Staying fit recently has been more difficult than usual for a number of reasons including exercise facility closures, bad weather, lack of motivation due to struggling with mental health and just simply being overwhelmed by the state of the world right now and too busy to find the time! We have been staying at home for almost a year now, and whilst this is essential to keep ourselves and others safe, it may be having a negative effect on both your physical and mental health.
With the many lockdowns and countless tier changes, it seems that gyms have been closed more often than not, and for those who rely on sporting facilities to get their exercise in perhaps on their lunch break or after work, these closures may have meant they have almost completely stopped exercising.
Unfortunately it doesn’t look like gyms or swimming pools will be reopening any time soon and many people have turned to home workouts instead. The sales of exercise mats, weights, resistance bands, skipping ropes and even treadmills and exercise bikes has risen exponentially however you can still get a great workout in with no equipment at all.
If you’re not quite into the swing of home workouts, don’t think that you’ve got the time or have no idea where to start, don’t worry! It’s never too late to start making small changes and even just increasing your activity levels and exercise by a couple of minutes each day could make a real difference to your health and wellbeing.
Many parents may think they never have the time or opportunity to train at home, with endless housework and children to look after. At Yoopies we are here for this very reason: find a cleaner or babysitter online to give you some time to yourself at home and even find some time to workout at home!
Contents:
- Find the right motivation to start
- Go step by step without overdoing it
- Establish a training plan
- Use the equipment you have around the house
- Use online training programs and apps
- Pay attention to nutrition
1. Find the right motivation to start
In general, one of the most difficult but crucial steps is finding the motivation to start exercising regularly. Whether it is complete lockdown or one of the lower tiers, the current situation can be difficult to cope with and the uncertain nature of the pandemic can make sticking to a routine much harder than normal. From getting a good nights sleep, to controlling our unhealthy eating habits, life in lockdown is undoubtably tough, however it is more important than ever to keep healthy.
Put yourself in a better mood:
Whilst everything is so uncertain, exercise and healthy eating is something that you can take control of and once you start you will quickly reap the rewards. Exercise helps release more endorphins and can therefore be a real mood booster, if you are struggling to get going try and think about the post-workout feeling and how satisfying it is to know that you have done something productive and positive today.
Positive mental attitude:
Rather than focussing on all the exercise we cannot do without the gyms or swimming pools, think of all the benefits of home workouts. Firstly they take less time and are easy to start, with no travel time and minimal preparation necessary all you have to do is put on sportswear and pull out an exercise mat. Working out in the comfort of your own home means that you are free from judging eyes, there is no need to worry about your outfit or how you look, just get the workout done! Finally it is a whole lot cheaper to work out from home than paying an expensive gym membership, don’t wait until you have to pay to work out, why not start now!
2. Take it slowly
If you decide to start working out, you may want to see results immediately and over exert yourself with the hopes of drastically changing your body and feeling fit from the very first workout. Unfortunately it doesn’t really work like that and it takes time and consistency to see physical changes. Your mental health however could see the immediate benefits of working out, from sleeping better to feeling more energetic and positive, why not work out for your mental health as much as your physical health.
In order to stay motivated, our advice is to go step by step and start slowly. Set yourself a realistic target of say three workouts a week and then increase it once you’ve completed this rather than falling short of initial targets. If you haven’t exercised for a few months, it is essential to respect your body and ensure you give yourself enough rest. Start with gentle workouts and always remember to warm up, warm down and stretch so that you don’t injure yourself. If your first workout is only 10 minutes long because you can’t do any more, that’s fine. The important thing is to get started and maintain the motivation to continue in the following weeks and months.
3. Follow a training plan
Before you begin, make sure you are healthy and in the right physical condition to train. If you are not sure if you are ready, we recommend that you carry out a small medical check-up to verify your fitness for training.
First, set goals you want to achieve: it may be that you are interested in reaching a certain weight or even being able to train a certain number of times a week. Whatever this goal is, write it down and always keep it in mind, to keep yourself motivated and always remember why you decided to start training. Then move on to planning your workouts and prepare a weekly or monthly training plan, noting the days of the week or month in which you intend to train.
A great idea is to write everything down on a calendar, then also noting the post-workout feelings (am I more tired than usual? Did I push myself? Could I increase my weights or reps?) to keep track of your progress and your physical health. If you do not have much knowledge about exercise and training there are thousands of training plans available online, many for free, that take into account different factors, such as ability, age, equipment and space available or your preferences on the type of training.
Don’t be discouraged if at first it is difficult for you to follow the plan you have created: the important thing is to stick to it for a few weeks and then perhaps try something new if you see no improvements. It can take time to find out what works for you, trying different workouts until you find one you like but stick at it and you’re sure to find an enjoyable type of exercise. Remember it doesn’t just have to be burpees and press ups, dancing and walking are great forms of exercise too!
4. Make do with what equipment you already have
Before you rush out to make a potentially expensive purchase of brand new workout equipment, why not search around the house for an abandoned tennis racket, exercise mat or resistance band. If you don’t have the necessary equipment there are household items that work as alternatives, such as bags of heavy groceries instead of weights and the stairs instead of an exercise step! If you start to enjoy the exercise you are doing, then some inexpensive equipment that you might invest in are: weights, a medicine ball, a resistance band, or a skipping rope.
Our advice is to start using what you have at home, without buying tools and gear before you even start in order to actually establish a workout routine before spending your money on things you may end up not using without the right motivation. Remember there are so many exercises that do not require any equipment so don’t let the fact that you do not own a home gym set up put you off!
5. Use online training programs and apps
Nowadays the internet is full of free and low cost training programs, from tailored and personalised apps to famous free programs like couch to 5k and Joe Wick 15 minute workouts on YouTube. Online programs and app are mostly made up of recorded videos that can be watched at any time and are very easy to follow along. Take your time to research a program that looks right for you and try out a couple of different sessions before committing to the course. Many of the programs are 8-12 weeks long which can be great motivation as you have an end goal in sight and something to work towards.
6. Pay attention to nutrition
Many people think that those who do a lot of sport can get away with eating whatever they want however it is actually your nutrition that affects you weight more than exercise in most cases. Whilst exercising has a whole host of other benefits, good nutrition is vital for maintaining a healthy weight and can help you feel more energetic and happier too.
For those who struggle with nutrition, there are dieticians and nutritionalists out there to provide professional advice but if you think you are able to manage yourself and you know how to take care of your body you could try to challenge yourself to get back on track if you have been falling into unhealthy habits recently.
Start by making small changes such as ensuring you drink at least 2 litres of water a day and have 5 portions of fruit and vegetables. Food tracking apps are very common nowadays but use with caution as they can lead to obsessive behaviour. For those who have no idea on the amount of calories in certain foods, they can be good to use for a few weeks to learn about the nutritional make up of food and get a general idea on how to eat healthily. Whilst there are many diets out there to follow, it is important to not restrict or over indulge yourself too much but just to find a healthy balance that works for you.