You can always do your thing somewhere outside, like in a park, by a river, or up on a rooftop of an apartment complex, if you have access. However, some days going outside is not an option. Maybe the weather is horrible, or maybe people stare at you. Many folks report embarrassment as one of the biggest reasons why they hate going to a regular gym, and you can read all about these different mind blocks here.
So, a home gym might be the way to go! But in the comfiness of your own home, it can be really hard to keep your motivation up. So, we prepared some tips for you to help solve that issue!
Have an exercise-only space set up
If you intend to use your residence as your gym substitute, make it as serious as possible. You need to get an atmosphere going that will instruct your brain to flip the switch and go into dedicated workout mode.
The ideal scenario would be to set aside a whole room for it. If you can have a type of “enclosure”, you can get more of a gym feeling. Moreover, it would give you much more freedom in organizing storage.
You could keep your tools and accessories in one corner, towels in a handy spot, instructional DVDs on a nearby shelf, heavy equipment on separate racks, some water nearby, and set up a dedicated basket for the small miscellanea.
If a separate room is not an option, at least consider singling out a corner of a larger space, like an area next to a wall in the living room. Keep that space off-limits for anything that is not strictly exercise-related.
Also, make a point of keeping all of your workout supplies in one place, and as tidy as you can. This will make it quicker to find the stuff you need, makes cleanup easier, and makes sure you will not give up your plan while scouring around for that one dumbbell.
Download a few workout apps
This is a great solution if you are often on the go. Get a few apps onto your portable devices and have your workout with you at all times. It can be the only way to squeeze in some movement when all you have is 10-30 minutes.
Consider auxiliaries, too, like pedometers, hydration trackers, heart rate monitors, etc. Some apps recommend new jogging or cycling routes, so if you commute a lot, turn that into exercise!
Stream some tutorials from online
If your devices are facing a storage problem, or if you prefer to have your instructions running in real time, consider streaming tutorials instead. You can hook yourself up to a monitor, like a PC screen or your TV, or even go for an audiobook if a video is not your thing. You can find some good sources for home workouts at this link: https://www.self.com/story/popular-at-home-workout-programs
Commit your favorite routines to memory
After a while, you may notice that some types of exercises work exceptionally well for you, while some others are useless with regard to what you are looking to achieve. Some activities may be really enjoyable to do, and you may come up with combos that work awesome when you have to do your thing in a hurry because of a busy day.
Make a point of memorizing those. If you know a given sequence of workouts by heart, that can save you some preparation time, not to mention you will always have a pretty good idea of what you can do with the time and space you have available at any given moment.
To keep things varied, challenging, and fun, consider adding something new to your list of favorites about once every month. Conversely, if you can find a suitable workout that is the same sequence all the time, that can be a good backup plan for when you lack inspiration or are just not able to think about what you are doing.
Tags: home gym, home workout
