Home Work-Outs – An Alternative To The Gym

Many people think that they need to go to the gym to keep fit, and while a gym is good for fitness levels, because they offer a variety of equipment, it is also possible to work out at home.

This article explains the benefits of home work-outs, as well as suggesting a few types of exercise you can do without having to become a member of your local gym.

Five Reasons Why You Should Do Home Work-Outs

If you can’t make it to a gym, don’t be disheartened – home work-outs can be just as effective and they offer a range of unique benefits:

1. It costs less to work out.

   Forget expensive memberships – it costs almost nothing to work out at home!

   Depending on the type of exercise you are hoping to engage in, there may be an initial upfront investment for equipment, but after that, there will be no specific costs for exercising.

2. It doesn’t require as much time.

   If you’re short on time, home work-outs will benefit you because the overall time you need for exercising will be reduced given there is no travel time.

   You can squeeze in a session whenever it suits you. Got 30 minutes between commitments? No problem – that’s plenty of time to fit in a 20-minute HIIT session or pilates video.

3. You can wear whatever you like.

   Deciding what to wear to the gym can be challenging – you want something that looks decent enough to wear in public, but also something that can handle the sweat. You also want to make sure that the outfit is flattering for the various exercises you are likely to be doing at the gym.

   When you exercise at home, however, none of this matters – all you need to do is find something that’s comfortable.

4. The music choice is entirely up to you.

   Sick of the same repetitive playlist at your gym? Or maybe it’s simply not to your taste? At home, you are the DJ, which means you can choose whatever tunes help you to get motivated to work up a sweat – and you don’t need to accommodate anybody else.

5. You will have more time to focus on your diet.

   Diet is such a huge part of health, but many people hit the gym without changing their diet and then wonder why they aren’t seeing results.

   Given that you won’t be travelling to and from the gym, you’ll have more time to focus on your diet, so use this time to create fresh, healthy meals with lots of fruit and vegetables.

Five Tips For Working Out At Home

One downside to working out at home is that it can be easy to get into bad habits – if there’s nobody there to keep you accountable, how do you remain motivated to exercise?

Well, there are a few things that can help:

1. Make a work-out plan.

   A work-out plan is a great way to keep you committed to exercise.

   Map out your week and the sessions you hope to complete. This way, you will have a specific activity rather than trying to think about what to do when that day comes around.

   And if it’s written down on paper, you are more likely to commit to it rather than never getting around to it.

   A plan is also a good way to make sure you are doing a variety of activities that suit your lifestyle and will help you to achieve your goals.

2. Schedule in time.

   If you have an exercise plan, it’s important that you make time for it, so assess your weekly schedule and allocate specific spots for your work-outs.

   Commit to these times and don’t allow other commitments to take their place.

   And if you absolutely have to fit something else in, because life happens, rearrange your schedule to accommodate your exercise plans. Keeping them locked in your diary means it is harder to make the excuse of not having enough time.

3. Create a space.

   Set up an area for working out at home. Many at-home work-outs don’t require equipment, but if you do have some pieces, make sure they are all available where you can reach them.

   You don’t necessarily need a whole heap of room but a designated space will get you in the mood for a work-out.

4. Keep things interesting.

   Mix things up, because you don’t want to get bored with your exercise routine, so keep things interesting by incorporating a range of different exercises and activities.

5. Stay accountable.

   Find ways to keep yourself accountable.

   Putting things in writing is one good way to stay on track – but you also might need to seek the help of a friend.

   Even if they aren’t working out with you, they can still help you to stay committed by checking in with you to make sure you completed your work-out.

   And if you make an excuse, they can give you a pep talk to help you get back on schedule.

Five Work-Outs You Can Do At Home To Keep Fit And Healthy

So, what types of work-out can you do without having to go to the gym?

Here are a few suggestions for you:

1. Bodyweight cardio.

   Many people believe it’s hard to get their cardio in without getting outside or going to the gym, but there are plenty of ways to get your heart rate up indoors!

   A combination of exercises like burpees, squats, mountain climbers, push-ups, and tricep dips use nothing but bodyweight and yet are entirely effective.

2. Bodyweight strength.

   Like bodyweight cardio work-outs, bodyweight strength sessions use no special equipment – all you need is yourself and a space to exercise.

   This type of work-out focuses on building muscles rather than purely getting your heart rate up.

   Exercises such as planks, handstand holds, wall walks, squats, lunges, push-ups, and glute bridges are really good for building strength.

3. High Intensity Interval Training.

   HIIT, as it’s commonly known, has a lot of evidence supporting its ability to boost metabolism and build strength, but all in less time than the traditional work-out!

   The focus is on short, hard sessions to get your blood pumping. Work-outs range in duration (some starting from as short as five minutes!) but use a range of exercises to target different areas of the body.

   You can find plenty of videos on YouTube, and this book may get you going.

4. Pilates.

   Pilates is a type of work-out designed to strengthen muscles, improve posture, and increase flexibility.

   It is low impact so is suitable for most abilities, although if you’ve never done pilates, you will want to start with a beginner class to ensure you get the moves right.

   Pilates is all about technique so it’s important that you learn correctly from the beginning.

   If you are looking for an at-home pilates class, there is no shortage of online options, including, as always, YouTube. You may also find this book a great place to start.

5. Running.
   
   OK. this one isn’t actually in your house or on your property exactly (unless you have the luxury of living on land), but it can still be done without equipment.

   If you need to get out of the house and get some fresh air, go for a run – it’s great for fitness and health and you don’t need a gym to do it.

Conclusion

So, working out from home is not only beneficial in various ways, but it’s easy to find exercises that can give your body the same type of work-out as you might get at the gym.

And even if you’re short on time (e.g. you’re a busy parent), you can still try to find ten minutes here and there to do a short work-out, because anything is often better than nothing.

Don’t forget too that you can look for local providers of some of these options (e.g. HIIT, Pilates) if you want – but you don’t need to.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. HIIT
2. Pilates