If you can’t make it to the gym, whether it’s because of your schedule, or social distancing guidelines to prevent an outbreak, you may be tempted to skip workouts.
But this is no time to lose your motivation to exercise. Now more than ever, you need to stay fit to boost your immune function, cardiovascular health, and to keep your mood elevated.
Not to mention, you still need to keep making progress towards your fitness goals because summer is fast approaching.
The good news is that there are a wide array of tools and resources to help you stay in top shape while you’re temporarily stuck working from home.
Here are some home workout tips to get you started.
1. Online Training Programs / Workout Apps
If you type in “best home workout apps” in Google, you’ll find a variety of different apps/websites that are designed to keep you in shape without having to go to a gym.
Whether you’re looking to gain strength, lose weight, or do yoga, there’s an app for you.
Some are paid apps, and others are free, depending on the features and personalization that you’re looking for.
Most home workout apps will require minimal equipment and focus on bodyweight/calisthenics workouts. You may need a home pull-up bar and some resistance bands, which are cheap and readily available online.
Some paid apps will have added features like weekly check-ins to make sure you’re progressing towards your goals. Be sure to spend some time exploring different options and prices before you sign up.
There are also online courses designed to help you lose weight or gain muscle with home exercises.
The idea is pretty similar to the apps, but there’s unlikely to be any free ones. On the plus side, an online program with a reputed coach might go into a lot more details and have more workout content than you’d typically find on an app.
2. Virtual Classes And Personal Training
With social distancing guidelines in effect all over the country, many gyms and fitness studios have started offering online classes for their members.
Instead of meeting at the studio in the gym, your instructor will be live streaming on Zoom, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Classes can include yoga, HIIT, or even Zumba.
If you’ve bought a personal training package, ask your trainer/gym if you can continue training via Zoom or Skype.
If you don’t have a gym membership – or just hate classes – the internet has the solution. There are tons of video workouts out there that can accomplish the same thing in the comfort of your home.
These can be found on YouTube, independent websites, or even on certain streaming channels.
3. Cardio machines
It seems obvious, but we can’t ignore the fact that running and other outdoor workouts can be moved inside with the help of proper equipment.
This path, though, will cost you. A quality treadmill can start at about $1,200 and take up a fair amount of space in your home. So, this may not be practical for everyone.
Keep in mind, too, that your stride on a treadmill will be slightly different than when you’re running outside. So, once you do get back out in the elements, things might feel a little different, and you could lose some time.
Similar principles apply for cyclists, as well. Unlike treadmills, though, stationary bikes could be beneficial for training for the roads since you can easily adjust the amount of resistance you face.
4. Invest in Essential Home Gym Equipment
Bodyweight and cardio workouts should be enough to get you through a temporary period when you can’t get to the gym.
But if you really start digging the convenience of home workouts, and want to stick with it long term, you may want to upgrade your home gym equipment.
You could go all out and invest in an entire garage gym. But this requires large, bulky equipment and may not be a viable option.
For most people, a few basic things will be enough. You’ll want a pull-up bar, some resistance bands, a bench, a couple of kettlebells, and some dumbbells. You could also add a medicine ball and yoga mat for ab work.
Kettlebells and dumbbells are incredibly versatile, and you can perform a wide array of exercises with them.
You can strength train (bench press, shoulder press, deadlifts), work on your conditioning (kettlebell swings, dumbbell snatches), as well as functional strength (Turkish get-ups).
As always, the internet is your friend, and there are countless videos with detailed instructions and home workout ideas to keep you busy for years.
5. Don’t Neglect Your Nutrition
When it comes to nutrition, the same rules apply whether you’re hitting the weights at the gym, or you’re doing burpees in your living room.
You must support your body with proper nutrition so it can recover and grow after a workout.
With 25 grams of protein and 5.9 grams of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) per serving, our grass-fed Naked Whey is the perfect post-workout.
The grass-fed whey protein comes from small family-owned dairy farms in California. Naked Whey is free of growth hormones, GMO, soy, and gluten.
Naked Whey is available unflavored, or in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors.
If you’re following a vegan or vegetarian diet, check out Naked Pea, our protein powder made with raw yellow peas grown in the USA and Canada.
With 27 grams of protein and 5.7 grams of BCAAs per serving, Naked Pea is the ideal post-workout for those on a plant-based diet.
Final Thoughts
If you’re used to going to the gym, then developing a home workout routine might take some adjustment.
But just like when you first started exercising, you can build a new habit relatively quickly if you stay consistent. Schedule a time each day for your workouts during the period that you can’t make it to the gym.
Try one of the suggestions in this article to keep making progress towards your fitness goals.
And remember to check out Naked Whey or Naked Pea to promote recovery and lean muscle mass after your home workouts.
