Top 5 Tips for Exercising at Home

With a year that has seen many people being at home more, it has become a normal part of life for those of us who love to get in our scheduled workouts to exercise at home to ensure that we continue to feel energised, strong and fit! Let’s face it – as a mum, whether a new mum with little ones or a busy working mum who is juggling many balls all at once, having the ability to work out at home sometimes becomes a necessity. And, really, working out from home comes with so many positives:

• No travel time
• No parking hassles
• Schedule it in when it suits you
• No need to worry about feeling self-conscious about how you look or how fit you are
• No need to pack a gym bag for you or for the kids
• No need for a babysitter
• It doesn’t matter what the weather is doing
• ...and the list goes on!

But, how can you get the most out of your home workouts? Here are a few of my top tips: 1. Designate Your Workout Space Some people may not have enough space to set up an area in their home for exercise. However, if you do, it’s something that will definitely support you in getting the most out of your sessions. You only need a clear space, no bigger than about 2m x 2m, to get an effective and efficient workout. And if you’re short on space, you can still create a routine by working out in one area of your home every session. This will help create consistency and commitment to taking a little time for you and your health, fitness and wellbeing. 2. Prepare Like You Are Going to the Gym To ensure that you aren’t lured by the call of Netflix or distracted by the never-ending list of household chores, make sure you continue with a pre-workout and post-workout routine. Pre-workout, set out your clothes and get your water bottle ready the night before. And, get dressed as if you were going to a class or the gym. Then post-workout, have that shower and your post-workout snack so you feel refreshed and ready for the rest of your day! Whether it’s an early morning workout or one you are going to do during an allocated time later in the day, set up your equipment and have planned the workout you are going to do, so when it’s time to get it done you are ready to go! No excuses! 3. Don’t Worry About Expensive Equipment To get a full body workout you don’t need anything but your own body! There are a variety of effective body weight exercises that can help you build strength, endurance and burn calories. And by circuit training (going from one exercise to the next, with little or no rest), you keep your heart rate up, burn more calories and get the most out of your exercise time. But, if you are wanting a little more variety and challenge, resistance bands are definitely an investment you won’t regret! There are so many benefits of resistance bands including:

• They are lightweight and don’t take much room to store
• Cost-effective
• Adapt for different fitness levels
• Able to modify familiar exercises
• Exercise your whole body

4. Be Realistic Yes, working out at home is super convenient! This means we should be able to schedule more workouts into our week, right? Well, yes and no. You still have all the other responsibilities and commitments in your week, so just because you’ve reduced a lot of the travel time, you still need to be realistic. Start with setting a goal of 1-2 workouts per week initially. Once you have successfully accomplished this goal, and you are feeling inspired to keep going, then increase in line with what is realistic for you at that time. 5. Stream a Workout or Join a Virtual Class This could be from an app, YouTube or perhaps you invest a little more in yourself and register for a virtual coaching program or class, like those run by the Body Beyond Baby Affiliates. There are so many options to support you in hitting your fitness and health goals when you work out from home, no matter where you are on your mum journey. Jody runs MumaBubs in Perth, WA. To find out more about her and get in touch, click here.