Exercising At Home – What You Might Need To Get Started

They say that exercise is good for both your body and mind and they would be absolutely right. It helps us to stay healthy and keep our mind focused. For many, it is an important part of their daily or weekly routine and it has never been more important especially over the last few months and with many of us now in the second lockdown of the year our wellness and mental well being have taken a big setback and need to be looked after.

Many of us already exercise at home or in the gym but with new restrictions in place keeping a routine has been hard work. Perhaps you are new to exercising from home and have no idea where to start, don’t let that put you off though as it is relatively easy and doesn’t have to be costly.

Working out from home has many advantages in that it’s cheaper than a gym membership, it takes less time as you don’t need to commute to and from your workout and it can be done around family commitments (great if you have young children who nap or a parent with no help on hand and unable to leave the house).

If you are new to exercising there are a few things you need to take into consideration. This post is aimed at people who are wanting to start exercising at home from a beginners point of view.

Space – you don’t need a massive amount of space to work out from home unless you are wanting to buy gym equipment (that is a whole different story as you will need lots of space for this). We don’t have a lot of space in our home but I workout in the living room or garden when the weather is nice enough.

A workout

Decide on the workout you’d like to try. I find HIIT workouts work best for me and alternate between 30 day shred and PIYO as they work my whole body, require little equipment and space. I did try the couch to 5k running app too but found that running wasn’t really for me- that being said I will try again in the new year as we have a lovely playing field at the bottom of our road that is perfect for this. Many workouts are a subscription service but often have free trials attached to them so you can try them before you are tied into a long term contract. You may find that the first workout isn’t for you but don’t give up it really is just finding the one that you enjoy.

Equipment

I’ve already mentioned that you don’t need a lot of equipment to workout from home. You don’t need to spend lots of money on workout clothing especially in the first month or so of starting your exercise from home but I would suggest ladies invest in a supportive sports bra as this will make all the difference and enable you to work out comfortably. Some workouts can be done barefoot others you might need to wear trainers – look at the required list before you start.

When I first started my 30 day shred I bought a pair of light hand weights – these are needed for all levels of the workout and once you get used to using them you can always invest in a heavier weight if you wish. It’s always handy to have a bottle of water and towel close to hand.

Although not all workouts need you to use one I would suggest you buy a yoga mat as this will save your knees if you have laminate or hardwood flooring in your home and you’re required to do press ups (I always do mine on my knees to save impact on my wrists). To give you something to focus on whilst in your yoga positions why not buy a yoga mat that has a special place on it. I’d love one that features the New York skyline as it would remind me of our wedding day and best holiday ever.

Routine

For me this is the hardest part of exercising. If I don’t get up earlier in the morning and do my workout it doesn’t get done as something always crops up. When the boys were small I used to exercise when James had his nap but now they are all at school I spend my day working or doing housework so I just find it easier to get up and do it before everyone else wakes. do what is best for you though – you might find it easier to exercise once the kids are at school or in bed or now whilst we are on lockdown in the middle of the day when you might normally be at work.

Music

Although my workouts have instructors and their own soundtracks once I know the routine I find I exercise better with my own music and have a special playlist that I created just for working out. I use the workout as a guide and go from there – I find this passes the time quicker too. If you are planning to make up your own routine and music playlist ensure the songs are upbeat to help keep you focused although you can have calming songs for your warm ups and cool downs.

Are you planning to start working out at home anytime soon?

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