The lockdown has thrown a wrench into your typical exercise routine. On-and-off access to gyms makes it difficult to find and sustain momentum with exercise. If you’ve had enough and are ready to work out at home, here are six ways to ensure that your return to exercise is successful:
1)Pace yourself. You’re not going to get fit in one day, one week or even one month. Trying to flip a switch and do heavy, hard, or even longer workouts right away will be very tough to sustain. Start easy, 3-4x per week for 20-30 min per day. Give your body a day off in between to help recovery and keep you feeling good and motivated. Even if you’re just doing body weight movements at home, be cautious of how hard you push your body in the beginning, then start to ramp it up over time.
2)Follow a plan. Plans will keep you on track and progress you forward. If you have a plan/program that you’re following it eliminates a critical decision each day. You don’t have to worry about what your workout is going to consist of, and ensure you’re challenging yourself each day.
3)Find an accountability Partner. Holding yourself accountable each and everyday is a nice thought, but in reality there are going to be a lot of days when you’re going to allow any excuse to get in the way of you working out. Find a workout partner, or even better hire a coach. A coach can support and guide you in your journey, while holding you accountable to all of your workouts.
4)Set a goal or target. Exercising for the sake of exercising can become very mundane, boring, and un-motivating. By setting a goal or target you add purpose to each workout. Your goal can be weightloss, muscle-gain, performance based, or even just working out 20 days next month. Don’t overthink it, give yourself a target to keep you motivated each day.
5)Create a routine. If your old exercise routine consisted of going to the gym each day at the same time, it will prove effective to schedule your at-home workouts at the same time each day. A routine will add more consistency to your workouts and bring some normalcy to your daily life.
6)Pick something you enjoy. The truth is, exercise can’t feel like chore, or you will be less likely to do it, especially if you’re at home. If you enjoy lifting weights, purchase some weights; If you enjoy running, make sure it’s part of your routine; if you like group classes; join an online group class program. Do things you like and you’ll be excited to do it every day.
Hit me up if you’re ready to start working out again!
-Dan
