6 Tips to Successfully Workout at Home
Do you know you need to workout more? Do you struggle with how to workout at home? These 6 tips to successfully workout at home from an expert will help!
It started for me in late December 2014, after a really crazy season with the business, including lots of work and trips, I knew something had to change. I wasn’t sure what to do, but I knew that I needed to start taking care of myself.
Many days I woke early, around 5 a.m., went straight to my office, and there I sat for hours and hours, without getting up hardly for a drink of water, let alone to get anything healthy to eat. About 5 or 6, I decided that I better get dinner ready, so I would head to the kitchen and throw something together. Or I would continue working and have Doug fix dinner. Then about 8 or 9 I would be so exhausted that I would head to bed, turn on the television and fall asleep, only to toss and turn all night. Then wake again and do it all over again.
Does that rat race sound familiar? I hope it doesn’t. It was all too real for me.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE what I do, but it’s a ton of work. And it’s tiring work as well.
So the big question, how was I going to change??
Small steps.
I started by reading self improvement books and changing my morning routine to include taking care of myself.
Then a couple months after that, I found a chiropractor to help me figure out why I could not get rid of the headache I had for almost a year (yes, you read that right).
After that, I started to add in taking supplements and eating better. Then I added in walking every day. You can follow along with my morning walk on my personal Instagram account, or follow #HHGetsHealthy on Instagram. I share shots of inspiration along my walking path.
The small steps have definitely added up. I’m a long way from where I want to be, but I have also come a long way. Let’s face it, it’s hard to reverse the damage that happened over 20 years of not taking care of myself.
Late last year, I added yoga into my routine. I don’t take the time everyday to do yoga, although I should, but I try to fit it in at least 3 days per week. I found a yoga instructor on YouTube that I like really well. There are many on there, and it’s free.
Earlier this year, I decided I needed to try something else, so I asked my middle son, Nick, who just graduated from college, to put together a workout for me. He was home for a weekend, so we went shopping and bought a set of resistant bands.
I began by doing the routine he suggested after my morning walk. And now I have decided to add in another level! So he went shopping with me again, and helped me pick out a weight bench and weights.
I asked Nick to share with you his 6 tips to successfully workout at home. He graduated last Spring from college with a degree in Exercise Science, then took his personal training test in August (passing with flying colors). And he is now the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at Manchester University, training the athletes where he graduated college from.
Here are his tips:
- Establish a goal
- The first and most important step is to establish a goal. A goal gives you something to strive for and something to track your progress against.
- Write your goal down! You are more likely to reach your goal if you write it down and keep it somewhere you will see daily.
2. Create a plan or routine
- Now that you have a goal, how are you going to reach that goal? Creating a plan is one of the most important steps in achieving your goal. Keep the plan simple and track your progress each step of the way.
- In addition to your plan, create a daily routine. We are more likely to stick with something new if we perform it at the same time each day. This means set time aside for your workout, a time that you can workout every day and stick to it.
3. Have a space
- Establish a space to workout in. This space can be your office, garage, or even living room. The key is to limit distractions. Workout at a time where you have some quiet time to yourself, put your phone away, and focus on bettering yourself.
4. Be consistent and accountable
- Whether a workout plan is successful or not comes down to two things, being consistent and being accountable. Progress is not going to come overnight, but be consistent in your effort and the results will come. In the same way, be accountable for your actions. If you don’t workout one day, it’s not the end of the world. Get back on track the next day and create a habit.
5. Be willing to change and adapt
- Setbacks are inevitable, everyone goes through them at one time or another. Your plan isn’t going to be perfect. So be willing to change and adapt as you progress through your fitness journey. If a plan doesn’t work, don’t just give up. Change something, adapt to the situation, and keep working towards your goals.
6. Have fun and enjoy yourself
- Above everything else, have fun and enjoy yourself. Remember the reason you started and don’t quit. It will be hard work, but in the end it will be worth it.
Tiki always thinks she needs to help me!
I hope these 6 tips help you as much as they have helped me!
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