working out at home. Doing a full-body workout in your house has never been easier, and better still, it only needs to take 30 minutes. Here's how to meet your workout goals, no gym required:
1. Find a Dedicated Space
Getting into the workout mindset is so much easier when you have somewhere dedicated to exercise. Not everybody has space for a home gym, that's true, but even if you have a corner of a room that can function as an "exercise area," your brain will be trained to switch into workout mode when you go there.
2. Focus on Your Goals
Any get-fit mission should begin with goal setting. Take a little time to consider what you want from your workout regime. Do you want to lose weight, get stronger, lose your mom butt or have more energy? Finding some goals that you can measure – I want to be able to lift this much weight, I want to lose this many pounds or I want to be able to run for this amount of time – may help you stick to them.
This is more important when you exercise at home because gyms may offer guidance with goal setting, but when you're at home, it's up to you. Make sure that you think about your goals as soon as you start exercising at home.
3. Start With Body Weight
A lot of workouts can be done with body weight only, and if you are a beginner to gym-style exercises, it's a great idea to just focus on these initially. Exercises that only require body weight are:
- Squats and lunges
- Press-ups (on knees or on toes)
- Cardio exercises like jumping jacks and high knees
- Flexibility exercises such as yoga
4. Use Free Workout Videos on YouTube
Free workout videos are a goldmine when it comes to exercising at home. There are thousands available, many done by qualified personal trainers. Just type in whatever you want to try in the search bar, and you're likely to find one that fits your needs. Here are a few video title suggestions to get you started:
- Beginners legs workout no equipment
- Challenging arm workout
- 30 minute at-home cardio
5. Invest in Equipment
Once you've sussed out the basics of working out at home, you might want to start thinking about some equipment to take your exercise to the next level. There's a lot out there, and you won't need it all. But with the right strategic purchases, you could build up a collection of a few multipurpose items that will work out your whole body.
If you are looking to avoid purchasing a men's and women's weight set, resistance bands are a great way to get in the same workouts without all the heavy, space-taking equipment. Pull-up bands are generally a popular addition to a pull-up bar, adding some extra support to pull-ups, but they can also be used for a variety of back, chest, bicep and tricep exercises. See here to find out more about pull up bands. Hip resistance bands also have a multitude of uses – they are great for adding extra tension to squats, lunges and kickbacks.
6. Put Together Workouts
So, you've done a few different workouts, but there are some exercises that you like way more than others. You can put together workouts with all of your favorite components, just like you would in a gym.
It's important to always warm up to avoid injury, and then you can decide your focus for the workout. This can, of course, change daily – or you can mix and match within workouts as well. For example, one day you might decide to do half an hour of cardio, inspired by what you found on YouTube, or focus on abs for an entire day. Or maybe you prefer doing a half leg day, half back day.
When you come up with a workout, write it down in detail. Include what equipment you used, how long you did each exercise and how it made you feel. Having a plan will help you be motivated for future workouts, and a reminder of how you feel after exercise will give you that extra boost to complete another home workout.
7. Set a Workout Schedule
When you are starting to work out at home, ask yourself how much time you have. Can you commit to five one hour sessions every week? Or is exercising three times a week for 30 minutes more feasible? Whatever works for you is great, as long as you stick to it.
Don't just think "I'll work out when I get the chance to." Block that section out of your day and tell yourself that is your exercise time – book an appointment with yourself, like you would do if you were going to a class at the gym.
Do you have some time and feel like doing an extra workout? That's great, as long as you are giving your body time to rest, there's nothing wrong with working out more than planned. Equally, if you miss a workout, don't give yourself a hard time, and don't throw the whole schedule out the window. Just pick up where you left off!
8. Join a Community
Perhaps the most common reason that people become gym members is for the community atmosphere and the fact that there are people at the gym who will hold them accountable. But this is 2020, and there are plenty of online communities to join. Many fitness YouTubers have their own Facebook groups for their subscribers, so you could look there, or there also might be local home fitness groups set up by people in your area.
If you can't find a relevant community, start one! Connect with some other friends who are on a fitness journey and see if they want to start a Whatsapp or Facebook group. Accountability is beneficial for sticking to exercise, so having this network of people means you are all the more likely to stick to it.
You got this!
It's easy to see why at-home workouts have increased in popularity in recent years. They are more budget-friendly, more time-efficient and many people feel more comfortable working out at home. With online workouts, a range of equipment available for purchase and virtual communities, exercising at home has never been better – and these tips should help you create an at-home workout plan and stick to it.
The content on 30Seconds.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. The information on this site should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your personal healthcare provider. The opinions or views expressed on 30Seconds.com do not necessarily represent those of 30Seconds or any of its employees, corporate partners or affiliates.
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