Effective Home Workouts

By Sheila m. clancy mS, cheS

Exercise is a necessary part of becoming or staying healthy. While many people like to head to the gym to do their workout, other people are finding themselves wanting or needing to workout at home. You can get a great workout at home if you set aside some time and make yourself a plan. Everyone’s workouts can be different depending on many different variables-do you have equipment, do you have space, will you be inside or outside, what time of the day will you exercise, and do you need help with the plan? Let’s dive in!

If you have the money and the space, you can invest in home equipment. This could include a tread- mill, elliptical, bike, a rower or a home gym weight machine system. These items can cost between $2000 and $8000 so make sure you like the machine you buy! If you would rather buy a few less costly items, you could try battle ropes, a BOSU, a stability ball, a TRX suspension system, a rebounder, dumbbells, a bench or bands.

Don’t forget to make your workout area comfortable. Are you going to be excited to go into the cold and dark basement at 5 a.m. by yourself to get a great workout? Yes, there are people that do like that, but figure out if that works for you! Would you rather a room that gets natural sunlight and has bright col- ors? Is there enough room for you to jump around? Do you need a space heater to warm it up, or a window that you can open to cool it down? Is there a TV to watch a guided workout or to catch the news before you start your day? Also, make sure if you are going to be jumping around that you are not in an area where you will wake up or annoy the other people in the house.

The best time of the day to workout is really whenever it works for you. If you are a morning person, you can get it done before you start your day. If you need to go through your day first and can workout after work when you aren’t pressured for time, that is great. If you can’t find 30 straight minutes to exercise, you will still get the same benefits if you break up your workouts into three 10-minute sessions or two 15-minute sessions. You could do 15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise in the morning and then hop in the shower to start your day and then do 15 minutes of weight training at the end of the day or at lunchtime.

Finally, find some guidance. Being on the basketball team in high school does not make you an expert in creating an exercise program for yourself. Look through some books, go to reputable websites, and investigate the new apps that are available.

For example, BeachBody is a website that can offer you all sorts of classes and programs that can provide you structure and guidance for your routine. Peloton, although best known for their bikes, offers a robust app with all sorts of classes that can be filtered by activity, instructor, time frame etc. Even when you find a workout that you love, it’s important that after 10-12 weeks you change it up a bit. Your body adapts to your routine and then you don’t see as many benefits and your risk for overuse injuries begins to increase.

There’s no rule that says working out at home needs to be done alone. Find a buddy to exercise with you, such as a family member or neighbor. This can make it more fun; it can give you quality time with your buddy, and it can make you feel more accountable. Adding your favorite music while exercising can pump you up or give you something to sing along to while walking on the treadmill. No matter what it takes, it is important that exercise is a part of your routine.

Does all of this sound overwhelming to you? If so, start small. If you work from home and are home all day, try adding these small activities to your day. Do calf raises while brushing your teeth. How about 20 squats while your coffee is brewing? Walk up and down the stairs a few times before you sit down to start working. After a Zoom call, get down on the floor for push-ups or crunches. Before lunch try a walk around the block for 5 minutes. These are all things that can add activity to your day and start you on the path to home exercise! No matter what your situation, make a change in your routine to add in some exercise. It will give you a physical and mental break and increase your energy so you can get through your work and do the things you enjoy too.