10 tips for your best home workout

Home workouts have always had advantages, even before social distancing health imperatives, says Dr. Tim Degan, a Fellowship Trained Sports Medicine Surgeon at The CORE Institute. Convenience tops the list. Forget commuting; just go into your designated exercise area. Plus, you can travel with most home routines. Here are some suggestions to reap the most benefits from working out at home.

Tips for Your Best Home Workout

By Joan Kay Westlake

CREATE YOUR WORKOUT

1Make a plan with set appointments as to when you are going to work out. Remember 6Prepare your workout area so you have ample room to exercise without knocking into walls and things.

establishing a habit takes at least 21 days, so stay the course.

2Choose fun. Don’t pursue a routine you hate just because it worked for someone else. Swim, climb stairs, put up a basketball net, or play outdoors with your kids. 7Target your cardio at a vigorous pace. The goal is 30 minutes a day, but you can break the total 30 minutes into shorter segments if you must. Get your heart rate up but stay in tune with your body and how hard you are working, don’t just compare to numbers.

3Consult an expert such as a physician or fitness professional if you haven’t been active in awhile or have health issues such as diabetes, arthritis, or previous injuries. 8Dress comfortably but with common sense. For example, weight lifting in flip flops, while it may be comfortable it is also very unsafe.

4Perform exercises correctly. Injuries result when you aren’t executing a movement properly. If you have not worked out recently, consider a one-on-one consulting session. 9Warm-up slowly. Don’t launch into big stretches, squats, and other stressors on ligaments, joints and muscles. A five-minute stroll or easy bicycle pedal works fine.

5Find a workout buddy. Dr. Degan shares that his wife in Arizona and her sister in Florida take virtual classes together. Someone holding you accountable makes a big difference in your adherence. 10Include strength training at least twice a week, engaging all your muscle groups. You want to build muscles, which burn calories even after you stop exercising.

Heavyweights aren’t required; you can use your body weight.

Tim Degan, DO, is a Fellowship Trained Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine. His interest in the field grew from his own experience as a football player at the University of Montana and as a physician for a number of athletic teams, including Texas A&M University.

“The right routine builds cardio fitness, strength and endurance, and is the one you enjoy enough to stick with,” he concludes. “Just keep moving. It is important to be active for your best health.”