Adjusting Your Fitness Routine to Life at Home
The current state of events is forcing us to adjust our normal daily lives to the new circumstances, as citizens are asked to shelter in place to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. Basically every aspect of our lives needs to be “revised”, including fitness goals, to do our part to ‘flatten the curve’.
Here are ways you can successfully adjust your fitness routine so that you can keep working out well and consistently while at home:
Download a fitness app…
Download a fitness app to follow pre-created workouts, track your progress, and hold yourself accountable. To spice up your workout routine, you can try the 30-Day Workout Challenge available on the app 30-Day Fitness where you can partake in challenges and have a guide to keep you on track.
Do bodyweight exercises…
Equipment is not necessary for an effective workout, as you can get in a sweaty workout that works your muscles and boosts your flexibility just by using your own bodyweight. Popular bodyweight exercises include: squats, push-ups, mountain climbers, burpees, lateral leg raises and reverse lunges, etc.
Use things you have in the house…
You can use items that you already have in your house to boost your workouts? Fancy equipment isn’t necessary, especially when you have perfectly good items to aid your workout such as water bottles, stairs, chairs, paper plates, etc. at home. You can use paper plates as glider discs for effective muscle engagement, stairs for a cardio workout and to amp up your heel raises, water bottles for your arm exercises, and chairs as a stabilizer and stable surface for your seated full-body workout routine.
Dress the part…
While it is tempting to stay in your cozy house clothes all day, dressing the part will make you feel more motivated to get that workout in. If you love a morning workout, for example, set yourself up for success by setting out your workout clothes the night before. That way you can simply wake up, throw on your workout clothes, do your morning routine, and flow into your morning workout.
Make working out a priority…
It is always important to listen to your body and do what feels best. It may take some extra motivation, but working out especially now is an important priority to boost your overall health and your immune system. So make it a priority and really dig into your daily routine so you can figure out when you are more likely to fit in and commit to your workout routine.
Set a specific time of the day to exercise…
Many people find that they stick to something when it is part of a routine. It takes time to create a habit, and for that habit to become part of your lifestyle and routine. Set a specific time of the day to exercise so it is as engrained into your routine as your morning coffee and favorite post-work activity.
Staying motivated is very important in terms of any exercise routine, but especially in a fitness routine at home. This situation should be seen as you skipping out or missing workouts, but rather the opportunity to set new goals and/or try new forms of exercise. Be patient with yourself and be active in trying to figure out what works best for you!
***
This post was brought to you as part of a collaboration with Mary Johnson
