When our whole world was turned upside down a year ago, little did we know that exercising at home would be the saviour. Indeed, with a more static day-to-day lifestyle than usual, we’ve become a nation of home workout addicts and people have found a new appreciation for moving more in the domestic setting.
And for good reason. The Leicester Mercury reports that Brits have turned to exercise to help their mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, a study shows. “Before the first national lockdown in March, only 63% of exercising Brits saw improved mental health as a core benefit of exercise. That number has now risen to 72% and over half of Brits are now more likely to exercise for their mental health and wellbeing than they have in the past. Looking back at the lockdowns, 54% of Brits now say that the lockdowns have made them think more positively about exercising”.
More than 120k people tuned in for the return of Joe Wicks’ PE at the start of this year when we were plunged back into lockdown and exercise equipment sales spiked by 5,800%. Many of us have well and truly got the fitness bug, but if your enthusiasm is waning, we’ve got some easy ways you can get excited again about getting back to the mat. Here’s some simple tips on how to create an exercise routine from home
CREATE A PLAN
Creating a weekly plan will help you stay focussed throughout the week. But it’s important to schedule in rest days too. Try doing a combination of strength and cardio sessions. If you’re short on time, a 10-minute HIIT can do just the job. Check out our article on how to do a HIIT workout at home with no equipment and a warm-up, workout and cool-down to leave you feeling super energised here for more.
Remember it’s not just about working out. NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) is important, too. The guys at Very Well Fit tell explain that “Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, describes the calories burned by the movements we make when we go about our daily business”.
Making simple adjustments to your everyday routine can help you make the most of NEAT; parking your car far away in the supermarket or taking the stairs instead of lift, for instance. Other examples of NEAT activities are cooking, cleaning and even shopping!
DON’T FORGET TO STRETCH
Whether you’re doing a YouTube dance class or you’re heading out for a 5K run, warming up and cooling down are vital components of every exercise routine. Not only do they help prevent injury, but they also prepare your mind for the fact you’re about to exercise. Often half the battle is getting your trainers on and moving!
Pick and mix a few moves to help get you warmed up and spend a few minutes at the end of your workout to stretch. Again, stretching at the end will signal to your mind and your body that you’re done!
TURN TO ONLINE LESSONS
With no personal training, the gym floor or fellow fitness fanatics to push you through your fitness, it’s easy to get a bit lazy when working out at home. Tune into online fitness streams to guide your during this lockdown.
If you’re a regular reader of IDEAL, then you’ll know that we’re huge fans of an at-home yoga session. During lockdown, tuning in and turning up for our daily half hour with Adriene has become an essential element of the day, allowing us to set our intentions from a space of peace and purity. Just lovely.
INVEST IN EQUIPMENT
Depending on what you’re into, it may be beneficial to invest in some equipment. That said, it’s important to ensure you know how to use them safely. In a recent study by National Accident Helpline, they found that 33% of household accidents were caused by exercise equipment.
If you’re new to strength training, invest in resistance bands instead of dumbbells, and when you get more confident and stronger you can upgrade to dumbbells. If you prefer cardio but a treadmill is out of your price range, a skipping rope is a cheap but effective alternative.
If you’re looking to up your home gym, then check out our article on how to build the IDEAL home gym space in 5 simple steps.
DO WHAT YOU ENJOY
Ultimately, when you start any at home exercise regime there may be a little trial and error to find what you enjoy. Maybe you’re a running fanatic but hate pilates, or you love Zumba but the thought of a run fills you with dread!
Do something you love and it won’t feel like exercise. And you’ll want to come back the next day and the next. Indeed, the perfect way to keep your motivation high and interest strong is to make sure you are exercising in a way you can enjoy and works for you. Remember fitness looks different for everyone, so even if you only manage your 10k steps, that’s still a massive achievement.
Looking for more working out at home tips? Check out our article on how to get the most from your home workout.