Home fitness is viral today. You don’t have to go to fitness centres or group classes, but you exercise in the comfort of your own home.
There is no need to spend money on joining or expensive equipment, and even so, training can be practical and bring you closer to your desired goal. In this article, I’ll present ten principles for getting started and maintaining a regular home workout.
Because, even if you start successfully, the phase of enthusiastic start can quickly be replaced by a period of stagnation and routine. And this needs to be overcome. So let’s take a look at how to stay motivated on those days when you don’t feel like exercising.
No more excuses, let’s do it!
The vast majority of us can easily list the reasons why we should start exercising. There are many.
Fat reduction, strengthening the whole body, strengthening the heart and circulatory system, better fitness, immunity, or just a nice feeling caused by endorphins after strenuous activity.
Often, however, we start to be overwhelmed by thoughts of why not to start with such exercise. We don’t have the time; we don’t have a place to exercise, are too busy, are tired, don’t need to lose weight, and more and more.
The way I handle it is by setting a goal, which I always write down somewhere. You don’t have to show it to anyone and no one even needs to know about it.
The important thing is that you have decided and made an “agreement” with yourself that you want to achieve this goal. But make sure that the goal is always specific.
For example, the “I will lose weight” goal is poorly formulated because you cannot tell if you have achieved it. But if the goal is “I will lose weight to dress size XY”, that is better.
Sooner or later, you will be able to “check it off” and move on. Another vice we have is procrastination. I’m sure you’ve told yourself you’re going to start next week, next month, next year. All these postponements are holding you back from your dream. So watch out for them.
Make a workout plan
As we said in the first point, there are plenty of goals for home workouts. That’s why you need to have a plan for your training that is geared towards achieving yours. Each type of exercise is suited to something different.
So, I recommend contacting a professional trainer, an experienced friend or a friend or scouring the internet where exercise plans are plentiful. But I would like to point out that just because a program works for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you.
Everything needs to be tailored. With a predetermined plan, you know in advance what and when you’ll be exercising. Make a plan straight away for a month (4 weeks) or even a long-term plan where you can track your progress throughout the year. Set specific days of the week when you will exercise and also what time it will be approximate.
Regularity is good because it creates a habit, much like brushing your teeth, for example. We do it every day and wouldn’t dream of not doing it anymore. It will be the same with exercise. The more regular the training, the more recovery will improve, among other things.
Every workout counts
If you happen to be unable to do the whole workout for some reason (time slip, high volume of work), shorten your workout, but don’t skip it. There are also time-saving workouts that can get your body lean in twenty minutes.
Such a workout can be a Tabata workout or a modified circuit workout, for example. In case of a time crunch, then these exact exercises can be applied. The important thing is to maintain regularity as much as possible.
Create your training place
Once you know what and when you will exercise, find a specific place in your home where you have a suitable space for the entire workout.
There should be no distractions, and you should feel comfortable there. If you can, set up a mat for exercising on, or some fitness equipment if you use it. Make sure you have an exercise towel and water bottle ready before you exercise. You won’t find yourself thirsty halfway through the workout and have to stop to get water.
Follow your drinking and diet
Especially in the time before your workout, you need to choose your food wisely. You mustn’t train hungry and weak. On the other hand, exercising with a full belly is also not ideal.
Also, focus on drinking enough, as water is excreted from the body very quickly during exercise. About an hour after training, it is good to eat to replenish the nutrients your body lost during the workout.
Change into sports clothes
This activity is not just about changing clothes. Our brains are very clever and can associate getting dressed with the training to follow. In other words, if you start dressing up in your fitness clothes, your body will understand that exercise is coming up and start preparing for it.
This will trigger processes in your body that will give you strength during your workout. It is important that you only use this outfit for your workout and nothing else.
This is the only way your mind will associate it specifically with exercise. It doesn’t matter what your fitness outfit is. However, if you are planning a more dynamic workout in which you will sweat a lot, be sure to choose a cardio outfit. These wicks sweat away from your body well, keeping you dry throughout your workout.
This clothing is most often made of polyester, which ensures perfect wicking during training and maximum breathability.
If you’re going for a more leisurely and stretching workout, be sure to opt for Pilates or yoga clothes. It’s stretchy enough not to restrict your movement but also warm enough to keep you at a stable temperature. In most cases, the primary material is cotton, which is pleasant to the touch.
Create your workout playlist
This will keep you entertained! The right music is great to motivate you to workout. It’s up to you what music and what genre you like.
Thanks to the rhythm, your body tends to perform rhythmic movements, so you don’t slow down as much, even when your body is already tired.
This stimulates your muscles more than if you were to exercise without music. If you share a household with multiple people who don’t share your passion for fitness music, get some exercise headphones, ideally wireless ones.
Pay attention to proper technique
Proper technique for performing each exercise is essential for its effectiveness. If you “slack off” by checking off that you’ve done it, it will lead nowhere, and you’ll find after a few weeks that you haven’t made much progress.
The principle is that it is better to do well and less than badly and a lot. It’s better to do five proper push-ups with a suitable range of motion, hand position, and straight back than to do twenty and blow off the technique.
Don’t be alarmed though, the vast majority of exercises have just a few points to watch out for. Nowadays, the internet is full of videos where you can study the correct execution. You can also use the services of a professional trainer or an experienced exerciser.
Those would be my ten tips to get you started with home training. It has been confirmed in my life that proper and regular exercise combined with proper diet and recovery is a guarantee of success. I wish you many fulfilled goals during your fitness journey and hope you found my advice helpful. And if you love exercise as much as I do, I look forward to seeing you at some races.