How To Get Fit At Home – Fitness Tips
Posted by Prescription Hope - See Editorial Guidelines (Last Updated On: Thu May 04 2023)
It’s no secret: we all want to get fit. Whether your fitness goal is to lose a couple of pounds, tone up your muscles, or rediscover the ways your body can move, learning how to get fit safely and effectively is very important.
With all the different information that is available these days, starting a new fitness routine can be daunting, and expensive, so we have put together a list of the best at-home fitness tips to get you moving without breaking the bank.
Designate Your Workout Space
Having space specifically designated for your fitness routine will help encourage you to maintain a consistent fitness schedule. Find a space in your home that is underutilized and redesign it so that it fits your fitness needs. Clear enough floor space so that you can lay down a yoga mat or cushioned flooring for floor exercises and to relieve pressure on your joints. Find a large basket or rack to easily store your resistance bands, dumbbells, foam rollers, yoga mat and any other items that you will use in your fitness routines. Find an old TV or computer on which you can watch fitness videos or stream your favorite Netflix shows while you work out. Having a bit of distraction, such as the latest Game of Thrones episode, while you work on your fitness helps take away some of the dread. When you have a space that is specifically designated to be your personal gym, you are more likely to work out consistently.
Find The Program That Works Best For You
There is an abundance of fitness gurus and personal trainers who have designed free online fitness programs that you can access at any time. Take some time to determine what your intentions are for getting fit and search for the program that fits your goals. If you are looking to improve your strength, focus on finding videos that you can stream that focus on free weights and body weight workouts. If you are hoping to increase your daily cardio, look for apps or online programs that focus on getting your heart rate up, such as
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts. Keep in mind that it will take some time for you to find the program that works for you, and that is okay!
Schedule Your Workouts
Planning on working out at home does come with some pitfalls. Namely, the many opportunities to decide you are
too busy or too tired to work out. However, it has been shown that moving your body for just 30 minutes a day can improve your health. You can certainly find 30 minutes in your day at home to squeeze in a workout! So, take a look at your weekly schedule and find a time each day that will work best. Some people find that getting up a little earlier and getting their workout done in the morning before work is the most effective for them. Non-morning birds prefer to work out in the evening when they have more time. Whatever works best for your schedule, put it in your calendar as if it were a doctor’s appointment or something you simply cannot skip. Then, make sure to show up for yourself every day at that time and move your body.
Use Household Items In Lieu Of Workout Gear
If you do not have a good set of dumbbells, don’t worry. There are a number of things around the house that you can use to substitute for workout gear. If you are looking for a good arm workout but don’t have the right weight dumbbell, open up the cupboard and grab a couple of soup cans. It may feel silly to be curling chicken noodle soup, but it gets the job done! If you don’t have a workout bench but are looking to work your triceps, push a chair against the wall, put your hands on the cushion with your legs straight out, and do some tricep dips. Getting creative with your workouts will also help you avoid boredom and will help you maintain your motivation.
Build Up Your Strength
It is incredibly important to workout with the proper form. Improving your fitness means strengthening your muscles and pushing your body to work at its optimal level, but if you do not follow the proper form for each workout, you risk injuring yourself. This is especially important when doing pushups. Beginners should start with pushups on their knees, to relieve some of the stress on the core and the arms, and to ensure they learn the perfect form. Down the road, you will be able to rely on your muscle memory as you increase the difficulty of the pushups, and you will be able to maintain your good form and avoid injury. A great way to strengthen your legs is to do squats and lunges. If necessary, begin these workouts holding onto a chair or wall for balance. The more consistently you do these workouts, the more effective each move becomes.
Slow And Steady Wins The Race
Have you ever seen someone at the gym who is doing pushups like crazy, moving so fast they become a blur? While it may seem like the faster they work the better results they get, that is actually not true. When you are doing strength training such as bicep curls, you build strength not only when you curl towards your body, but also as you let the weights back down to your resting position. Moving at a slow, consistent pace both of the pull and release of each move helps strengthen all of your muscles at once.
Stretch, Stretch, Stretch
When you give your muscles time to
recover, that’s when they build themselves back up. Before and after every workout, take 10-15 minutes to do a full body stretch. Stretching your muscles helps them repair faster, and improves your agility. When stretching you want to hold each stretch for a sustained 10-30 seconds, and make sure only to stretch to the point of mild discomfort. Once your muscle feels comfortable, increase the stretch then hold it again. If it hurts, you’re pushing too hard.
Follow along with a YouTube stretching fitness video, or find a short online yoga class that you can join after your workout. You’ll feel stronger and healthier every time.
Talk With Your Healthcare Provider
As always when starting a new health routine, you will want to
talk to your healthcare provider about the changes you are making to your lifestyle. Make sure to check with your healthcare provider about any of the prescription medications you may be taking and how they
could interact with the changes you are making. If you have any concerns or questions about the prescription medication you are taking, you can always
contact us as well.
Clean Up Your Diet
If you are going to be getting into fitness at home, you might as well get a little more friendly with your kitchen also to make sure you are giving your body the best fuel it needs to stay healthy. After all, giving your body the proper combination of food, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, is just as important if not more important than your fitness routine!
A couple of good things to focus on are; making sure to cut back on sugars and starches, drinking more water, eating consistently, and cutting back on saturated fats. You can find some more tips about keeping your diet healthy
here or contact us about getting your medications for just $60.00 a month through Prescription Hope’s medication access service.