5 Tips To Help You Stay Fit At Home

Guest Post – Liam Coultman

With the amount of uncertainty in the world right now you can’t be blamed for not wanting to take that trip to your gym or fitness center. For some, it may not even be an option. But threat not as there are plenty of fun and engaging ways to help you stay or get fit from the comfort of your home. 

1. Invest In Exercise Equipment

One of the best ways to stay fit and healthy at home is to invest in some long-lasting pieces of equipment. You don’t need to go all out on a home gym (although that’s certainly an option) but a few pieces of equipment can go a long way in helping you achieve your fitness goals whilst training from home. Here are a few examples. 

Free weights: Free weights are awesome to have at home. A set of dumbbells or kettlebells allows you to perform a wide range of exercises that you’d usually perform in your gym. You don’t even need extra equipment as you can perform exercises on things you already have at home such as chairs or benches. They are not a huge expense and will not take up too much space. 

Pull-up bar: Pull-up bars are great but you’ll need to check first that you have a suitable place to put it up in your home. We don’t want any door frames caving in. Pull-bars don’t only have to be used for pull-ups, chin-ups, and other variations. They can also be used as an attachment for other pieces of equipment such as resistance bands or a suspension trainer (again just make sure its secure enough). This offers a super versatile way to work out, is cheap, and can really crank your home strength sessions up a notch. 

Cardio machine: This is definitely a more costly option but is a great way to stay on top of your cardio at home. You’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a home machine but if you want something versatile that will work your whole body, then a rowing machine will be your best bet. Not only that, but the resistance on rowing machines also offers a strength training option for both the arms and legs. Rowers are a little bit more technical to use than other machines but nothing you can’t learn with a little practice. Startrowing.com has this great how-to guide if you want to learn more.  

2. Join A Virtual Class

If you want to bring the fun-factor to your home workouts then this is definitely the way to go! With families spending more time inside, virtual fitness classes have really taken off. There are many ways you can take part in a virtual class with a wide variety of classes to choose from. 

You can find options to take part in pre-recorded sessions where you can simply follow along as you wish. The benefits being you can pause and take a minute if needed. Or you can join a live class with other people participating in various locations. This is a great way to stay connected and the closest you’ll find to creating similar vibes from the in-person classes that you love. 

TAC Fitness is now offering Zumba classes virtually which means any member can also log on and zoom the class. Tune in on your laptop, smartphone tablet, or smart TV to join us. 

3. Use Social Media

If you’ve got the equipment, got the space, and the drive to workout but don’t really have a clue where to start then social media is your friend. Just hop onto Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter and search for something like “fitness workout” or “fitness trainer” and you’ll find a ton of workout examples that you can perform at home. 

Maybe you already have your favorite fitness coaches that you follow. If so, great. Go over to their page and you’ll see that they are posting workout tips and routines, many of which will be home-based or able to be performed at home given the current situation. You’ll certainly be able to find a starting point for your own training.  

4. Make Use Of Your Environment

If you don’t want to purchase any equipment or join an online class you can always make do with the items you already have at home. You can use that huge bag of rice sitting the cupboard as a weight or fill a rucksack with books, put it on your back, and perform exercises such as weighted squats and push-ups. 

You can use your stairs or dining chairs to perform tricep dips, elevated lunges, and many other exercises. The possibilities are endless. All you have to do is come up with ways to make use of what you already have around you. And if that doesn’t take your fancy, you can perform bodyweight exercises or do yoga in which all you need is some floor space, though this may require that you do some tidying up first.  

5. Get Creative

Working out from home can become a little tedious and you may find it hard to motivate yourself to commit when the TV is staring you in the face or the fridge is a few steps away. Getting creative with your workouts can help keep things funs but also help you stay on track and remember what your goals are. All of the previous tips are creative in their own right but there a few things that you can incorporate with these methods.

30-Day Challenge: A 30-day challenge is a great way to stay motivated and gives you a clear goal to work towards. Complete x in 30-days. All you need to do is pick a challenge such as perform 50 squats, 50 burpees, and 50 push-ups every day for 30-days. Get as creative as you want and make sure that it is challenging enough for you to benefit from but not so hard that you give up after a few days. 

Use technology: Social media has already been mentioned but you can use your smart devices in another way. There are tons of fitness apps you can download for free that not only provide you with workouts but also allow you to track your progress over time and help give you that extra motivational boost.

Have a smart speaker at home? Just ask your Google or Alexa device for a workout and it will give you training options for you to follow along with created by trainers. Or just listen to some of your favorite songs to get you in the right frame of mind to hit your workout!

Working at home may be a challenge, but it is definitely one that we can all crush!