How to Workout at Home

With this crazy coronavirus outbreak or just because you can't find time to go the gym, working out at home is totally doable and more effective than I ever dreamed! I've been doing this for 4 years and am so grateful this is the one part of my life that isn't altered at all!

So as gyms have closed, for the time being, I thought I would give you my advice for working out at home.  It is SOOOOO important that you move every day - especially when much of our work will be so much more sedentary than usual. (teachers that aren't standing all day??)

Your workout should just be a highlight and small part of your day - you do it because it makes the rest of your life better. If you know you need more help with this, fill out this form to get more info on how to work with me as your coach!

1. Determine your goal  ---  Do you want to just keep moving or see results in weight loss or toning? If you just want to move, go for a walk, dance in your living room, or find a free video online. If you want to see weight loss or toning results, it definitely worth it to subscribe to a service that guides you with a comprehensive program.  Most aren't crazy expensive but having that plan is keep.  Just like if you really wanted to learn a language, you could just search for some things for fun, or enroll in a class to really learn it.  The benefit to joining my program is that you get ME as your coach! 
2. Pick a program/activity that's foolproof  ---  Don't decide you are going to lift weights for 2 hours and then run 5 miles if you have never worked out before.  You will dread that! But a 10-minute yoga session is a lot easier to get off the couch for! Running outside every day can be canceled by rain, so have a backup. Make it doable! You know your schedule - will the kids derail you or colleagues schedule a meeting during your time? 
3. Be mindful of injury  ---  One of my favorite parts of the videos (click here to get 9 free samples!) is that the trainer is guiding me through form and giving directions on how to stand, lift, move to avoid injury.  Often I think "How does he know I was doing it wrong?" and I make the slight shift. But if you aren't using a video, be mindful of the difference between muscle fatigue/soreness and join pain or muscle injury. Being safe staying uninjured is key! Also not overworking body parts is another thing to consider. Varying your workouts each day will allow muscles to heal. Rest is also KEY! Rest days are worked into programs for a reason! 
4. Have equipment ready   ---  You don't need a big space to workout! I think about the small part of the fitness classroom I personally occupied. Just a small square. Stand in one place and do the electric slide.  That's the amount of space you need! I like the dumbbells that are covered with neoprene.  They are easier on my hands.  My friends also swear by workout gloves! 
5. Focus on the ROUTINE & Habit  ---  Whatever you do, try to do it at the same time every day. Put the same activities before and after it.  In a short amount of time, you will begin to feel a sense of calm and accomplishment just by beginning that routine.  Mine is wake up, walk downstairs, mix energize, get dressed in the leas resistance outfit I have laying there.  (No one cares what you look like, I may or may not wear the same sports bra and shorts until they smell.)
6. Do something that's just a little bit harder  ---  Often at the gym, we will push ourselves in competition with the person next to us - but at home, it's a little harder not to just sit on the couch and watch the video instead of doing it.  So, I try to just keep the following in mind. "Is this just a little bit hard?" It doesn't have to be really hard (see #8) is just has to be a little harder than normal.  That is if your goal is to actually build strength and cardiovascular health. Breathe a little heavier, feel the burn just a little, and break a sweat. You are spending the time anyway, might as well make it count! 
7. Abs are made in the workout but revealed in the kitchen.  ---  You can't eat terribly, workout and expect to see changes in your body.  Nutrition is actually more important for most people. Lots of veggies, several bottles of water, lean protein and fiber filled carbs - foods from the perimeter of the grocery store are more filling, have better nutrition, and are a more dense calorie footprint.  Eat smart! 
8. Do it Daily  ---  A little bit every day is WAAAAY better than a lot every once in a while. The compound effect is good in savings accounts, and in your personal health bank inside your body.  A short workout is a smaller barrier to overcome so you are less likely to skip, and those small changes over time are proven successful.
9. Find your motivation - then work your discipline  ---  You are not going to want to workout everyday. Do it anyway.  After about 3 weeks, you begin to form the discipline to just do it. You know what to expect, it's become a habit, and you realize that it's better to do it than to skip it.  It doesn't have to "fun", but there are enough things out there to try that it shouldn't be awful. At some point, you start to distinguish when it's a rest day and an excuse day.  It's hard to describe, but I guide my challengers through it all the time. 
10. Find your connection & celebrate success  ---  After a workout, you might find that just completing it and smiling in the mirror is all of the celebration you need.  I really love to check in with my virtual fit club, talk about how sore we are, how proud we are that we met a goal or just made it through, and give each other a virtual high five as we head to the showers in our house to keep going with our day! 

If you'd like more information on joining one of my boot camps and being privately coached with group support and accountability through this transition, fill out this form and I'll contact ya!