Time. Of the essence. In scant supply. Is money. Nope, there aren’t many truisms about the ol’ ticking clock which exactly boast of its abundance. As such, we’re often left wondering why we’d ever waste so much of it. Tied to the desk, vegging out on the sofa, scrolling through our phones vacuously, sharing the gym with sweaty strangers… None are exactly making the most of our short stint on this earth, let’s be honest.
So, why waste it in the gym? As lockdown’s move into home workouts taught us, it’s eminently possible to stay fit, fresh and full of life without an expensive gym membership or even coming into contact with another human.
That said, as any keen home-workerouter will know, it can sometimes be tough to find that same motivation when exercising as home as it is in the gym. We’re here to help with that; find your motivation and run (on the spot) with it, with these 7 IDEAL tips for working out at home with more intensity.
Create A Dedicated Workout Space
While we’re not all lucky enough to have a spare room that we can turn into a home gym at the wave of a credit card, most of us probably do have enough room for a little inexpensive home sports equipment like Mirafit dumbbells and resistance bands.
Another must have is a good exercise mat that will protect you from the floor and the floor from you. Yep, within the tight real estate of your arm span, you can give yourself a top to toe workout with even the most basic of kit.
If you’re blessed with a garden with enough space for a few bits, consider creating a ‘gym shed’ – exactly what it says on the tin – with the capacity for some aerobic exercise. A budget rowing machine and exercise bike can fit into a snug space fairly seamlessly.
What’s more, consider adding some non-slip gym mats to the floor of your shed to give you plenty of space for training or consider interlocking floor pads which you can easily shape to fit into your new workout space.
Make Use Of Furniture
In the midst of a cost of living crisis and in the spirit of thrift, both in the sense of saving money and time, you can get a surprising amount of intense exercise and strength training done by simply using items already in your home. This most succinctly applies to your furniture. Yep, take a look around; there’s loads of potential, and, therefore, no excuse to take things easy!
A solid dining room or kitchen chair is often the optimum height for doing squats, depending on your size. Begin by sitting on the chair with a straight back and arms out in front before slowly standing and lowering yourself back down, but just hovering above the seat; and there you have it, a simple squat. Alternatively, to work those triceps, use the seat as you would a bench at the gym, lowering your body but not letting your elbows bend more than 90 degrees.
Ladder drills are a great way to improve agility and burn plenty of calories when done at high intensity. It’s best if you have a garden (though you’ll probably only own a ladder if that’s the case anyway). Lay down your ladder and run or jump through each individual square, mixing it up to test different muscles. A quality step ladder that’s properly secured can also be used for step exercises, again, best done outside.
Calisthenics
Of course, you could forgo the equipment all together and harness the power of your body weight instead. This is a discipline known as calisthenics and it has been gaining serious traction in recent years, not least because it represents a super-intense workout when done right. And it can be done from the comfort of home with no equipment; what’s not to love?
Don’t be put off by the seemingly impenetrable term; it’s just a fancy way of describing pull, press and sit ups, air squats, planks and the rest. The beauty of this form of exercise isn’t only in the fact that it requires no tools (and no financial commitment or clutter), but also in the way in which it establishes a meaningful connection with your body and grounding with your foundation. In this respect, it works perfectly in tandem with a home yoga practice.
Try Boxing
Boxing is obviously a stand-alone sport, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t incorporate elements of it into your existing high-intensity workout routine. Boxing is in itself a high-intensity workout, but you can also alternate a session on the punch bag with different exercises from other disciplines. In fact, boxing is the biggest calorie burner of any sport, according to numerous studies, burning as much as 800 calories an hour.
When combined with other traditional calisthenic exercises in an HIIT programme, you may even burn more calories than that.
Take Shorter Rest Breaks
Everyone needs a minute to catch their breath and have a drink of water in the middle of their workouts, and it is important to listen to your body to make sure you are avoiding injuries from pushing yourself too hard. However, if you are looking for a more intense workout, another way to achieve this is by having shorter rest breaks during your routine. You certainly should still have them, but perhaps only give yourself 30-60 seconds to catch your breath.
Get Digital
Many home workout enthusiasts cite the only downside of such a discipline as being the lack of guidance and peer to peer motivation when doing things solo. There is, of course, a way to achieve that sense of camaraderie and receive expertise, and that’s through the internet.
Stream online workouts, download apps and participate in fitness forums to keep active in the working out community. Some of our favourite online and digital platforms include the apps Sworkit, for time constrained, tailor made workouts, and Fitbod, for highly precise muscle building. Forums well worth a look include Jetfit and Bodyspace. Go get it!
Of course, if your home gym is out back in the garden or garage, you might want to perform an internet speed test to ensure everything is running smoothly.
Choose The Right Fuel
There’s a direct link between what you eat and how you feel. How much of a difference it makes depends on a variety of factors, but the links are impossible to deny. On top of that, your body needs the right type of energy to keep you moving through the motions of your workout with grace and focus.
The perfect pre-workout feed should include protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. These three groups benefit from being slow burning yet energy-rich, giving you that much needed boost to sustain you that little bit longer and push that little bit harder. The best stuff to fuel your fitness push? Many athletes swear by a trail mix, but other dried fruits, nuts (particularly almonds), granola, cornflakes and yoghurt are all ideal pre-workout food.
And with that, we wish you all the best!