How to set up home a gym
The new normal is staying at home. While my first three weeks of lockdown wasn’t very active, I am now feeling ready to start working out properly again. Running a mile a day has been a good stress reliever, I know that if I don’t start strength training again, my running will suffer. I worked hard with a personal trainer in December and January to strengthen my glutes and hamstrings. My physiotherapy was also a priority. But none of this has happened as of late.
Lockdown in the UK has been extended for another three weeks, so I think it is time for me to develop a routine again. (Plus, my 30 Days to Happy program has given me a little bit of a kick in the bum). If you are also ready to start exercising at home, here are my tips on how to workout at home.
Setting up a space
Living in the UK, our flat is pretty small. You don’t need a lot of space though to have a workout area. The space just needs to have enough room to move, both left, right, front, back, and overhead. Also, check to make sure there are not any low hanging lights overhead. Think outside the box and move furniture around if you can. You can also have different areas in the house that work for different movements, such as squats in your office, lunges in your kitchen, and yoga on your patio. Order equipment that is easy to store- such as exercise bands, jump rope, and a yoga strap. Have a look in my Self-Isolation store* for other items that might be useful for your fitness journey.
Safety
Most importantly during this time, you are feeling ill, do not exercise. Also, be sure that the space you are exercising in is safe- there is nothing on the ground to trip over and that you have enough room to move for the exercises required. Keep water nearby and hydrate often (so many of us are drinking alcohol these days, water will help no matter what!). Finally, go for quality over quantity when performing repetitions. Good form is very important to ensure you will not become injured and works the targeted muscle group most effectively. Online classes will never be as good as having an instructor there to correct your form so do pay particular attention to their instructions. If a certain move causes you pain, or you are not confident on how to do it, YouTube has a lot of demonstration videos that are helpful. Or get in touch with me and we can have a video call to address.
Goal setting
I am a firm believe in SMART goal setting and my ethos is to do what is fun. Why not combine the two to make keeping a training schedule something you look forward to rather than avoid? Set your fitness goals for what you enjoy. For example, if you hate running, don’t set a goal to run every day. Explore different ways to move if you haven’t found something you love yet. There are many free fitness classes available online, and therefore an opportunity to try a new type of exercise class nearly every day. In these uncertain times, I would also recommend having a self-care goal- such as meditating 5 min a day or unplugging for an hour every afternoon. Finally, allow some wiggle room in your goals. Rather than have a goal to do something every day of the week, set your target to five times per week to allow for off days.
The above tips will help you find space in your home and your day to move a bit more. Physical activity will help relieve stress and maintain good immunity. Remember that the exercises don’t have to be high impact, just something you enjoy.
*affiliation link that costs you nothing additional but helps fund the running of this site.
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