With all the modern technology and abundance of services available at our fingertips, I’ve sometimes wondered how long I could go by without actually leaving my house. Not that I would want to–while I am an introvert at heart, I start to get loony if I’m not out and about at least once a day.
But should I contract a disease that kept me at home all day every day, I could probably survive–at least in my home base of Phoenix. (Service options, and even internet, are limited on the Alaskan island where we’re currently living for my husband’s work!) With on-demand services like online shopping, automated grocery and pharmacy delivery, e-books, Skype, etc., it’s easier than ever to do things from home we once had to foray out into the real world for.
So why do so few of us exercise at home with any consistency, and is it possible to lose weight exercising at home? While there are pro’s and con’s to working out at home, I think it’s safe to say that at-home workouts are just now something we’re beginning to take seriously. While we’ve always had the ability to move our limbs anywhere we please, exercise seems like an activity we need to have a “place” for. With the advent of the internet, streaming exercise videos, and just plain busyness, it’s easier than ever to transform your living space into a health center.
The pro’s of working out at home are that, obviously, it’s so much more convenient than going someplace. And we are a convenience nation–willing to pay a premium for anything which saves us on the precious commodity of time. Creating a home exercise routine eliminates the time spend commuting, packing for the locker rooms (and that nagging feeling of always hoping you didn’t forget an essential item like deodorant…or shoes!), parking, signing in, schlepping our sweaty gear back to the car where we’ll have to unload it at the end of the day, etc. But there are other big draws as well. Exercising at home can feel far more comfortable for those who are just beginning a fitness program and feel self-conscious at the gym. While I never endorse letting fear hold you back from doing something you want to do, for many going to the gym conjures up too many painful reminders of grade-school PE class and somehow never makes it onto their list of must-do’s.
The con’s of exercising from home are similar to the pitfalls of working your job from home–motivation can get easily buried while distractions grow like weeds around you. Lacking the physical cues that abound in a gym-type setting, our living rooms or spare bedrooms serve so many purposes other than exercise that we don’t instantly equate them with sweat, level changes, and a hearty pulse. Accountability can wane because, well, there is none.
I believe these con’s can all be overcome, if you are the type of person who is disciplined and structured in other areas of your life and you don’t necessarily get a buzz off of exercising in a group setting.
With those qualifiers in mind, read on for my Elevate Mobile Fitness Tips to exercising from home:
- Designate a space for your workout. I don’t mean that you need a room full of Bowflex machines or that you can’t utilize this space for other things–indeed, most of us don’t have square footage to spare on anything extra. Rather, identify a place that is comfortable and inspiring for you. Make sure you have enough room to move, maybe a window to let in some natural light, and access to things you’ll need. You’ll begin to cue this space with exercise, and that’s a good thing!
- Be smart about your equipment. Most home workout equipment doesn’t get used, and truth be told you can get a killer routine using nothing but what God gave you! Curate a few helpful pieces such as a mat, bands, free weights, etc. Most importantly, find an attractive way to organize them that is easy to pull out whenever you need. If they’re stuffed in a bin at the very back of the garage, they’re no good to you.
- Incorporate old stand-by’s with new technology. Jumping jacks, push-ups, and squats are still phenomenal ways to lose weight and build strength, while exercise video streams and virtual classes can add variety
- Recruit an expert if you need. If you just don’t feel creative enough to put together a minimal-equipment exercise routine, hire a mobile fitness trainer to set you up on a home program. This is also a great way to build in the accountability you need until you’ve developed that structure and habit.
You CAN get hot and healthy at home! Have you discovered a helpful trick or resource for exercising in your place? Please comment and share your home fitness tips!
