In the past few months, many have taken to the internet for their fitness needs. Staying at home forced us to get creative with our workouts. However, working out at home can be difficult for us 20-somethings to do within the parameters of our tiny apartment spaces, social expectations, and lack of motivation.
I am a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, and I’m here to tell you how to actually crush your workouts at home.
- Listen to your body
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Our bodies are more intelligent that we give them credit for. Your body tells you when it needs water, food and movement. So before you decide to work out, assess what your body needs. If you feel ready to exercise and your body is on board, you will be more successful in your workout!
Try this tip to listen to your body: Do a body scan. Try this three-minute guided body scan on HeadSpace or follow this guidance: Stand tall with a slight bend in your knees. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths, in through your nose and out through the mouth. Start by assessing your feet: how does it feel to hold yourself up? Move up to your legs and notice any feelings in your ankles, knees and hips. Then up to your tummy — do you feel like you ate enough food or had enough water today? Feel what sensations come to your shoulders and neck from standing tall. End your scan with three deep breaths. If you don’t notice any signals from your body, and you feel ready for your workout, go crush it!
- Check the trainer’s qualifications
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With the internet circulating new fitness trends and creating endless options for workouts, picking an at-home workout can be the biggest challenge.
The key to finding a great workout is picking a credible trainer or instructor. Make sure the people who are leading you have qualifications before diving into their workout plans. To check a trainer’s qualifications, you can search their name on the U.S. Registry of Exercise Professionals (who knew?). Certified instructors are here to create workouts that will make you feel successful, get long-lasting results, and feel good about your hard work!
Check out these certified trainers’ workouts to get started: Seeds with Sareena, Body Positive Yoga, Charlee Atkins, Taylor Rae Almonte and PopSugar Fitness.
- Choose a workout you can do today
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Our fitness level changes every day. This is true for athletes, trainers, avid gym-goers and at-home workout crushers, so it is important for you to meet yourself where you are. According to the American Council on Exercise, there are many factors that can affect your fitness level, from changes in your hormones throughout the month, what you ate that day, how much water you’ve consumed, how many hours of sleep you got, or even the weather.
Knowing this fact will help you feel more comfortable with choosing a workout that meets your body where it is! Checking in with your body can be simple. Ask yourself, “How much water have I had today?” or, “Did I fuel my body with good food before this workout?” Plan to get eight hours of sleep the night before a workout. The simplicity of checking in with your nutrition, hydration or sleep schedule, can help you create healthy habits that allow you to be successful in each workout.
Here’s how to choose a workout that’s doable today: Pick something doable on a heavy flow day, like going on a walk outside or finding a gentle yoga class. Or when it’s too hot to go outside for a jog, try out a new cardio class like kickboxing or dance!
When we take the time to choose our workouts, we can alter the way our minds view exercise and fitness. Fitness is ultimately about creating healthy habits that can affect every aspect of your life! So the next time you roll out your yoga mat to crush your workout, take a pause for your body scan, check the credibility of your instructor, and meet yourself where you are today.