How To Get Active Indoors

The current global health crisis has seen many of us turn to home fitness in an effort to stay fit through the lockdown measures.

 

If you are someone who usually relies on the gym to get your fitness fix, then you may now be at a loss as to how to stick to your exercise routine. Fortunately, working out at home is just as effective as working out in the gym, and it can actually be a lot more fun!

There are several pros and cons to working out at home, just as there are several pros and cons to working out at the gym! Today we are going to examine some if the advantages and disadvantes to exercising at home, and hopefully encourage you to embrace this concept!

Not only can this be great for your physical health during this time, but can also help to give your mental health a boost too. Staying active is so important for our own sense of wellbeing, and this is something that you can work to take control of as we all work together to move through thie difficult time!

Home Exercise

One of the biggest disadvantages to exercising at home is that you don’t have the wide variety of equipment available that the gym offers you. Kitting out your home for your fitness regime can be expensive — but the truth is that it doesn’t have to be. This all depends on what you think you need and what you are already comfortable using.

You can easily get started with exercising at home with just a few pieces of simple equipment. You can even do so with absolutely no equipment at all by embracing bodyweight exercises. We’ll come back to this concept later in this article!

Benefits Of The Gym

Going to the gym can make exercise seem more stuctured than a home workout plan does. This is especially the case if you hire a personal trainer to work with you at the gym. A trainer can show you which exercises are going to be best for you — depending on your goals and experience — and walk you through the process.

When you are working out at home you may not always know the best way to create a workout for yourself, and this can lead to demotivation. If you were someone who used to visit the gym frequently before the lockdown, then you will likely already be full of ideas about how to get active at home. Many of the exercises that you can do at the gym, you can do just as easily at home. And by making some moderations to exercises that you are already comfortable with, you can have a whole new range of movements available to you.

Bodyweight Exercise

If you are ready to get active indoors and don’t have much equipment at your disposal, then a bodyweight workout routine could be the perfect fit for you.

Exercises of this type are those that utilise your own bodyweight as resistance for your muscles. There are such a wide range of different exercises to choose from, and it is possible to challenge the whole body in this way.

One of the great things about working out with just your body is that you can do this absolutely anywhere. You are no longer limited to just exercising at the gym, or at home. This means that you can stay fit on the go if you are travelling. This is also something you can do with very limited space and with very little preparation. This enables you to be much more flexible with your workout routine and schedule.

If you need some inspiration to get started, then check out our previous post on Amazing Exercises For Total Body Strength!

Home Exercise Equipment

If you prefer to use equipment to work out at home, then you can make a few simple purchases to help you get going on this journey.

Dumbbells are a great choice and will enable you to do countless exercises at home. However, dumbbells can be expensive and take up space in the home. For this reason, an adjustable dumbbell set can be a good idea. Similarly, you can choose to work out with a barbell and purchase a few different weights to add onto the bar.

You may also prefer to use resistance bands, which are a much more cost effective option and take up less space in your home.  Resistance band workouts can challenge your body in just the same way that using dumbbells or a barbell.

If you are more into cariovascular exercise then you are weightlifting, then your at home options may be quite limited. You can purchase a home machine, such as a treadmill or stationary bike — but again these can be expensive and hard to find space for. You may find it much easier to get out for a run around your neighbourhood and beyond.

Running is great because it’s something we can do wtih very little equipment or planning. All you need is a supportive pair of shoes and some comfortable clothes that allow you to move your body with ease. You should also take a bottle of water with you so that you can stay hydrated.

For guidance on avoiding running injuries, click here for advice!

Staying Motivated

One of the best ways to stay motivated is to continue to challenge yourself in new ways. If you get bored of your exercise routine then it is unlikely that you will stick to it, so be sure to keep mixing things up!

There is such a wealth of resources online that you can explore to find new exercises and methods of training. So as soon as you feel your interest dropping, take a moment to inspire yourself all over again.

Remember, when you are working out at home you don’t have your gym buddies cheering you on, and you are accountable only to yourself. This can make it much easier to give up on your routine and retreat to the couch instead!

Make A Plan

Having a solid exercise schedule and plan in place is a great way to ensure success. When you have a routine that you can stick to, then it makes it all the more likely that you will stay active at home.

This is something that you can put together yourself with a little bit of time and research. Knowing what it is you want to achieve with home workouts is the first step, and you can then look for exercises and movements that will help you to reach these goals. There are plenty of online experts who can help you with this process if you aren’t sure how to get started by yourself!

Once you have your plan, make a physical copy of it and put it up somewhere in your home where you can see it every day. This will ensure that it stays at the front of your mind and that you always know what you have arranged for each day. Give yourself permission to be slightly flexible with this plan to ensure that it stays fun and doesn’t become a chore!