This post may contain affiliate links; please see our disclaimer for details.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Instead of focusing on how to spend money on expensive gym memberships or health programs, it may be a good idea to focus on the basics of creating a solid home workout routine. Doing so has saved us both time and money!
Establishing a home workout routine can be difficult to set up and maintain. I’ve been there, throughout the pandemic I tried many different things.
In this post, I’ll go over the benefits of exercise, common types of exercise, and 6 tips on how to create an awesome home workout routine.
Benefits of Exercise
Before creating your home workout routine, it’s important to understand and remember the many positive benefits that come from physical exercise.
Here are just a few of the amazing benefits that come from exercising.
- Help control your weight and keep weight off (1, 2)
- Boost your mood and improve mental health (1, 3)
- Reduce the risk of heart disease (1)
- Strengthen your muscles and bones (1, 2)
- Improve the quality of your sleep (3)
There are many more benefits. Remember that exercising will improve the overall quality of life!
Types of Exercise
Below are four of the most common types of exercise to keep in mind when creating your routine.
Aerobic (Cardio)
Workouts that fall under this category require endurance and an increased heart rate.
Examples: jogging, swimming, long walks, hiking, boxing, etc.
Strength
Also known as resistance training, these workouts will increase your muscle and bone strength.
Examples: workouts using resistance bands, weight-lifting, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, etc.
Flexibility
Staying flexible is a crucial part of overall fitness and helps reduce injuries.
Example: Stretching! Two common types of stretching are dynamic and static. Dynamic is when there is more movement involved such as swinging your leg back and forth before a run. Static requires less rapid movement and is great for after workouts. An example of a static stretch is bending over and trying to touch your toes.
Balance
Balance workouts will help reinforce key areas of the body including the back and abdomen- this will also help reduce injuries and help you have better posture.
Examples: Plank with one arm, balance on one leg, yoga stability workouts, etc.
Combination
Many types of workout programs include a combination of the four types of exercise listed above.
A good example of this is HIIT training (High-Intensity Interval Training) which often combines both strengthening and cardio elements in the workouts.
6 Great Ways to Get Started
1. Set an achievable goal
A goal is achievable when it can be reached on or before a certain deadline.
The biggest recommendation I can give is to start where you are at and create a SMART health goal.
Add flexibility to your goal as well so it is not too difficult to complete and prepare for the unexpected.
Take a minute to write down your typical day-to-day schedule with any potential barriers or challenges you may need to overcome. Doing so will help you become aware of any time constraints and mentally prepare to overcome barriers.
2. Find a workout time free from distractions
Timing and place go hand in hand when finding your distraction-free home workout. Being a father of a one year old I’ve found the best time for me to workout is either early in the morning or during one of his naps.
Knowing when you can workout free from distractions will help you stay focused and get more out of your home workout. 🙂
3. Make rest & recovery a priority
Getting enough rest and recovery holds many benefits and helps your body prepare for its next workout.
Stretching in between workouts and getting enough sleep each night has really helped me recover after a good workout.
Remember the body needs sufficient recovery to help it repair and become stronger.
Take rest days! Especially when just starting out.
Since there is not a golden standard for how many hours of recovery you need, my biggest recommendation is to listen to your body. 🙂
4. Find something you enjoy doing
Exercise doesn’t have to be boring!
Write down some things you enjoy doing that fall into the four exercise categories mentioned at the beginning of this article.
Select one or two of the activities you identified and implement them into your home workout routine.
At one point during my home workouts, I would use the game Just Dance as a workout session! It was fun and an excellent cardio workout.
5. Switch things up
Sometimes certain exercises can become repetitive or tedious, I totally get that.
Creating a list of enjoyable backup workouts becomes very useful when you feel unmotivated to do the same workout again.
Muscle confusion also happens when a new workout is implemented – this is a good thing!
Be adventurous, try something new!
6. Track your progress
Keeping track of progress helps keep you accountable and provides valuable data on your overall progression.
Some good ways to keep track of your exercise is by using a phone, exercise journal, or whiteboard to record everything.
Remember to set milestones of what you want to accomplish on the path to your end goal.
Summary
There are many benefits that come from exercise. I love the mood and confidence boosts that come from working out.
Exercise comes in various types – Aerobic (Cardio), Strength, Flexibility, Balance. Try workouts that fit into each category, especially when switching up your home workout routine.
Recap of the 6 great ways to get started:
- Set an achievable goal
- Find a workout time free from distractions
- Make rest and recovery a priority
- Find something you enjoy doing
- Switch things up
- Track your progress
Remember one of the most important tools one can possess when doing a new home workout routine is a positive attitude. Look at the good and what you have accomplished versus being too hard on yourself.
Thanks so much for reading! Feel free to drop a comment below with your thoughts!
