You might think that heading to the gym for your workout is the best way to get fit and healthy. What’s often forgotten is that when you work out at home, you make your exercise time much more sustainable.
The fact is that without travel time, combined with the fact that you’re right where your post-workout shower is, home workout routines are extremely comparable to your gym workouts. So if you’re stuck in the house or on holiday but you don’t want to disrupt your gym routine, here’s how to level up your home workout so that your gains keep on coming.
1. Switch Up Routines
You might not have 50 gym machines to choose from, but that doesn’t mean that you have to stick to the same old exercises every time you workout. Of course, it can be hard to stay motivated when you relax in the same space that you exercise. That’s why it’s even more important to switch up your routines.
Don’t stick to your favourite exercises and hope for the best. You might be content in your comfort zone, but you’re not getting the full range of exercise that your body needs. So do those lunges, switch to some HIIT, and then do some cardio.
The goal is to keep your body from getting too comfortable with the same routines. Keep surprising your body with different muscle group workouts and the results will be as effective as even the most vigorous gym workout.
2. Take Rest Days
When you start working out at home, you immediately run out of excuses to not exercise. There’s no reason not to exercise because you don’t even have to leave the house! All you have to do is decide to start your workout and then get to it.
The problem is that when it’s so easy to exercise, the temptation is to let enthusiasm beat common sense. Not many people are a fan of the rest day, but they’re as important a part of your health training as those weight lifting and cardio sessions.
It’s when you allow your body to rest that your muscles can start to repair themselves. Get your rest days right and you will get stronger, faster. Make sure that you treat any sore muscles with natural pain relief remedies, put your feet up, and don’t beat yourself up for taking those rest days.
3. Get Rid Of Distractions
It’s safe to say that working out from home is very convenient. The problem is that it’s also where we’re the most comfortable and surrounded by creature comforts and loved ones. Distractions will lower your workout game, and may even ruin your motivation entirely.
That’s why you must get rid of as many distractions as possible. Put your phone on silent, keep the family away, and get your workout playlist on as loud as you’re allowed. The fewer distractions you have, the easier it is to stay in the zone.
Don’t start working out when you know you have household chores to do. Get those chores done before you put on your gym clothes so that you have no pressure on your time. The more you can focus on your home workout, the easier it will be to reach your goals.
4. Staying Hydrated
It’s second nature by now to take your water bottle to the gym with you. At home, you’d think that overlooking our water needs is unlikely, but you’d be surprised. We’re used to relaxing in our living space, and that tends to mean more hot drinks (or alcohol in the evenings).
If you struggle to stay hydrated even when you’re not working out, it’s going to be all too easy to forget to drink more water before, during, and after your home workouts. Don’t forget that you’re still going to be losing water when you work out at home, just as much as you do in the gym.
Use your water bottle if it makes you feel more like you’re in the gym if you need to. Whatever it takes to keep yourself hydrated, get it done and your exercise routine will only benefit you.
5. Equipment Worries
If there’s one barrier that prevents most people from having a beneficial home workout, it’s the fact that so few of us have expensive gym equipment at home. If going to the gym is suddenly not an option, it’s likely that you’ve frantically scrolled through Google lists of gym equipment that you can’t live without.
Before you hand over cash for that rowing machine, bars, and weights, there are alternatives. The first, and most important, is that bodyweight exercises are often vastly underestimated. That’s especially true if you’re already lifting massive weights in the gym.
The truth is that there’s no need to invest in that expensive gym equipment. You may need to up your sets and your reps, but bodyweight exercises are a proven way to build your strength and power, and you already have everything you need to get started.
Home Workouts: Level Up Now
Never overlook how effective home workouts can be. While there’s certainly something motivational about walking into the gym, you can recreate those motivational levels even in your home. Don’t dismiss your established exercise plan just because the gym itself is suddenly a no-go.
Instead, shake up that routine, adapt it to your environment, and find alternate exercises for the muscle groups that you want to focus on that day. Get your prep and your mindset right, and you could find that you never want to go to the gym again.
