You do not have to go out or spend a lot of money to get fit. You can exercise at home using the space, tools, pieces of furniture, or any item at your disposal. A water bottle, for example, can be used as weights while a chair can support you as you do triceps dip. The floor is always available whenever you need to do planks and push-ups.
For those who want to start their fitness journey at home, here are a few tips to guide you.
Find the Exercise Routine You Like
Even if you have a gym membership, it is difficult to feel motivated to exercise regularly if you do not enjoy the workout. You would dread waking up in the morning knowing that you have to do burpees, for example, or doing squats if you dislike doing it. You will put it off repeatedly until, one day, you will stop exercising altogether.
A routine you like, on the other hand, will get you excited. It will have to experiment with different routines to find what works for your best.
For some, sporting activities provide the perfect amount of physical exercise. You may need waterproof epoxy for concrete to create a smoother surface if you want to use your garage or backyard to play basketball, badminton, tennis, softball, etc. For these activities, you would need to acquire additional equipment like a ball, a hoop or a net, and rackets as well as have ample space in your home where you can move around.
Schedule Your Exercise
Set aside an hour or two out of your day for working out and write it down your planner. Plan it in advance. If something comes up, schedule it right away.
Scheduling your workouts will nudge you to do it. It is more effective than saying that you will exercise on a certain day. You will end up doing something else or forgetting it altogether.
Find an Exercise Partner
Your fitness journey will be more fun with a partner supporting you along the way. A friend, for example, can cheer on you and push you to beat your personal records. You are also less likely to make excuses when you have an exercise partner waiting on you.
Your exercise partner does not have to be physically present in the room. Many people have started working out with a friend over Zoom.
Track Your Progress
Seeing how your body is changing through exercise will motivate you to keep going. You can measure your body, check your weight, and take pictures of yourself after every workout. This will help you see improvements.
There are also several fitness apps that can help you record how many steps you have made, the distance you traveled, and the calories you have burned.
Keep Challenging Yourself
Over time, your current exercise routine will become easier and easier for you to do as your muscle get stronger. When that happens, you will stop seeing improvement.
That is why it is important for you to gradually increase the difficulty of the exercise. If you are doing wall push-ups, you have to transition to doing push-ups on a bench or a chair and, eventually, on the floor. If you have been doing 20 squats per day, you will have to start adding weights to make it more challenging.
Most importantly, exercising should be part of your daily routine. In the beginning, you might not feel motivated to exercise but, once it becomes a habit, it will be easier. However, you have to do it regularly for it to become a habit. Follow the tips above and start your fitness journey.
