As an exercise enthusiast and PT I am always asked the question: “How do I get fit at home?”
Many people either can’t afford, don’t enjoy or feel comfortable going to a gym and the idea of getting fit at home is appealing, however may be too overwhelming. But what if I told you it could be as easy as 1,2,3?
1. 15 Minutes
That’s right, 15 minutes a day is all it takes to stretch, tone and get your body moving towards your health goals. Studies show that 15 minutes of high intensity exercise is proven to burn more fat than jogging on a treadmill for an hour. The after effect of this kind of high intensity work has your metabolism working at high speed even hours after the workout too. We can’t complain about that now, can we?
So what should you do? Download an Interval Training app so that you can set a timer. 30:10 is what we usually train to. 30 seconds work with 10 seconds rest. Choose 5 or 6 different exercises and repeat them 4 or 5 times with the timer.
Here’s an example of a balanced, total body sequence you could do:
- Push-ups
- Dips
- Squats
- Squat jumps
- Bicycle crunch
- Superman
Complete this 4 times with 30 seconds working hard and 10 seconds rest.
You’ll be kidding yourself if you don’t think you’ll be panting and sweating by the end!
You could also do 3 sessions per week and aim them at a particular body part – eg. Monday – Legs and Cardio, Wednesday – Arms and back, Friday – Core. Whatever suits you and your lifestyle best!
2. TV / Music / Podcast
The biggest battle we often have with working out is the battle with our own mind. "I'm tired", "my legs hurt". Sound familiar? These sneaky little thoughts find their way into our mind whilst trying to focus on working out. Put on your favourite TV show, play some uplifting tunes or put on an interesting podcast to keep your mind occupied.
3. Workout DVDThere are a range of different workout DVD’s and YouTube workouts/stretches available to us now, so not knowing what to do is never an excuse. We recently included the Peta Serras Pilates Stretching Series DVD in our Autumn Box which was a hit! All you have to do is pop it in your DVD player on your TV or laptop and get moving. The routines are designed to mimic the flexibility results you get from an hours pilates class, with the beginner routine getting you to touch your toes with ease and advanced routine taking you into the splits. And if you do have the time to be doing any other forms of training, these stretching sessions are the perfect complement to warn off tight and tired muscles.
If you’re wanting to make the routine a little bit more fun, get a friend involved! We all know that doing something in pairs is always more likely to keep us accountable.
Getting fit at home can be easy, convenient and fun – especially now that the weather is cooler. Let’s stop procrastinating and just do this!