We find ourselves in a somewhat unprecedented situation with the rise of coronavirus. Cinemas, bars, restaurants and even gyms have been shutting nationwide, disrupting many of our daily work and social lives.
Some of us have been asked specifically to self-isolate, and this is likely to affect many more of us going forward. But that's no excuse to suddenly neglect our health and goals! Otherwise, we're kind of defeating the point of isolating to protect ourselves and may come out the other side worse off than how we started.
It can feel more difficult to motivate yourself to workout at home alone though - but there are ways around this. Here are some tips:
Set a schedule. We are creatures of habit. Even those of us who hate routines still need to set aside time for important tasks. Setting a regular schedule for your home workouts will help get your body into the groove and adjust to what could be your new 'normal' for a while. Whether it's in the morning, afternoon or evening can be based around what suits you best.
Use an app. Keeping track of your progress is another good motivator because it gives you a goal to reach for, as well as confidence in yourself when you get closer to that goal. A fitness app is a great way of doing this! There are many to choose from: for example, the 30 Days Fitness Challenge has a lot of programs you can do from home, like this intense leg workout.
Have a dedicated space. Much like an office space gets many of us into the mindset of work, having a space reserved for your workouts at home helps communicate to your body that it should be ready to exert itself in this environment.
Put on some music. There's a reason they play upbeat music in the gym. Sure, it's nice to listen to, but more so it can help motivate you to push through rather than giving up. Music is a great motivator... and a great way of ensuring you don't get easily bored with your workouts.
Hang out with a friend. Well, not literally- of course! But we're living in 2020, which means we're set up nicely for maintaining social interaction while also distancing. Skype, or something similar, is a great tool that you should use for working out alongside a friend online. You could find this is the next best thing to hanging out in the gym together.
Quality over quantity. Intimidated or bored by the thought of long workouts? You don't have to be; quality is always preferable over trying to fit as much in as possible. Doing a short workout can be far more effective than a lighter repetitive one. Give priority to working out correctly over working out excessively. If you want to know how to do a certain exercise the right way, there are plenty of YouTube videos that offer practical advice.
Switch it up. Sometimes even doing all the above won't be inspiring enough, so don't be afraid to try something new occasionally. The only limits you put on yourself are from you. Switch things up to keep your new home workout lifestyle interesting.
Keeping active and working out benefits not only your physical health but your mental well-being too. It lets you blow off steam and gives you something to focus on aside from dire news reports. Creating positive habits is crucial. Together, we'll reach the light at the end of this tunnel... while keeping our distance of course.
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