Work out at Home

A workout from your home comes with many benefits. Not only does it save you the time it takes to drive to a gym, it also saves the cost of a gym membership. If you want to get fit, consider some essential steps in your effort to work out at home, and you could see some very successful results.

Steps

Preparing for the At-Home Workout

  1. Establish a workout regimen. It is easy to stick to the work out process if you have established a consistent routine. Ideally, your workout regimen should be as persistent as possible so that you and your family take your exercise sessions seriously.
    • Select certain days and times for your workout session (i.e. Monday, Wednesday and Friday’s at 7:00 a.m.).
    • Choose the best area in your house where you feel most comfortable performing exercise routines. Be sure you have enough space with no interfering objects.
    • Remain disciplined. Don't allow yourself to get lazy just because you are at home.
  2. Avoid distractions. Try to work out when no one is home or you have little else to do such as laundry, dishes, etc.
    • You don't want to be competing with your family members as they get on with their everyday routine; and young children often like to climb all over bodies doing push-ups and sit-ups.
    • If you have specific chores on your mind you might use that as an excuse to not work out or to end your session earlier than intended.
  3. Act the part. Put on some music and dress for exercising when you begin your workout session at home.
    • Playing motivational music will help to get your mind determined and adrenaline pumping.
    • If you get yourself ready as if you were going to the gym, you will be more motivated to exercise and ultimately get a good work out.You will also start to fill guilty if you are dressed for your workout but you find yourself sitting around and avoiding the exercising instead.
  4. Stay hydrated. Always have a bottle of water nearby when exercising, even at home. Don't assume you will pour yourself a glass when you are thirsty because you may not be as disciplined.
    • Remaining hydrated is essential to working out. It replaces the moisture you lose in perspiration and it helps you maintain your energy.
    • A great time to drink some water is during a break in-between exercise sets. For example: If you do two sets of 20 squats, take a drink of water after the first 20 and after the last 20.
  5. Balance a healthy diet. It is very important to maintain a healthy diet while exercising. Eating a healthy snack at least 45 minutes before you exercise will give you the stamina and energy your body needs.
    • For healthy snacks stick to food groups that contain carbohydrates and proteins. An example would be a piece of toast with peanut butter.
      • Remember, this is only a snack... Not a meal! If you plan to workout after a larger meal give yourself about two hours for the food to properly digest.[1]
  6. Understand if stretching is right for you. Some would say that stretching before your workout is a great way to loosen the muscles in your body and can help prevent injuries.[2] However, there are many others who would dispute this and say that stretching does not decrease your chance of injury. The point here is to understand your body.
    • If you feel that you are flexible and capable enough of performing the exercises without complications then you can proceed without stretching.
    • If you feel that your body is tight and not as malleable, then you might want to try out some stretches and warm up your muscles.[3]

Utilizing Your Surroundings

  1. Recognize the potential your house has for a great cardio workout. Running is not the only cardio activity and you don't need a StairMaster when you have actual stairs.
    • Walk or run up and down your own stairs, depending on what your routine calls for. You can also do step-ups using the bottom steps.
    • Do several sets of jumping jacks or you can also jump rope in your yard or a large room with enough space.
  2. Include strength training. You can be creative with what your home has to offer. Walls, floors and furniture are great solutions for strengthening exercises. There are many workout options around your home. [4]
    • Use the floor for push-ups, sit-ups, squats and planks.
    • If you don't have much floor space, use the wall for body-weight squats. You can also use the wall for standing push-ups by putting your body flat against the wall (feet shoulder distance apart and about half a foot away from the wall), placing your hands in a triangle in front of your chest and pushing out.
  3. Utilize miscellaneous furniture around the house. Just take a look at your furniture and see how they can be used to their workout potential.
  4. Practice yoga. Yoga exercises are easily done at home as they only require using the floor (and a mat if you have one). Yoga can be great for minor cardio or to calm down and stretch after your exercise routine. It can also soothe your mind and relax your body.[5]
    • Sun salutations are great to add to a routine for a little cardio boost while harmonizing your mind.
    • The downward dog position improves flexibility and strengthens back muscles.
    • The chair pose enhances balance in your core while tightening the thigh muscles.

Trying Exercise DVDs or Games

  1. Use exercise DVDs. If you are not familiar with exercise routines or positions you can purchase an exercise DVD that will show you how to accurately position yourself with proper techniques.
    • DVDs are great to train and get motivated and some even include their own routines for you to follow.
    • Once you become familiar with the steps you can take what you learned from the DVD and apply them to your own regimen.
  2. Use the television to your advantage. If you find you'd rather be watching your favorite show than working on your fitness, try combining the two with an exercise game.
    • Make a list of things that happen often in your favorite show, and pair them with an exercise. As you are watching, every time something on your list happens, do the corresponding exercise. See some examples below.

Doc:The Bachelor Exercise Game,Survivor Exercise Game,Downton Abbey Exercise Game,Jeopardy! Exercise Game,Doctor Who Exercise Game,The Apprentice Exercise Game

Tips

  • Eat healthy and hydrate often to maintain energy.
  • Start small. Don't rush into a large workout.
  • Don't rush your workout because you are at home. If you find that your current regimen is too long, adjust the length to be shorter, but just as effective.
  • Always warm up before beginning your home workout routine, and cool down before ending it. You don't want to cut corners.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/what-eat-before-during-after-exercise
  2. ↑ http://www.netfit.co.uk/stretching.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.runnersworld.com/stretching/should-i-stretch-my-runs
  4. ↑ http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_250/264_create-an-effective-home-workout-program.html
  5. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Work_out_at_Home&oldid=276633"