Want to gain more fitness from your home workout routine? Here are seven easy ways to maximise the benefits of working out at home…
It fits around working from home and saves time, so it’s no wonder that many of us still enjoy exercising at home. Indeed, data reveals that 66 per cent of people who tried home exercise during the pandemic preferred it to other forms of working out.
And even though many of us are enjoying the gym again, home exercise remains a permanent fixture in plenty of training schedules, with stats showing that hordes of fitness fans are opting for a weekly blend of gym and home workouts.
But how can you make your home workout an even more effective way to hit your fitness goals? Read our seven smart tips to double your home workout results…
1. Plan your home workout routine
Do you know why you’re working out? Plotting your training schedule and workout format ahead of time will stop you from wasting precious minutes.
Take a bit of time each weekend to plan the workout week ahead, noting down the activities you’re going to do, as well as the number of sets, repetitions, intensity and time spent exercising.
2. Hire a coach to help you reach your goals
Hiring a coach is a great way to help you meet your fitness goals faster, but you needn’t meet a trainer in person. Audio coaching provides access to the workout expertise that could help you on your fitness journey.
WithU, for example, is a fitness app that specialises in aural technology and which boasts more than 1,000 workouts from coaches, including Olympians.
From running outside to cross-training sessions and even rowing tracks, the app is a one-stop shop for when you’re looking for an exercise programme that won’t add to your screen time.
3. Try a virtual weights class from home
Stuck for how you can incorporate more serious weight-based exercise into your regime without hitting the gym floor? Try joining a virtual weights class.
There are plenty of on-demand and in-app options to choose from, such as Olympian Sarah Lindsay’s new ROAR Metal group class.
Renowned for jawdropping physical transformations, the experts at ROAR Fitness have created this live strength and weightsbased group exercise class, streamed directly from their studio in London. Smash it!
4. Track your effort during home workouts
When you’re exercising on your own at home it’s easy to kid yourself that you can’t do another rep, jump faster or lift heavier weights, or that you didn’t take extra rest by whizzing to the kitchen for a quick drink. Guilty as charged?
We all do it, but using a heart rate monitoring device is a great way to track your recovery and effort intensity. We love the Myzone MZ-Switch (£139.99) as you can wear it on your chest, arm or wrist.
5. Try a stretch or yoga class on your rest days
Rest days are as important as the workouts themselves, but a rest day doesn’t have to mean a day on the sofa binge-watching Netflix. Instead, tune into MoreYoga’s Wellness TV and ease out tired muscles with dedicated stretch sessions.
You can even train your brain with specialist workshops on topics such as mental health and meditation.
6. Try digital programmes to hold yourself accountable
Home workouts are convenient to do but easy to skip, as you don’t have someone to hold you accountable. Digital workout programmes can be a great way to ensure you stay on schedule.
Try Beach Body On Demand Interactive (BODi), a streaming platform that allows you to train live with personal trainers, or The Power of Mum programme.
‘In my 1:1 weekly check-in, we look at what the wins of the week were, and make a plan for how the following week can be more manageable,’ explains Power of Mum founder, Nicole Chapman. Scheduling your workouts on the family calendar might work, too.
7. Upgrade your home workout routine kit
While it’s perfectly possible to get a great workout using just bodyweight, adding a few items of kit can elevate your options and results. Dumbbells are a worthy investment as they can be added to just about any move.
If you’re buying some for the first time, we recommend you opt for one light and one medium set of weights. For versatility, we love the Les Mills SMARTBAR & Weight Set (£390).
It’s adjustable from 1kg to 10kg, with a quick-release system that enables you to easily transition from heavy to medium to light weights.
