Getting Started with Home Fitness

Working out in your own home can be great, especially if you are just starting. Personally, I love working out at home. I have my own mini gym with only a couple of things, but I love how easy and quiet it is. Plus, I don't have to wait to use any of the equipment!!

There are many advantages to working out at home; the obvious one is that you save time and money, since you don't have to drive all the way to a gym and pay the fee to workout. Also, as I said earlier, you don't need to be waiting on others for equipment. This makes the whole workout flow better and makes your use of time more efficient. Another great reason to workout at home, that I think is overlooked, is the fact that no one else is around. By this I mean you won't get the uncomfortable feeling that people are watching you and judging your form. Some people find that in the gym, the fact that other people are around can be really offputting, so having your own space at home is great.

To be clear, I am in no way saying home workouts are better than gym workouts or vice versa. They both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Getting Started:

When you start on home fitness, there is one thing you should decide, and that is whether or not you want to buy some equipment. For a beginner, equipment is not an essential but as you progress you might find it useful to prevent a plateau in your training.

If you don't plan on buying equipment then your workout will be based on your bodyweight, which is easy and fun!! You have a great range of exercises to choose from with plenty of room for progression.

After deciding what kind of exercises you want to be doing, you'll need to think of a program best suited to you. As I mentioned in my article about starting at the gym, programs are great for measuring progress and keeping yourself motivated. They also go perfectly with any goals you have as they help you to achieve that target.

To begin with, it's a good idea to keep things simple. Overworking your body is not good and it can put you off exercise altogether. I'd recommend starting out with just two sessions a week at home. Then you can slowly build up as you get fitter.

Circuits at Home:

A simple yet effective way to work out at home is to build your own circuit. Circuits allow you to do weight training and cardio at the same time, whilst keeping you busy and moving so you don't get bored!

An example of a simple circuit would be:

• 20 squats
• 15 push ups
• High knees 30 secs
• 20 walking lunges (10 each leg)
• 15 sit ups/crunches
• 30 jumping jacks

Once done, rest for 1 minute, then repeat!!

This small circuit is easy to do and requires no equipment. It also works the upper and lower body as well as the core. After you've finished, make sure to stretch as this aids the body's recovery by loosening the muscles that have become tight from contraction. There are plenty of circuits you can find online, or just pick some of your favourite exercises that can be done at home and put them into your own circuit. The intensity can be increased by upping the reps of each exercises, or swapping them out for some harder ones.

Home Workout Program:

An alternative route for a home workout is to effectively have a gym program. This will have a collection of exercises that you will complete with different reps and sets for each one. The program can be tailored specifically to you and your goals, meaning you'll definitely be able to do it at home.

Finding the right program can be tricky but there are many options online. A selection of bodyweight exercises paired with a 15 minute run outdoors is a great example of a beginner level program. If you think you would struggle with creating your own program, there are plenty of services online, including mine, that can create your own personalised workout plan.

A program can also work well if you plan on buying equipment to use at home. Small things like dumbbells, kettlebells, and bands open up a whole range of new exercises that can be worked on in your sessions. I have adjustable dumbbells at home and they are great, since I can use them for most of my exercises and just easily change the weights.

Conclusion

Working out at home can be a great alternative to going into the gym, especially if you are just getting started or don't enjoy working out in front of people. With all the information online, it's easy to find plenty of exercises to do at home, but do make sure they come from a reliable source.

Make sure before each workout you do a small warm up, just a couple of star jumps or a quick jog up and down the stairs. Then when you have finished, remember to stretch to prevent any injury. These are essentials to working out, no matter where you are.

I hope you found this information helpful if you plan on working out at home, and if you liked it, please check out my other articles.

Joshua Herbert at www.joshpt.co.uk.