5 home workout tips

Before I became a “gym rat,” I was a huge fan of home workouts. At the time, I did not have enough money for a gym membership and did not want to travel to another place after driving home in traffic for over an hour. I was able to workout in the little space I had and did not need to purchase much equipment. Amazingly, I was able to achieve great results and was in better shape than I was in high school.

However, a desire for change led me to the gym and weightlifting became my preferred choice of exercise and rarely worked out at home. During the initial phase of the pandemic, I was forced to be reacquainted with home workouts since the gyms were closed and became creative with making them more intense. Recently, I have incorporated more home workouts into my routine on days when I do not feel like going to the gym after working on the computer all day.

With a harsh winter predicted for this year along with possibility of another lockdown in New York, I think I will be working out from more often. Continue reading my tips for working out at home.

Tips for working out at home

The following tips are based on my personal experience with home workouts and are useful for beginners and more experienced athletes.

Set goals.

Goal setting is a great way to create motivation and can help you assess your progress. It will also help you determine the type of workouts you want to do and the equipment you need.

Create a workout space.

This does not have to be a large space, but make sure it is enough room for your workout. Before I got my own place, I literally did pilates workouts between my dresser and my bed and it worked most of the time.

Schedule a time for your workout.

It is really easy to get caught up in work or watching TV instead of getting your workout in. Dedicate a time that is for exercise and hold yourself accountable.

Dress for your workouts like you would for the gym or the park.

Putting on your gym clothes will get you into an exercise mindset and motivate you for your workout. Also, it is another reason to buy more gym clothes.

Only purchase the equipment you need.

Based on your goals, you may need dumbbells or a yoga mat or both. Although it is tempting to buy every dumbbell, you probably will not use it as often as you think. I suggest purchasing adjustable dumbbells or a light and heavy set. Also, quarantine has taught us that anything and everything can be gym equipment.

If you need home gym inspiration, check out this previous post. Are you a fan of home workouts?