How to Make Home Workouts Work For You
Short on time, low on funds or have little ones at home meaning you can’t make it to the gym? Whatever your reason, sometimes life gets a bit too hectic and working out regularly can feel like an impossible task. These top tips will help you make home workouts work for your lifestyle, so now you can get fit and healthy from the comfort of your living room – it’s really that simple!
Bodyweight Exercises
Weightlifting might be popular these days, but you can still get strong just by using your own bodyweight. Whatever your style, blast out a 20-minute high intensity workout full of burpees, jumping lunges and mountain climbers or lower the intensity and work on those press-ups and your squat technique. If you're hoping to improve your flexibility and get your yogi on, all you need is a mat; there’s really no excuses! Adjust the tempo, time and exercises you choose to suit your goals – as long as you're working hard that’s all that matters.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are a great piece of kit for activating your lazy glutes before a workout, or for creating a Pilates style workout full of high-rep exercises. Try incorporating moves such as banded crab walks, hip thrusts and squats for an at-home leg day that will really get your legs burning.
Buy Some Weights
If gaining muscle and growing strength is your goal, invest in a simple, adjustable barbell set to transform your home workouts. It won’t take up much room or break the bank but it will be a great addition to your training sessions. The best part? Waiting for free dumbbells in the weights room will now be a thing of the past!
Use Your Environment
Get creative and make your own gym using what’s around you. A chair in the kitchen, some steps in your garden, or even just the wall of your lounge can all be utilised for exercises such as wall sits, tricep dips and step ups. Trying to get back into exercise as a new mum? Hold your baby (or other non-human objects around the house!) whilst you squat, keeping them entertained and giving yourself an extra challenge.
Download Fitness Apps
Struggling for motivation or need a hand planning your workouts? Use technology to your advantage and download a fitness app to do the hard-work for you. Try out apps such as Nike Training Club, Fitness Blender Workouts or 7 Minute Workouts for ready-made workouts to fit any environment - it'll be just like having a personal trainer living in your pocket!
Something is Better than Nothing!
It’s so easy to have an ‘all or nothing’ approach to living a healthy lifestyle. However, just because you don’t have the energy to do the 30-minute HIIT session you had planned doesn’t mean you should surrender to the sofa with multiple chocolate bars in hand! Get away from that ‘fallen off the wagon’ mindset and just add a little bit of movement into your day to reap the rewards and improve your mood. Whilst you're watching TV, try using the advert breaks to do a plank or some tricep dips using the sofa. Netflix and press ups anyone?