Working Out At Home
Overcoming the common challenges that comes with doing workouts at home.
We have all had the grand idea.
"I will get the workouts done at home! It will be easier to workout there anyway. I am there when I have the time too. BRILLIANT!!"
It is only in the time after we have committed to this amazing idea that we realize that there are way more challenges to this than expected. Some of the most common include:
- Motivating ourselves - either in the morning, after work, or any other time.
- Actually fitting the workouts in - who knew you were as busy as you are.
- Finding the space or the equipment - or both...what will you actually use anyway?
- or, What exercises to do in your workouts - Is a step up even an exercise???
In this article, we give you a few ways to overcome each of these challenges and set you up for success.
You Got This!!
Where Do I Find The Motviation?
Motivating yourself can come in a variety of ways and we all have different tactics that work.
You have probably heard a few of them before. Find a accountability partner is a good example. Having to tell someone that you did not succeed is pretty motivating for many of us because we don't want to let anyone down.
A tactic that you may not have heard before is to use music.
Yup, MUSIC!
Some songs are great at getting you pumped up. They make you want to move anyway, so why not use that to get yourself going for a workout.
Some of my favorites include "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift, and "Best Day Of My Life" by the American Authors.
The right song will make energy appear and give you enough to get going!
With What Time?
"I don't have enough time, I'm just too busy...."
Lies.
I have no doubt that you believe this and I'm sure that your day is packed quite full.
There is time to get some sort of workout in, I promise.
To overcome this common challenge, we suggest you start with short, 5 minute workouts. You can go deeper into this subject by reading the Find Time To Exercise article. These short workouts are not long enough to see big results, but they are enough to prove that you can fit something in and some is WAAAAAYYYY better than none.
If you can find time to do a 5 minute workout, what is stopping you from a 10 minute workout?
Before you know it, you will find that you have time for 30 minutes and that will get you to the recommended amount of exercise before you realize it.
Start small, something is better than nothing.
Your new found fitness will get you energized to try something new. "Get Started ...." will help you jump into some of our favorite sports.
No Equipment, No Space
"But Sensei, I don't have ________"
Then don't do exercises that require ________.
There are so many exercises out there. Some need whole football fields and others need a narrow hallway. There are plenty of ways to adapt to get a great workout in.
Obviously, I don't want you to do anything that forces you to take on a lot of risk (say...box jumps on your balcony railing for example), but between your living room, kitchen, and the space outside, there is room somewhere.
Equipment can be another story, but I'm guessing you have more then you think.
- Walls, counters, chairs, and benches all make great platforms to help with things like push ups or chair dips.
- Stairs in the house or outside can help you with step up, box jumps, and offer a great cardio push.
- Gallons of water and milk or bags full of books and what-have-you are a good way to add weight to different exercises without having dumbbells or the like.
These are not the best case scenarios but we all live in the real world and best case rarely is this case.
It can often pay to "Deviate From The Plan"
But, What Do I Do?
You don't need to be a personal trainer to build yourself a workout.
It is better to be moving than not, so if you don't know the "right" exercise to do, just do an exercise.
In an effort to remain injury free, you need to make sure you're listening to your body and taking the feedback it is giving you. This means that if you are feeling a bad kind of pain you should stop, not keep going because "it isn't that bad."
Exercise should make you sore. You should feel like you did something when you are done. They should not send shooting or sharp pains into joints or anywhere else.
If something doesn't feel right, move on. You can always find a different workout.
When in doubt, there are plenty of online programs to follow.
Conclusion
No challenge is insurmountable, with the right tactics and good planning you can make it happen.
Make the motivation appear, show yourself that the time is available, do things you do have room and equipment for, and moving is better than not so don't stress what exercise is next.
I said it above, but it needs repeating. You Got This!