Working out at home can have some barriers. The last thing you need is another excuse not to exercise. If you?re concerned about finding space or needing equipment, you may be tempted to blow off a workout. Don?t. Overcome five common home workout issues, so you can stay fit without a pricey gym membership.
Do You Already Workout at Home?
If you?re like 80 percent of Americans, you don?t get enough exercise according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you don?t engage in strength training twice per week and at least 2 ? hours of moderate aerobic activity per week, you are among that 80 percent. The good news is you don?t need a personal trainer or expensive equipment to meet or exceed these requirements. Working out at home is a suitable option for almost everyone, but you might face some challenges in starting and sticking with a home workout.
Make Room
Even if you live in a small space, you can make enough room to workout. You don?t need a whole room that looks like an in-home gym. You don?t even need space for equipment. Look for workouts that use only your own bodyweight as resistance, such as ballet routines or some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) programs. You can even find programs created specifically for workouts in small spaces, such as hotel rooms and dorm rooms.
To make space, move your stuff. It only takes a few seconds to slide a coffee table aside, right? The space you need will depend on your workout and your size. If you can lay down and do a lunge without bumping into anything, you?ve probably got plenty of space.
Banish Boredom
Never changing your exercise routine is begging for boredom to kill your will to workout. Vary your workouts to keep them exciting. It?s easy to try new workouts when you can stream them online or view step by step instructions on a website for free. Make sure you keep your workout challenging, too. No one is there to see you skip that last rep or take a water break during the hardest part, so it?s easy not to give 100 percent. The only one who?ll pay the penalty for a boring, lazy workout is you. And maybe your belt.
Go Mobile
Our tablets and smartphones let us bring a world of information with us wherever we go. Stream workout videos from services like Amazon Video on Demand or get special workout apps you can use without eating up data like streaming does. The 7 Minute Workout, made famous by the New York Times, has inspired several apps, such as the 7 Minute Full Workout. It displays clear example images, times you, and lets you repeat circuits.
Get a Buddy
Who says workout buddies are just for the gym? Find a friend to workout with at home. You can either do this in person, Skype or Facetime while you each workout at home, or just stay accountable to each other over the phone or online. Knowing your friend is working out is a powerful motivator to hold up your end of the deal and make sure you workout, too. Plus it?s nice to catch up with a friend while you burn calories, just don?t let socializing slow you down.
Get Rid of Distractions
Kids, pets, ringing telephones, and a host of interferences can put a damper on your workout. If you can schedule a time of day to workout that is reliably distraction-free, do it. For many of us that may seem impossible. Do your best to limit distractions. Turn off your phone. Have your spouse entertain your kids or set them up with a project to complete while you workout. You may find ways to get your kids involved in the workout, too.
Make sure to check with your doctor before beginning any new workout regimen. Be careful to avoid injuries at home by paying attention to your form and how your body feels during the workout. Because you won?t have a trainer there to keep track of these things, you must do it for yourself. Good luck and get moving.