Deciding to get in shape is one of the best decisions you can ever make. It helps you live a healthier, longer life, and it gives you a confidence boost each time you look in the mirror. But then, one excuse people have for why they can’t get in shape is access to a gym.
What if we told you that you could lose fat and gain muscle at home? This article shares two critical reasons why home is the best place to get in shape. You can read here the Home Gym Equipment Reviews which will help you to choose which equipment will be good. We also have tips on how you can get started.
Top Reasons Why You Can Get in Shape at Home
The perks of a gym include lots of equipment and moral support. However, here are two equally convincing and true reasons why home is the best place to get in your best shape.
Your metabolism is the same.
Whenever you try to lose weight or build muscle, you harness the power of your bodily metabolism. To lose weight, you burn more calories than you consume. You can burn calories by running, skipping, or even brisk walking. You actually don’t need a gym to get your metabolism working for you.
You can also make great use of your home space to explore unconventional calorie-burning techniques like cold exposure and fidgeting. If a gym membership is the only thing keeping you from getting your dream body, now you know that there’s actually nothing in your way.
You get greater flexibility.
One of the most significant advantages of keeping your workout at home is the flexibility it brings. Gyms have an open and closing time, but you can get up by 3 am and jump rope if that’s when you have time. By working out at home, you can eliminate another excuse that many people have — “I don’t have time.”
You also get to create tailored exercise routines. You can mix in cardio with resistance training, or even yoga, depending on your goals. You can even do routines that would get you stares at the local gym. Exercises like bear crawls and skater squats are great for your thighs and core, but not fun to do with an audience.
Tips to Get You Started
Watch your calories.
We already talked about how calories are the key to burning fat and getting trimmer. If you’re planning to build muscle, calories are important, too. If you don’t pay attention, you may end up gaining unwanted fat along with those muscle mass.
The first step is to see how many calories you burn in your daily routine. The most practical and easiest way to keep track is with a fitness band. These are relatively cheap and simple to use. Alternatively, you can use any one of many activity calendar apps to get a rough estimate.
Next, count the number of calories your daily diet contains. This will be easy because most foods have their nutritional information readily available. You can also refer to online sources.
Be clear on your goals.
People have numerous reasons for working out. While building muscle and slimming down is the most popular, there are certainly others. You may want to build endurance or get a bigger butt. You need to define your goals before you begin any routine.
With a routine, you’ll have the focus and motivation to do what needs to be done. You can also track your progress and hit your goals that much faster. There are hundreds of exercise routines out there, and you can’t do them all. Better to focus on the ones that align with your goals.
Create a schedule.
Working out at home is a slippery slope that can quickly lead to complacency and lack of motivation. Create a schedule to keep yourself motivated and driven. But then, finding the right time may be tough at first. Some prefer to exercise in the mornings before they start their day.
Pushing it to the evenings is also a great idea. That way, you can spend as much time as you need. A study also found that working out in the afternoon may give you a quick boost of motivation. You get to decide when to work out.
Use everything.
Trainers say it helps to do daily splits when working out — target different muscle groups on other days. While you can use every gym equipment, it’s better to leave some for specific days. However, since you’re working out from home, this won’t be a problem for you.
For example, while targeting your triceps, you can use the chair for arm dips and the coffee table for inclined push-ups. You could even use the cat for overhead extensions! If you plan to do impactful exercises like jumping jacks, better to do it on the hardwood flooring and other solid surfaces. You can visit HomesPure.com to get the best flooring.
Best Practices
To wrap things up, here are tips to help you go the distance.
Go harder, not longer.
A lot of people mistake exercise duration for intensity. While working out for a long time can help you burn more calories, it’s not necessarily the best approach. Instead of trying to turn thirty-minute routines into hour-long sessions, keep it short but effective.
Besides tiring yourself out, some studies have shown that overtraining can actually reduce your immune response. Since we exercise to get healthier, we’d say that’s moving in the wrong direction. Keep your schedule as short and effective as possible, and stick to it.
Know your limits.
The truth is, you can only be so muscular. Unless you’re genetically predetermined, you won’t be as buff as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It’s simply not going to happen. That doesn’t mean you should give up. Instead, understand where your limits are and focus on doing the most you can.
It also helps to set realistic goals. For example, losing 10 pounds every month is very practical, but losing 10 pounds every week isn’t. It’s crucial to stay motivated when your home is your gym, and setting ridiculous goals won’t help.
If you need a gym, go to a gym.
Throughout this article, we’ve discussed how you can turn your home into a fitness station. If you’d rather use a gym, you should do that. People often say that the best exercise is the one you enjoy doing. If you enjoy exercising with other fitness enthusiasts, go for it!
