Originally published on www.PilatesBridge.com, which you can find HERE.
Do you want to improve your fitness, work out more, or prioritize exercise on your 2023 goal list?
As we enter February, you might be hitting your workout stride and cementing your habits, which is fantastic! Perhaps you, like many others, need help keeping your goals and staying motivated. If this is you, listen up!
One of the biggest struggles for anyone trying to add exercise into their daily routine is time. Our lives are busy, and our time is precious. So the gym membership that looked great at the start of 2023 may be less appealing when you think about the time and energy it takes to get to and from the gym when juggling everything else going on in your life. Where is the time to exercise?
Enter home workouts…
There are lots of pros and cons when it comes to working out from home. Home workouts are convenient and cost-effective; however, many people find those same pros as reasons to avoid working out.
When a workout goes from convenient to easy to skip, it becomes a problem, not a solution.
Here are my top four tips for staying motivated while working out at home (and number 4 is the biggest game changer)
Create a space that inspires you to work out.
This is super important if you struggle to get in the right frame of mind to exercise, particularly if it’s in the same space where you binge Netflix, work, sleep, or watch your kids play.
This doesn’t have to be a dedicated room in your house. Not everyone has the space for a home gym/studio. Could you find a space big enough to roll out your mat away from distractions? Maybe grab a basket where you can keep your props easily accessible, so you aren’t wasting valuable time hunting for a magic circle, small ball, or hand weights.
Creating a space that inspires you to work out will help you look forward to your time and make it more likely for you to stick with it.
Schedule your Session with yourself.
One of the reasons people sign-up for group classes or private sessions in a gym or studio is because it is a commitment with another human. Obligations with yourself are much easier to back out on than a commitment with another human being.
How do you make a similar commitment to yourself so you can stay motivated to work out at home? Put it on your calendar! Make your workout non-negotiable, like a staff meeting, kid’s soccer game, or doctor’s appointment. Your training is just as necessary as those other commitments, if not more (I mean, what is more important than your health?).
On Sundays, I map out my upcoming week. I deconflict kid activities and work commitments. At the same time, I schedule my workouts. I put them into my calendar like any other appointment. I make sure I have an alert pop-up to remind me as well. This may or may not be the same time of day each day. If you have an extra busy day, you could get up earlier to fit in a workout or swap rest days/workout days when your schedule has more availability.
Once you develop this habit, it becomes easier to keep and will take less energy, but initially, you need to stay on top of it.
Pay for your home workout sessions.
One of the benefits of working out at home is that it is more cost-effective than studio or gym training. You might have to purchase minimal equipment to get started; however, once you have it in your home, it’s yours.
There are loads of free workouts on YouTube and social media platforms, which is excellent when you are on a budget. Although, beware that free workouts make also make it free to skip them. While that might be good for your monthly budget, it’s not good when trying to cement a workout habit. This is particularly true if you have difficulty holding yourself accountable to stick to your exercise routine. If you aren’t paying a trainer or a membership, you don’t have any skin in the game when you miss the class.
Paying for your home workouts through membership or virtual instruction is another level of accountability, with the convenience of not having to leave your home. Win-Win! If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that there is a world of highly effective workouts available in the digital space. There is no better time to be working out at home.
Whatever exercise mode you pick, make sure it is something you enjoy!
This cannot be overstated. You will be way more likely to keep up with your exercise routine at home if you actually enjoy it. If you don’t like running, buying a treadmill will not be enough motivation to make you want to run. Having fun and seeing results will naturally make it easier to maintain your routine, even with all the other activities and commitments vying for your time. It doesn’t matter how effective HIIT is for your sister or how much your best friend loves Peloton. If you don’t enjoy those workouts, you won’t be motivated to do them and won’t have the same results. Finding an activity that you enjoy and that helps you meet your goals is the best way to stay motivated while exercising at home.
I hope these tips keep you motivated to reach your goals while working out from home. Like with any habit, settling into a solid routine takes time. If you fall off, give yourself permission to take a breath and jump right back in. A regular workout routine from the comfort of your home is possible and can lead to fantastic results.
If you are interested in Pilates classes, check out my Online Pilates Membership for 150+ workouts you can do from the comfort of your home.
