Starting your fitness journey at home can be a smart choice for beginners. It enables you to start with simple exercises and see if it’s something for you. You must approach it in a good way, otherwise, there is a good chance that you will soon stop.
I have more than 5 years of fitness experience; I started with home workouts and switched to the gym after about a year. Looking back, I made many mistakes in the early stages. With the following 8 tips, I hope to ensure that you will not make these mistakes. I wish you the best of luck with your home workouts!
Table of Contents
- #1 : Set goals and track your progress
- #2 : Be consistent
- #3 : Start simple
- #4 : Schedule the workouts at the best time
- #5 : Avoid boredom
- #6 : Maintain good form
- #7 : Always warm up
- #8 : Stay off your phone
#1 : Set goals and track your progress
First, it is very important to set goals; think about what you want to achieve with your home workouts. Maybe your goal is to lose 10 kilos or to get stronger, for example.
Write your goal(s) on paper and read it aloud before your home workouts. This way you remain aware of the reason you are doing it for. Because if you are not aware of this, why continue?
In addition, it is essential to track your progress toward that goal. For example, if you want to lose 10 kilos, step on the scale every week and write down your weight. Making progress is a very strong source of motivation for us as humans. By writing down your progress you make it visible.
#2 : Be consistent
No one trains great every workout. There will be days when you don’t feel it, be prepared for this. The most important thing is that you always complete your workout, even if you don’t feel like it.
You don’t always have to train great and it’s okay if you shorten your workout once in a while, but make sure you always do it. Doing this will make it a habit. By continuing to complete the workouts, it will become easier and easier to keep doing this as it will become part of your routine.
#3 : Start simple
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is starting too intensively. These are people who want everything perfect right away; they want a long workout and train hard every day. Unfortunately, these are often the people who give up after a very short period.
That’s why it works much better to start simple. It can hardly be simple enough! For example, you can just start with a 10-minute workout every day in which you do several simple exercises. Keeping it simple makes it easier to make it a habit. Once you have achieved this, you can slowly expand the workouts.
#4 : Schedule the workouts at the best time
Everyone has their own preferred time to work out in a day. It is essential that you discover which time works best for you.
On the one hand, you want the workouts to fit in well with your daily routines. If you can combine it with something else that you do every day, for example, it will make it much easier.
You also want to take into account your energy levels. For example, I have the most energy in the morning, so I usually plan my workouts in the morning. To test what works best for you, you can, for example, do workouts in the morning, then in the afternoon, and then in the evening. Next, you look at which part of the day you had the most energy.
#5 : Avoid boredom
Another thing that often leads people to give up is boredom. You want to prevent boredom at all times! You can imagine if you do exactly the same workout every day that it will become extremely boring.
That is why it is important to provide enough variety. For example, you can put together a different workout for every day of the week. If you want even more variety, you could consider purchasing some fitness equipment.
In addition to different exercises, you also want to ensure that your workouts remain challenging. Therefore, try to increase the intensity as you complete more workouts. For example, you can try to do more and more repetitions of exercises.
#6 : Maintain good form
If you train at home, you may not have access to a mirror. Then it becomes even more important to pay attention to your form. Bad form can lead to injuries and various problems with your body.
Therefore, take a good look at the internet on how to perform the relevant exercises; if in doubt ask someone to judge your form. Some general rules apply to almost all exercises:
- Arch or straighten your back
- Pull your shoulders back and push your chest out
- Keep your shoulders fixed
#7 : Always warm up
It may feel unnecessary to warm up when you are working out at home, but it is still very important. A good warm-up prevents injuries and many people do not start working out again after an injury.
A warm-up doesn’t have to take long; make sure that you warm up the muscles you are going to train with the workout.
#8 : Stay off your phone
Many people constantly reach for their phones between sets. Do not do this! By being on your phone you lose focus and your performance in the workout will decrease. This is because your energy level will go down.
It’s also very good for you to do nothing from time to time; between sets, I would just recommend staring straight ahead. In addition, avoid other distractions as much as possible. You can then fully focus on your workout.
Lifestyle coach [5+ years of fitness experience]