Stay Fit While Staying Home
Finding the motivation to work out can be extremely difficult, especially when you don’t have a workout plan already in place. The dynamic of going to the gym has changed tremendously over the last year, and many adults are coming to the conclusion that working out from home is the safest and most convenient option.
How can you stay on top of your health and fitness goals without your local gym and machine exercises? Working from home may look different for most people, and often the best way to stay motivated to work out before or after a long day is a consistent plan. These tips are here to get you started on the right track.
The Benefits of Using Bodyweight Workouts
Bodyweight exercises are a form of strength exercise that doesn’t require any weights or extra equipment. Bodyweight workouts are proven to improve your overall strength while also enhancing your endurance and confidence. While working out from home, convenience is a huge factor; these exercises don’t require any extra cost and can be customized and modified to fit any workout level. Lastly, these bodyweight exercises are a great way to keep your heart rate up. Doing 20 squat jumps or 10 bodyweight push ups will keep your cardiovascular system pumping.
How to Get the Most Out of Bodyweight Workouts
Technique becomes exceptionally crucial when using only bodyweight exercises to work out. Everyone’s fitness levels are different, and bodyweight challenges are beneficial for all fitness levels. Bodyweight movements replicate your daily movement patterns, which will help you succeed in your everyday actions.
Here are our top five tips to get the most out of your bodyweight workouts:
- Focus on your core
- Add a progression program
- Increase your repetition
- Change the tempo
- Nail down your form
Online Exercise Programs (Free)
There are many free resources available for you to begin your journey of working out from home. Online Youtube series offer you the ability to follow along with an experienced trainer and have accountability while working out from home. Each of these programs focuses on different activity levels and goals. Experimenting with these programs will help you find the plan that best fits your lifestyle and needs.
Free online training programs:
- Nike Training Club app
- Fitness Blender
- Well&Tight 6 Week Training Program
- Down Dog HIIT
- Do Yoga With Me
- Fit Squad Training
- Body Barre Fitness & Training Studio
- Fuel Training Club
At-home Bodyweight Exercise Examples
Most exercise machines offer you the ability to work out a specific muscle group but lack the ability to enhance your balance and stability. Rather than using multiple muscle groups, your mind and body are focused on using one specific group. Here are a few replacement exercises for your typical in-gym machine workouts.
Leg Press vs. Single Leg Squat (SLS)
Both of these exercises call out your core leg muscles, but single-leg squats focus on using those muscles to not only hold your weight up but also keep you steady and balanced throughout the movement. To do a single-leg squat, balance on one leg while keeping your opposite leg straight out and knee locked. Once you’re balanced in this position, slowly bend the leg holding your weight,  with the goal of reaching your butt as close to the ground as possible.
Seated Chest Press vs. Push Ups
Push ups engage more than just your arms, like the typical chest press. While doing a push up, you must engage your core, legs, and mind to keep your body balanced and straight. There are many different variations of this exercise that you can do in order to make push ups more difficult, depending on your fitness level. For example, placing your feet up on a chair, bench, or couch will put more pressure on your upper body muscles to do the work.
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press vs. Handstand Push Up
A great bodyweight workout to replace overhead dumbbell press is a simple handstand or handstand push up. To find your level of difficulty, start with a handstand (you can use a wall or family member to help you balance), and from there, attempt a push up or hold your handstand for an extended period of time. This exercise will work your shoulder and back muscle groups while also improving your balance and stability.
Beginning your workout journey is the hardest part. Once you find a dedicated space and stick to a routine that works best for you, you’re on track to jumpstarting your health and building habits you can stick to long term.
References: Train Heroic, CBC, MyFitnessPal Blog
