Workout At Home Plan During A Pandemic

A pandemic unquestionably affects your day to day routine, which means there are certain things that you are expected to do and are unable to do. In short, learning to adjust is something you need to do to get through the pandemic. One of the significant concerns you may have during a pandemic is the fact that you are no longer able to go to the gym due to the prevailing lockdown for your protection. That is why it is important to transition to a Workout At Home Plan.

Apart from being confined indoors, your health and fitness center may be temporarily closed due to the pandemic. The good news is that you can still attain your targeted gym work out results from just working out from home. 

Here are ten workout habits you can start today:

Set a daily reminder

Workout At Home Plans can make for a disheartening task, primarily if you are used to the electric atmosphere of the gym. That is why it is important to come up with effective ways of sticking to your exercise routine, regardless of where you are. You can still stay motivated to exercise during a lockdown. Start by setting a daily reminder and staying true to it. You can start the day off with a 20-minute exercise. This small dose is a great way of remaining focused for the rest of the day.

Join and follow an online workout program

There are specific exercises that are limited to the gym and are impossible to try out at home. For example, the kind of activities that require lifting weights, machines, etc. If you do not have the right equipment to carry out weight-lifting exercises, you can try other forms of free weight exercise. There are many free apps and websites that can teach you alternative home-based exercises. Those can be easily carried out with no equipment or even sites which show you how to make your own home equipment using materials available at hand.

Continue with some of the exercises that you do at the gym

While some activities you do at the gym are impossible to do at home, there are still a few that you can continue doing from home. Maintaining with some of your gym exercises from home can help keep you motivated to exercise. It is also a great way of forming a lasting workout habit.

Keep a record of your progress

Keeping a record of what you have achieved or what you are achieving will assist in keeping you focused. You could record your weight the first day you begin exercising and keep a log as you continue with your workout routine. Losing weight can make you realize just how effective exercising from home is and hopefully keep you at it. 

Workout At Home Plan During A Pandemic article featured image

Avoid exercising alone whenever possible

No Workout At Home Plan should have you acting all by yourself! Accountability is another way of ensuring you do what you plan to do. Find someone you can exercise with at home and hold each other accountable. You can set goals or commit to exercising daily for an hour or so. It will all depend on what you both agree on and what you can do. If you have no one to work out with at home, you can find workout buddies online or using workout phone apps.

Have a variety of exercises

Different exercises can help keep you interested in the workout schedule. It can also get rid of the boredom that you may otherwise face if you remain idle.

Make working out a priority

Making sure you stick to your workout schedule in a pandemic requires that you make working out a priority. We all have top priorities, and staying safe during an epidemic is one of them; therefore, exercising normally should also top the list.

Pay attention to your diet

Paying attention to your diet is the only way of enjoying the full benefits that working out offers. Make sure your exercise routine goes together with proper meals and avoid junk snacking, which is tempting when idle at home. Your Workout At Home Plan will be more successful!

Reward yourself

Make sure you reward yourself whenever you manage to stay true to your goal. Small rewards can be a great way of not only keeping you determined to exercise, but they can also aid in helping you maintain the positivity that you need during a pandemic.

Put on proper workout attire

When working out from home, you must wear appropriate workout attire. What you wear should be the same attire that you would wear when going out to a decent gym. Wearing proper workout gear will tune your mind to that activity and make you feel and experience exercise the same way you would in a regular gym.

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Top At Home Workout Tips For Women

As women, we often feel more pressure to look a certain way.  For me, doing an at home workout is one of those things that helps me to work on my physical health, without the pressure of looking just right at the gym.  Sadly, a gym membership not only means extra expenses but can be a tough place to go when you are already overweight.  My solution is to use these home workout tips for women that are designed just for your body and needs.

At Home Workout Tips For Women like these are designed to keep you safe and from getting bored. Check out our advice to keep your workout routine strong!

Top At Home Workout Tips For Women

Before you begin any workout regimen, make sure to consult with your physician.  While you may feel fully capable of the exercise in your routine, a physician will be able to guide you properly in regards to what is safe for your individual medical conditions.

Wear the right support garments.  This one is something most of us don’t like to talk about.  Frankly, just because you are doing an at-home workout doesn’t mean you don’t need to be wearing workout clothing.  This doesn’t mean you have to wear special shirts and pants for each workout.  It does mean that you should wear the right shoes and sports bra to support your body.  If you have an old injury, your doctor may even recommend wearing a support brace on a wrist or knee.  Being at home for your workout doesn’t make your body less at risk for injury.  Be safe and invest in a good strong pair of shoes and a quality support bra as well as braces as needed.

Take things slowly.  Just as you would in any new workout routine, take things slowly as you begin.  Most women working out at home will be using either a video or a piece of home gym equipment.  Go with the beginner mode until you build up endurance.  You don’t want to start out going strong and injure yourself.  The result would be downtime you don’t want or need.

Home workout tips for taking things slowly include doing regular stretching, starting at the lower incline setting on your treadmill, or using the beginner mode of a new video.  Just because you start slowly doesn’t mean you can’t pick up the pace later.  Simply allow your body to acclimate to this new workout routine.

Use what you have on hand. You simply don’t have to invest a lot of money for an at home workout.  You can use so many items you already have on hand in our home to make the workout routine you implement a success. Exercise comes from movement, so while here are tons of great products and equipment out there to help you, you don’t have to spend money to workout.

  • Use your own body weight for lunges, squats, calf lifts, pullups, and other basic exercises.
  • Dance to upbeat music to burn calories for cardio.
  • Fill gallon milk jugs with water or dry beans to create weight and lift instead of pricey free weights.

Measure strength gained and inches lost not pounds.  One of the biggest challenges we have as women is in seeing the results of our workout.  Make sure to measure your success not from what the scale says, but by what you have gained in strength.

  • Measure your waist, hips, thighs, chest, arms and stomach before you begin.  Check your measurements regularly to see inches lost.
  • Masure your endurance and strength by challenging yourself regularly to do more or lift more.

Find a variety of things to mix up your routine.  Probably the best at-home workout tips for women are to make sure you don’t get bored.  Mix up your routine by doing different things to keep you going strong.  I recommend walking, dancing, and doing some strength training a few times a week.  Don’t get stuck in the same routine because you will get bored and stop wanting to workout.  Mix and match videos, workout routines, the equipment you use, and even the music you listen to so you never get bored.

These at home workout tips for women are great for encouraging you to stay motivated as you reach toward better health.  Remember, no matter what you are doing, as long as you are trying to improve your healthy by adding more exercise into you routine you are on the right track.

 

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Top Yoga Moves For Women

One of the most popular fitness crazes in recent years has been yoga.  These yoga moves for women are ideal for building those all important core muscles and helping women gain strength and tone their bodies.  While yoga is a great exercise and fitness routine for anyone, it is especially popular with women.  Using your own body weight for strength, and breathing techniques to focus makes it an ideal choice for someone who is looking for an at-home exercise routine.

Yoga Moves like this list are perfect for women. Check out our top beginner moves to strengthen your core and stretch your body with ease!

Top Yoga Moves For Women

If you have never studied yoga moves before, the poses below may sound like a foreign language.  There are some amazing resources with visual aids I will link to within each suggestion, but I also recommend taking the time to grab a few tools to help your journey.  Not only do you really need a quality yoga mat to protect your back and knees, but you may also benefit from grabbing the Yoga Bible.  This book has all of the yoga moves for women in it, but also will give you variations for different levels of accomplishment.  So, a beginner may perform a pose just a bit differently than an advanced person for safety and comfort.

Another great tip for those that are new to figuring out yoga moves is to check out the various options of programs through Amazon Prime that are free for streaming.  There are several great workout routines and programs you can stream through your Amazon account.

Bound Angle Pose:  You may be familiar with this pose simply because it looks like you are just sitting on the floor.  It is a basic stretching move to help open up your hips and adjust your body to stretching.  It’s a personal favorite for getting the stress out of my lower back and hips after sitting at a desk all day.

Downward Facing Dog:  This is one of the most popular yoga moves and is especially good for women to stretch and relieve tension throughout the core.  However, it may look easy to most but can be difficult to hold when you begin.

Chair Pose:  This is a one of the best yoga moves to help strengthen your core, back, and legs.  The chair pose is similar to a squat position you would take in other workout routines.  It can be a great way to create that shape you want on your legs and backside.

Seated Half Twist:  This pose can be done on both sides, and the link shows the left side.  It is ideal for your back and core muscles.  It can be tough for someone who is larger through their midsection to complete, but attempting is easy to do and is a great option for getting a nice core stretch.

Half Cobra Pose:  This is a great yoga move to help stretch out your lower back and hips.  It’s ideal for those who sit a lot of the time and tend to have sciatica frustrations.  The half cobra pose is also easy for almost any body type to do without pain.

Rotation Pose:  This position is great for both the left and right sides to stretch and relax the hip, lower back, and even the neck.  Following the position suggestions carefully is important to not cause additional strain to your body.

Tree Pose:  If you are familiar with yoga moves at all, the tree pose is one of the more iconic symbols of yoga.  This is a balancing position that is great for those who are trying to strengthen legs and back, or simply learn better coordination.

Half Boat Pose:  For strengthening your back, core, and legs, this is one of the best yoga moves.  It will be harder to hold as you begin, but can also be a great tool to gauge your growth in strength as you continue doing this and it becomes easier.

These yoga moves are perfect for women who are wanting to strengthen their core, back, legs, and backside.  Not only do they offer great motions and stretching to help relax your body overall, but they help you concentrate focus on stronger core muscles.  We know how important the core is for so many aspects of life, so this is a great place to begin in getting healthier one pose at a time.

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Top Strength Training Tips For Women

Women often fear strength training because they believe it will add too much bulk to their frame.  I am here to let you know this isn’t so, and along with that, I am offering some great strength training tips for women.  These tips are ideal for helping women to tone and build strength without feeling like they are working on a body building competition.

Strength Training is made easier when you follow these tips for women!

Top Strength Training Tips For Women

Before you begin any kind of fitness or strength training routine, you need to make sure that your physician has given you the approval to do so.  While most individuals can safely begin exercise there are many cases where it can aggravate a condition. Before any change in diet or exercise, make sure to consult your physician.

As you work on fitness in your daily routine, strength training for women is important.  Women carry more fat on their bodies than men, and it has been proven that having muscle helps burn fat.  Not only do you want to work in tons of cardio activity into your fitness routine to help burn calories, but you want to strengthen your muscles to help make those calories burn even faster.

Learn proper technique.  

When you begin lifting weights as part of strength training, it is vital to do so safely.  Many people stop strength training simply because of injuries due to lack of knowledge.  There are excellent videos on the Mayo Clinic website for how to do many of the traditional strength training exercises.  These videos are ideal for beginners since they detail how to do each movement and give you a great start.

Alternately, you may find a personal trainer at a local gym that can help teach you in person.  While this can be a costly investment for some, there are regularly sales and events that allow you to pay for sessions at a lower rate.  Even if you believe it is out of your budget, don’t hesitate to contact local gyms and ask about their training programs.  You may be surprised at inexpensive offers available.

Use your own body weight in training.

The link above from the Mayo Clinic also shows some amazing tips for using your own body weight in strength training.  For many, this is a great place to begin.  Since you are working on building up strength and also want to limit potential injury, using your own body weight is a great beginning.

There are a number of moves you are probably already familiar with that are actually ideal for strength training.  Things like squats, lunges, and calf lifts are all forms of body weight strength training.  Pull ups, push ups, and even planks are also popular options that are routinely used for strength training rely solely on your own body weight.

Another option for strength training is the use of resistance bands.  These provide just a bit more focus when training that are inexpensive, easy to use anywhere, and ideal for many on a budget.  There are multiple types of resistance bands, but beginners can start for under $15 and work for long term needs.

Add reps before adding weight.  

For those who are concerned about gaining bulk, it is important to remember your goals. Adding more reps to your routine instead of higher weights is a great way to create more toning and enduring strength.  That said, don’t hesitate to increase weight. To create the bulk that many women fear, would take extensively focused training that you aren’t going to get in your 30-45 minute sessions 2-3 times per week.  There really is very little fear of gaining bulk when strength training without focused high protein meals, and excessive training.

These tips for strength training for women are a great way to begin your fitness routine.  Strength in your muscles will help support your body and provide you with better health.  Since we rely so heavily on core strength to support our backs, it is so important to make sure we are building strength and staying toned and strong.  These tips are a great place to begin.

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Great Summer Exercises to Shed Pounds

Great Summer Exercises to Shed Pounds? It’s summer and that means tons of barbecues, s’mores, and all other types of goodies that are going to make you gain instead of losing weight. Well here is a little solution that will allow you to indulge in all the great summer goodies and be sure you keep those pounds off. These are some great summer exercises to shed pounds, so don’t stress, all it takes on your part is a little willpower and routine. Before you know it you might have to go buy a new wardrobe so you’ll have clothes that fit right.

Workout edited

Great Summer Exercises to Shed Pounds

Jogging

Sure you can go to a gym and do this on a treadmill, but why not save money when the weather is great outside! Go for a 1-mile jog every morning before it gets too hot or in the evening when it cools down, you don’t wanna get heatstroke. Jogging is great for shedding pounds as long as you stick to a routine. Also, make sure you take at least 2 days off for rest, you don’t want to overwork your body. Once you’ve established and kept to your routine it is best you keep this up even after you’ve lost your weight because it will allow you to maintain the weight, if you stop you will most likely gain it back.

Jump Rope

This is one of the simplest exercises you could ever do, chances are you have a jump rope somewhere in your house already so there is no need to go and buy one. Summer time is great for this one because you can do it outside, some of you may know that jump roping in the house leads to broken things, so it is best to do your jump roping in the summer. You should do at least 3 sets of 100 reps for the best results (for those of you who don’t know what that means just jump rope for about 10 mins) and again stick to this. Make it a daily thing, it may be tough the first few times but once you get used to it it’s great.

Biking

Stationary bikes have become popular lately but what’s the point of a stationary bike in the summer? Absolutely nothing. There should be no excuse for you not to go out on a REAL bike and enjoy the nice warm summer days. An hour or more a day of riding your bike is very efficient at helping shed your weight and toning the legs and stomach. It is also a great way to get some alone time and fresh air.

Yoga

Yoga is great for almost everything when it comes to your body and even your mind. It’s nice doing yoga in the house but even better if you can find a nice silent spot outside, this way you get the nice fresh air. Some may be skeptics but yoga is one heck of a workout, you can download apps or go online and find out some good poses that will help you lose the weight you want. Make your routine and stick to it.

Exercise can be a hard thing to pull off, but if you want a healthy body and you want to lose weight you will find a way to stick to it. You just have to be determined, after the first few times of these great summer workouts to shed pounds it’ll become easier and you will be the exact size you want to be. You will also be able to enjoy all those summer treats without the feeling of regret. Have you done any of these to help you lose weight? Is there anything you would add to the list? Let me know in the comments!

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Little Ways To Sneak Fitness Into Your Everyday Routine

Sometimes you just don’t have that extra hour in your day to get to the gym or head out for a 3-mile run. On days where you are just struggling to get everything done, how do you also get your exercise in? It can be tough, but there are little ways to sneak fitness into your everyday routine.

Little Ways To Sneak Fitness Into Your Everyday Routine

Little Ways To Sneak Fitness Into Your Everyday Routine

One of the easiest, and strangest, is to use that time when you use the restroom to your advantage. While you are drying your hands, don’t just stand there, but rather do 10 squats. If you can, do 10 regular squats and then do 10 plie squats. By the end of the day, you will have done 100 squats without really realizing it.


Fitbit Charge HR Wireless Activity Wristband

In the car on your way to work? This is a perfect time to squeeze your butt cheeks. That simple isometric exercise will help tone that hiney! You can get several sets of reps in on the average commute. This is also great for when  you are on any flights and can’t get up to walk around. Warning though – it might look like you are trying to do pelvic thrusts on the plane, if you aren’t sitting with people you know, strange looks will come your way.

Set a timer for every hour while you are working. Stand up and do 10 high knees or 10 pushups against a wall. Your coworkers might look at you funny the first few times, but as it becomes part of your routine, don’t be surprised to see them doing it too.

While waiting for the microwave or coffee pot is a great time to get in lunges and arm circles. Typically, you can get in 10 lunges during one minute while you are waiting. Easy way to sneak fitness in right there!

The next time you know you have a business call to make and you don’t necessarily need to jot down notes, get up and walk around. Head outside, get some clean air, and make your phone calls as you are walking around. It is surprising how far you can walk while you are also getting your work done!

Stike a pose – a yoga pose! You don’t have to do a full hour of yoga to reap the benefits of it, a quick pose or two during open spots of the day can really help with your flexibilty and strength.

This same theory goes for when you are relaxing watching TV. The last thing you want to do is exercise, but you can get a couple minutes in during commercials. Most commercials are 15- or 30-seconds – which is the perfect amount of time for crunches, pushups, planks, stretching, and squats. Change the exercise each time a new commercial comes on so you get a full body workout without really realizing it.


Squats? I Thought You Said Lets Do Shots

There are many little different ways to sneak fitness in. Get creative and realize that it doesn’t have to be this huge time suck. A minute or two in between your other activities really adds up!

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