At Home Workouts That Will Get You Results
There are so many ways that you can work out from home. You don’t always need a gym! At-home workouts can work and they can be effective, you just have to be willing to put in the effort. But reading this already shows that you are willing to put in the effort, so let’s get started!
First, I want to say that everyone’s body is different, not everything is going to work for your specific body type, so you need to find out what works for you. At-home workouts can be hard, it’s easy to start working out and then sit right back down on the couch, trust me, I’ve been there. But let’s dive into what kind of workouts you can do from home so you can get started on a healthier, better you. Second, 30 minutes of exercise is what you should be doing, if not more. 30 minutes of walking, squats, lunges, a combination, it doesn’t matter, as long as you are getting your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes every day.
1. Walk or Run
Okay, so technically this isn’t an at-home workout but look, the average person achieves approximately 10,000 steps per day, and you need to be there too. Walking and running outside is free! If you don’t want to run, walk, if you want to put in the extra effort, run. It’s easy, it’s quick, and most importantly, it’s effective. Put on some of your favorite tunes, or a good podcast, and enjoy the outdoors for 30 minutes. A 10 minute-mile can burn as much as 100 calories!
2. Burpees
Burpees are a full-body workout. You’re mixing cardio and strength training in a high-intensity workout. Using only your body weight, burpees can be extremely effective and are a fast way to burn through fat. Plus, research has shown that because burpees are a high-intensity workout, they can burn up to 50% more fat than moderate exercise. All of this being said, burpees can tire you out, so it’s okay to take breaks. Do burpees during the advertisements of the show you’re watching, or while you’re waiting for water to boil, every time you hang up the phone, create a routine and stick to it. Spreading them out throughout the day is A-Okay.
3. Squats
I am a huge fan of squats, as someone who doesn’t have a butt, these are a necessity. A good way to work in squats throughout your day is to do the “100 Squat Challenge”. Each day, you do 100 squats, it doesn’t matter if they are chair squats, jump squats, power squats, as long as you do 100 squats each day for 21 days, you complete the challenge. 100 squats may seem like a lot but really think about how long a squat takes, they go by fast, and you can sprinkle them throughout your day! 10 after breakfast, 10 waiting for your tea to steep, 10 during a recorded lecture, it’s a lot more manageable than you think. Or better yet, add them on to your burpees, 10 burpees, and 10 squats, then rest. You’ll start seeing a difference in as soon as a week.
4. Lunges
Along with squats, lunges are a good way to strengthen your legs. Because lunges target muscle groups in your lower body, they can also boost your metabolism and help you lose weight much faster. Lunges are also easy to fit into your daily life. Walking to the living room? Lunge. Walking to your car? Lunge. There are so many varieties of lunges that you really can’t go wrong. Try curtsy lunges, serving lunches, or go plyometric and do some jumping lunges!
5. Push-ups
Push-ups are one of the more fast and effective exercises for building strength. They work your triceps, pectoral muscles, and shoulders. When done right, they can also strengthen your lower back and abs. While they don’t have much impact on fat loss, they do release human growth hormones throughout your body, increasing your muscle mass.
6. Planks
Planking is a great way to challenge your entire body and is far more effective than sit-ups or crunches. A forearm plank will help you target your abs, versus the standard straight-arm plank, which is effective for total-body conditioning. Not to mention, the plank has been proven to improve your posture by strengthening your back, shoulder, chest, neck, and abs. Planks are also a very quick workout, as little as one minute of plank a day can make a difference. And I won’t even get started on twisting planks…
7. Dance!
Get fun with it! Working out should be about you and what makes you feel good, so have fun, get active, and burn calories in the meantime! Dancing can produce similar results to ‘formal’ exercise. Not to mention, dancing has positive emotional and psychological impacts. Dancing can be a form of expression and is bound to give you a laugh, it doesn’t matter if you’re good or bad. Studies have also shown that dancing can increase self-motivation. So maybe, anytime you’re feeling tired from your workout or unmotivated, have a little dance party! You’re at home, no one can see you, so just have fun.
While workouts and being active is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and staying fit, I am obliged to remind you that 70% of your weight and your form comes from what you put into your body. This doesn’t mean diet. But it’s important to lead a healthy lifestyle from what you are putting in your body, lay off the junk food, ditch the empty carbohydrates and be mindful about what you eat. But it’s okay to slip up! It’s okay to have treats now and then! Remember, just because you make a mistake or have a treat does not mean that the whole day has been ruined and it doesn’t matter what you eat the rest of the day. One ‘bad’ food doesn’t change your whole day. You got this!
I hope that you start using some of these at-home workouts today! At-home workouts can be just as effective as workouts at the gym, as long as you’re putting in the effort.
As always, please leave any questions or comments below, or better yet, share some other at-home workouts you love to do! Share your experience so we can continue to motivate one another.
