If you’re reading this, you’re probably in quarantine and wondering how to either continue or start working out at home, since you can’t leave the house.
(And if you’re not in quarantine, perhaps you’re reading this from the future. Hi! How are you? Can you make a time machine and come back and save us?)
I’m not going to lie–-working out at home is a challenge. But as someone who worked out from home for years, and got in great shape doing it while managing kids and careers and everything else running around, know that it can be done.
It just takes some flexibility and ingenuity.
Be flexible.
Like anything, you’re going to have to adjust your outlook and how you get things done. You’re probably already doing this, since we all have limited access to the world, food, work, money, space and, well, everything right now.
Fitness is no different. Unless you’re fully stocked with a home gym, you have limited equipment. Maybe you have zero equipment. That’s okay! We can work with zero! You have your body, and that’s really all you need. If you have limited equipment, find or create a workout around that equipment. Or you can even make your own equipment.
However, in this post I’m talking more about the logistics of how to fit in a workout, stay motivated, and keep a regimen going.
There are practical steps to make sure your home workout routine is a success, but the most important thing, from which all that follows, is finding and keeping focus. I call this my “superhero mode.”
Find your “superhero mode.”
Unless you have very few responsibilities at home, finding a way to change modes from “everyday” to “workout” is the best way to be successful working out at home. So while working out, 75-95% of your focus should be on your workout and nothing else. (And yes, you need at least 5% focused on the outside world in case you have an emergency or something.)
Going superhero mode ensures that:
• Your form is your best.
Form is QUEEN, people, QUEEN. Not only do you look like a fairy godmother badass when you perform exercises all crisp and beautifully in peak form, but you get maximum benefit to your muscles with minimum chance of injury.
• Your mind-body connection is sharp.
Yes, mind-body connection is a thing and it’s very, very real. You don’t want to just go through the movements, you want to feel your body working them. This also improves form and it ensures your efforts aren’t going to waste.
• Your effort is sincere.
If you’re on your phone while doing a set, you won’t put in full effort. And to get results, you do actually need to work. It’s the main ingredient of progress. The mind is really good at convincing you to stop putting in the effort, so know the difference between your body telling you that and your mind. Going full superhero mode will mean that you’re putting forth appropriate and honest effort for your skill level, and thus progressing in your fitness. Progression = results, whether that’s losing weight, gaining strength, gaining shape or feeling more energy.
• Your workout time will be minimal.
If you’re focused on your workout, you won’t dilly-dally and you’ll have more time for movie night or making dinner or your job or whatever. If you’re like me, you have other people to work around at home, so the less time working out the better, right?
• You will have fewer distractions.
It’s a catch-22, but the good kind. Lessening your distractions means you can go superhero mode more easily. And going superhero means your mind naturally blocks out distractions.
If you don’t have a lot of challenges to working out at home, then you might not need to go full superhero on your workouts. You might be able to drop in and do 10 pull-ups, or 10 curls or whatever, and come back an hour later and do more. If that works for you, that’s great! If, however, you find it overwhelming to find time, energy or motivation, I recommend honing this skill.
There are things you can do to make sure you get your superhero mode on more easily.
Make space.
That’s it. That’s the advice: Make space for yourself. If you have a back porch, yard or park nearby and the weather is nice, the space will be easier for you. If you don’t, block off a spare room. You don’t need much space. You might not be able to do capoeira, but you can do a lot in a space that’s only a few feet wide by about six feet tall.
I know, I know—family, kids and pets get in the way. I can’t give you all the answers here, but work with your options. If your kids are old enough, tell them you’ll be unavailable for however long you work out. It might take time, but they’ll get used to it. You can get a great workout in 20 minutes. If they’re small, wait for nap times or ask your partner or family member to watch them.
If none of that is possible, you might just have to work out next to them. Manage that workout focus and know that whatever you’re doing is a win. No, you probably won’t be full superhero mode and you will have distractions and that’s okay. Do your best, and be flexible. And if it’s not possible right now, that’s okay too. You’re a superhero regardless.
Make time.
You might have anywhere from no time to buckets of it right now. Either way, finding it can still feel like a challenge. Block it out and stick to it. This is one reason I love AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) workouts and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training): the time is predetermined. You know you’ll be consistently working out for a certain amount of time.
And if you make it a daily or almost-daily habit, you’re more likely to stick to that activity every day. It helps if you plan on it like it’s a meeting. Make it important.
No distractions.
Don’t put the TV on. Music is fine, though. Don’t talk to your partner, roommates or kids during your workout unless you absolutely need to.
And do NOT, I repeat NOT answer the phone. Turn that shit off. Work can wait. Kids can usually wait. Tell them you’ll get back to them when you’re done.
Get motivated.
Ugh. This is one of the hardest for me with home workouts. Watching television in the same place you find the energy to do burpees is challenging. It’s especially hard if you’re working out in a room and your husband is on the couch playing video games next to you (been there).
Find your motivation. It might be workout-related, it might not be. My motivation? My mood. I’m noticeably happier when I work out. I’m grounded, happier, and more fulfilled. Sometimes I kick in my workout affirmations or I’ll create rewards for myself (“If I do this workout, then I’ll get an opportunity coming soon!”). It keeps me in the moment and focused on my goal of finishing the workout.
Get a plan.
Plan out your workout. Don’t go in all willy-nilly. Plan out sets, reps, weights, exercises, intervals, whatever you’re doing. If you don’t know what to do, check out my workouts here, or some of these amazing workout sources.
If you want to plan your own, here are some great workout structures to use. And the internet is chock full of home workouts, especially right now.
Then? Write. That. Shit. Down. Ideally, have a workout journal you can follow along with and refer back to. Then, repeat workouts and compare your progress.
Start small.
Doing a 10-minute workout 3 days a week is better than doing a 30-minute workout once a week. The more often the practice occurs, the more likely you’ll making it a habit. And once you feel better from working out at home, even if it’s annoying as hell, the more likely you’ll continue to prioritize it.
These are NOT usual times.
And remember–-these aren’t usual times. I’m in New York City, and it honestly feels like there’s a zombie apocalypse out there. If you’re not getting fit, or writing the great American novel, or homeschooling your kids at a Montessori level, let it go. Don’t listen to the Instagram bitches. They’re lying. They’re not perfect, either, no matter what the pictures say.
Keeping sane is your #1 priority. Working out might help with that (it does for me, as does meditation, but if it’s too much, it’s too much.
One day in the not-too-distant future, you’ll have a better grasp on life. Breathe. Laugh. Enjoy your loved ones. And stay well.