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Starting a workout routine can be rough in the beginning and that's the honest truth. It takes time, motivation and determination to find your routine and to stick to it. This article explains how to take the steps toward starting your own at-home workout routine.
It is great for stay-at-home moms like myself, busy bodies that don't have the time to go to a gym, or those who just wish to start a routine in the comfort of their own home.
Hopefully, this article can help you figure out what will work best for you and your lifestyle while in the comfort of being in your own home.
Dedicate a space for exercises
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| photo source: thenewdaily |
Working out at home can be hard, there are so many distractions and temptations around you which is the biggest problem why many people can't stick to a routine. Most people just get a gym membership, however many of us can't afford to get one. Instead, we take what we got and make the most of it!
If you have a quiet room to put some weights and equipment into that's great! Keep in mind though, you really don't need a large area or equipment to get a the best workout in. All you need is a space that's just big enough to do your stretches and workouts in.
I live a very small house so I've dedicated my kitchen space as my workout area, and occasionally my little living room but that's usually full of kids toys and an infant swing, only using a yoga matt and 10lb weights. The area just needs to be a specific spot that you'll continue to go back to, this helps the body and brain know that it's time to workout.
Set a time and program that works for you
Look into what times work best for you. For instance, Mondays can be upper body focused, Tuesday could be lower body points, Wednesday for mainly cardio based exercises, etc.. You can make it specific to your needs, of course!
Base your program on what you want to really focus on and what you think is more important for you, you may change it up a couple of times before finally settling into a routine that you are comfortable with. Programs include HIIT (high intensity interval training), bodyweight workouts, weight training and cardio. You will be more successful once you find a program that you enjoy!
For a simple workout schedule planner click here.
Acquire basic equipment
When looking into getting some basic equipment, the first thing you will want to purchase is a yoga matt (paid link) for a better padded surface. Since I workout in my kitchen space, the yoga matt is a huge help for the hard floor! If you are going to be working out on hard floors getting a yoga matt is a must! Your hands and knees will thank you!
Next, look into acquiring resistance bands and either kettlebells or dumbbells (paid links). Start small, maybe 5-10lbs if you're new to working out at home so you don't hurt yourself when starting and once you're ready to move up then you can increase your weights.
Start with easy workouts and build up
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When starting your workouts, start small and work yourself up. There is no need to push yourself and over due it, you'll just end up hurting yourself and we want to avoid that as much as possible.
If you go straight into adding weights instead of first mastering the moves in an exercise, you can end up working the wrong muscles. Doing this can leave you vulnerable to strain or injury. So focus first on the exercise moves, a good example is the glute bridge, for instance: if you load up with a barbell and you haven't successfully stabilized your spine and pelvis first, you can end up overworking your lower back instead of using the hips or glutes.
So start your workouts easy! You'll get there in time I assure you, take your time and learn the correct postures and moves and you'll be well on your way to better workout!
When looking for a full-body workout, make sure to hit all major parts of the body: quads, hamstrings, core, back, chest, and shoulders. Some easy workouts to start with that works these parts of the body include:
Set goals and focus on pushing yourself
Remember, if you are working out alone at home, it's common to lose motivation. Between the TV, our phones, the kids running around, the refrigerator calling your name or whatever else it may be, you have to focus on setting and pushing towards your goals!
Setting goals is great way of helping you to plan ahead, in order to get the best results you need to make these goals realistic and achievable to your lifestyle. You need to consider your fitness level, health conditions, available time and what is important to you.
Be specific too, describe what you are trying to achieve, don't just tell yourself "I want to be fit", that's to broad of a goal. Instead, ask yourself "Why do I want to be fit?" or "What area can I improve on myself?" and go from there.
For example, I would like to do at least 10 push-ups on my toes rather than my knees, this describes what I am trying to achieve and working towards that number every time I do a workout.
Your goals should be time specific as well, benchmark your progress on a calendar so that way you can see what you are working towards and this helps keep you motivated to achieving your goals!
Stay strong and focused and believe in yourself! Follow these steps and let me know how it worked out for you or what you did to help get the best workout motivation for you!
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