With a second nation-wide lockdown now underway, many of us are once again focussing on how to stay fit, healthy, and happy whilst confined to our homes.
And whilst some people have always preferred home-based exercise regimes, others don’t find it quite as easy to stay motivated and positive inside their own four walls.
So for anyone out there struggling to hit the home gym, we’ve got a few tips to help keep you motivated and energised, no matter if you’re working out from your bedroom, kitchen, or bathroom…
Commit to live-stream classes
Coronavirus or not, the internet offers a plethora of live online exercise classes to replicate the experience of being in a studio or gym.
One of the major benefits to live-stream classes is that they provide us with a routine and a sense of accountability and commitment. It’s easy enough to put-off pre-recorded workout videos and tell ourselves “I’ll get around to that later”, but with a scheduled live class (that you may have also paid for) it’s not so easy.
After all, it takes a much stronger excuse to skip a class than a YouTube video.
Of course, it’s all about the goals. But the key to keeping motivated at home is to go easy on ourselves.
At times it can be a real challenge to keep our spirits up and push ourselves to exercise when we’re stuck in the house. For many of us, our homes simply don’t serve as a conducive environment to working out. But setting small goals can really make a big difference to our overall efforts and attitudes.
It might simply be to take part in one live-stream class every other day. Or maybe one of your goals could be to follow along with a short workout video every morning after waking up.
Whatever they are, our goals should be challenging, but they should also feel achievable enough that we’re actually motivated to pursue them.
Maybe, in the end, when you’re stuck at home and aren’t able to go to the gym, you’re exercise routine might become a little less intense. Because it’s not always as easy to workout for hours at a time when the only place you can do it is your bedroom.
But by being kind to ourselves, and by being a little more flexible with our expectations and desires, we can still keep fit and feel great no matter where we are.
So if your normal routine involves treadmills and rowing machines, but you don’t have those things at home, then allow yourself some wiggle room and come to feel ok with chasing some new goals for a while.
Get the right gear
That said, whilst we don’t all have room for treadmills and stationary bikes at home, there are lots of bits and pieces we can get hold of to make our houses more gym-like.
Things like dumbbells, yoga mats, and skipping ropes can really help to liven things up and keep our workouts from getting too repetitive. They also won’t take up too much room and, more importantly, won’t break the bank.
If you’re interested in this side of things, then we’ve got a separate post dedicated to setting up a budget home gym which you can read here.
Try something new
When our regular routines are shaken and disturbed, we’re faced with a rare and exciting opportunity to try something completely new.
As we all know, old habits die hard, and when it comes to exercise it’s very easy to get locked into a routine. And though there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that (in fact, in many cases it’s a good thing), in times of turbulence we can use the chaos and uncertainty to our advantage by diving into something new.
Always wanted to try yoga but were too afraid to join a class? Ever fancied an early morning HIIT session but could never make it to the class on time? Now’s the time to do it!
Often when we try new things we tend to put less pressure on ourselves to perform. Which means there’s fantastic scope for fun and enjoyment in being a beginner.
Who knows. Online dance classes might become your new obsession.
It’s no secret that PIlates is an amazing workout. We’ve talked about it on the blog before. But, in short, it’s great for flexibility, posture, strength, and mental wellbeing.
We’ve also shared 5 Pilates moves for a killer core workout. But today we thought we’d provide some comprehensive, start-to-finish, full Pilates workouts that you can follow online, completely for free.
So lay out your mat, get your exercise gear on, and get ready for some Pilates!
30 MIN FULL BODY WORKOUT | At-Home Pilates
Core & Ab Pilates Home Workout | 20min REAL TIME Workout
15 Minute Full Body Pilates Workout | Good Moves | Well+Good
Total Body Pilates! 20 Minute Tone & Shape, Legs, Butt, Abs, Beginners Home Workout, Flexib
Pilates makes for a wonderful stand-alone workout, but it also combines really well with yoga. So for a little more of a stretch, why not check out these 10 yoga poses for increased flexibility.
When we lose focus, sometimes all we need is a little bit of motivation to get back into the swing of things. So for those times when you might lack confidence or feel overwhelmed and tired, we’ve rounded up 20 inspiring quotes to get you up and running again!
Wellbeing
“The reason I exercise is for the quality of life I enjoy.” – Kenneth H. Cooper
“When it comes to health and well-being, regular exercise is about as close to a magic potion as you can get.” – Tich Nhat Hanh
“If you don’t make time for exercise, you’ll probably have to make time for illness.” – Robin Sharma
“Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
“Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do. Not a punishment for what you ate.” – Women’s Health UK
“To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise.” – Gene Tunney
Mental fortitude
“Whenever I get down and catch myself with negative thoughts, I pretend I’m saying those things aloud to another person. I ask myself, would you ever say, ‘Well, it looks like you’re really blowing up, your day is over,’ to a training partner who is struggling? Of course not! You’d tell him, ‘Keep pushing and just make it through the next five minutes.’ Or maybe you’d say, ‘Eat, drink, and hang in there until the next aid station.’ Going through this exercise helps me replace negative thoughts with positive ones.” – Rebecca Rusch, world-champion adventure racer
“There is such a difference between asking yourself, ‘Oh gosh, can I do it?’ and saying ‘I’m going to do this.’ The former breeds self-doubt and almost always stifles performance. The latter sets you up to go all-in and have no regrets, even if things don’t pan out.” – Sarah Piampiano, triathlete
“If you ever lack the motivation to train, then think what happens to your mind and body when you don’t.” – Shifu Yan Lei, Master from the Shaulin Temple
Sleep
“Sleep is a part of my job; I take it very seriously.” – Brenda Martinez, Olympic middle-distance runner
“Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” – Thomas Dekker
“Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow.” – Tom Roth
“I drink a ton of water a day and try to get as much sleep as possible. Sleep is the best way to restore your health. Never skip on sleep; it’s crazy important.” – Brittany Howard
Perseverance
“No matter how slow you go, you’re still lapping everybody on the couch.” – Elite Daily
“You can either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” – Jim Rohn
“If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you!” – Fred Devito
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
“The difference between try and triumph is a little umph.” – Marvin Phillips
“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”– Bruce Lee
“A year from now you may wish you had started today.” – Karen Lamb
Saunas have been around for a long time. In fact, some people think that the tradition may be thousands of years old. Often associated with Finland, sauna culture is now widespread across the globe, with people from all walks of life enjoying taking time out of their days to sit for a relaxing sauna session.
In this post we’re going to look at some of the potential benefits (and risks) of regular sauna usage.
Precautions and potential risks
Please remember to always exercise caution when using saunas. Whilst they can be very beneficial when used properly, saunas aren’t for everyone and can present risks for certain people. According to Harvard Medical School, “Saunas appear safe for most people. However, people with uncontrolled high blood pressure and heart disease should check with their doctors before taking a sauna.”
Harvard also suggests the following safe sauna usage guidelines:
– Don’t sit in the sauna for longer than 15-20 minutes.
– Avoid alcohol and medications that may impair sweating and produce overheating before and after your sauna.
– Drink 2-4 glasses of cool water after your sauna session (saunas cause us to sweat a lot, so it’s crucial to replace the fluids we lose during a session).
– Don’t get into a sauna if you feel ill; and if you feel unwell during your sauna, leave.
You can also find an in-depth review of the health risks and precautions at Medical News Today.
Potential benefits of saunas
Stress reduction
There’s something inherently relaxing about a sauna. Sitting in the heat of the room, completely silent, can feel almost like a meditation. There are no distractions, and often the temperature alone is enough to keep your mind from wandering.
Many people will agree that sauna time is very soothing and relaxing. With this being the case, regular sauna usage could go a long way in lowering stress levels.
May improve cardiovascular health
Some people believe that regular sauna sessions may be good for the heart. One Finnish study, which took a sample of 2315 middle-aged Finnish men, found that (after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors) increased frequency of sauna use is associated with reduced risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), fatal coronary heart disease (CHD), fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality.
The fact that sauna usage also can reduce stress levels could also play a role in cardiovascular benefits.
Makes you sweat (which is a good thing)
Sweating is healthy, and it plays an important role in a well-functioning human body. Some of the benefits of sweating may include detoxification, reduced risk of kidney stones, temperature regulation, pain reduction, and lower frequency of blemishes.
It’s also said that around 30% of a body’s waste is exuded through the skin. So building ourselves up to a good sweat is a great way to help this process along. Especially considering that modern humans, with air conditioning and climate controlled buildings, don’t tend to sweat as much as theirs ancestors.
Could lower Alzheimer’s risk
Another Finnish study, containing over 2000 middle-aged men and conducted over 20 years, found that “moderate to high frequency of sauna bathing was associated with lowered risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”
Of course, it’s important to remember that these findings don’t prove that sauna usage is the cause of the reduced risk. There are other factors that could be involved, and more research would be required to assert the findings.
Relax
Saunas are, of course, very soothing. But if relaxation is your thing, why not take a look at our posts on hot stone and Indian Head massages.
Some time ago we shared our pick of ten fantastic books on swimming, sports, and fitness.
But books are a bit like grains of sand — there are lots of them out there. And really there’s no end to the amount of excellent sports and fitness books to choose from.
So, to help keep your library filled with practical and inspiring reads, we thought we’d bring you 7 more books on fitness and sports (presented in no particular order, of course).
Eniola Aluko has achieved some incredible things in her life. First class honours law degree, 102 appearances for England women’s national football team, UN Women UK ambassador to name but a few.
The book deals with themes of dual nationality and identity, race and institutional prejudice, success, failure and faith, and aims to inspire confidence in a new generation of women.
This is an excellent book for anyone with an interest in (but not necessarily an understanding of) sports psychology.
The core message of the book is wrapped inside a fable, and is designed to build the reader’s self-confidence and mental resilience. Great for anyone with lofty goals!
Tim Grover has worked with some of the world’s greatest athletes, including Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant, and shares his thoughts on how to achieve mental and physical dominance.
This is a book designed to show you what it takes to reach your goals and achieve your dreams.
This book is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their mental performance. In a nutshell, it’s a mind training book with the goal of boosting your athletic potential beyond the realm of the purely physical.
Providing a window into the minds of champions, and offering science-backed tips and techniques, Jim Afremow’sbook is there to help you excel to new heights.
A book that does exactly what it says on the tin. If you’ve ever found yourself frozen on the sofa with indecision, straining over whether or not to get up and go to the gym, then consider giving this one a read.
It’s the perfect companion for anyone who, from time to time, needs a firm push in the right direction, just to keep themselves on track.
Neila Ray, who is involved with Darebee (an amazing free online workout database), has authored a very practical book, filled to the brim with great workouts that can be performed pretty much anywhere.
Another book that delivers exactly what the title promises, this is an excellent option for those who are less worried about theory and personal stories and more interested in bare bones workouts.
Being stuck inside the house all day can be a challenge. And it’s just as hard for children as it is for adults. So finding things to keep ourselves occupied, whether we’re young or old, is very important if we’re to stay happy and healthy.
So for the little ones in your life, we thought we’d share these 6 child-friendly workouts that the whole family can enjoy together.
From Yoga to Zumba, we think there’s something here to keep everyone satisfied. So get your exercise gear on and get moving!
