Tips for exercising at home

A lot of people believe that they need to have a gym membership or a lot of fancy equipment to complete a solid workout and I'm here to tell you that it is not true. While as a personal trainer I have more equipment then the average person, I use limited equipment in my workouts that I do at home. Really all you need is a set of dumb-bells, just one weight is fine and a yoga mat (though this isn't a necessity). 

I workout both at the gym and at home and I enjoy my at home workouts just as much as when I go to the gym. My muscles are just as sore the next day so just because you are working out at home doesn't mean that it is easier then working out at a gym. If you have the basic equipment as we discussed earlier then there is no reason why you cannot work out just as hard and an added bonus you are saving money by not having a gym membership. The important thing is making it a part of your routine. For me I prefer to wake up earlier and work out because it means I don't have to worry about fitting it in later.

So what are some tips for working out at home:

• Wear comfortable clothes, even though you are at home and it is unlikely anyone is going to see you, you need to be comfortable. If you are wearing something you are not comfortable in or you need to continuously readjust then you are likely to not work out as hard or finish up early because you become frustrated with your clothes
• Sweat is a good thing!! While you may feel like you are unfit because you are dripping sweat everywhere this is not the case. Sweat means we are working out and releasing 'feel good' hormones which make us feel happy and combat stress. Sweat also helps to detoxify our body and reduce the chance of developing colds or other illnesses. So sweat it up!!
• Develop a playlist on your phone or ipad. Music is your friend and can help you pump out those extra sets or reps if you have the right beat. 
• Set aside a space to workout in. If you have things in the way you are more likely to stop halfway through because you are frustrated or spend more time moving things around then working out.
• Decide on the exercises you are going to do prior to working out so you can get everything ready and set up and you don't waste time setting up each exercise as you go along. This helps to maximise your time 

I hope these tips have helped you a little. Just remember even if you only spend 20 minutes working out it is better then not having done any and it's a step in the right direction to making a lifestyle change

Simone xx