We’re living in an era where it seems everyone is intent on ‘getting it together.’ Of course, at the forefront of this is the health and fitness craze. If your For You page looks anything like mine, it’s full of fitness influencers showing off their gym routines, cute workout sets, and extensive weekly meal preps.
Navigating a fitness routine can be very daunting, especially when you don’t know where to start or don’t like going to a physical gym. If this sounds like you, I’ll give you a little guide to some effective at-home workouts: what they are, what you’ll need to get started, and a few workouts and/or influencers/trainers that you can find online to help get started.
HIIT
The first of our at-home workouts is high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. These are full-body, compound exercises that are done within strict intervals and typically require no equipment outside of your body weight. The exercises require maximum effort and are followed by short rests.
For example, you’ll do 20 seconds of a full-body exercise like jumping jacks, have 10 seconds of rest, and then repeat 15 times.
Sample Workouts:
Time: 25 mins
Structure: 40 sec on / 20 sec off x 3 rounds
Rest: one minute between rounds
Circuit:
Jump squats
Pushups
Mountain climbers
Glute bridges
Plank hold
Finisher:
High knees for one minute
One-minute squat pulses
Walking
Now this one may sound simple and mundane, but walking can be a tremendous way to stay in shape and lose weight, if that’s your goal. It doesn’t require any equipment, and according to Mayo Clinic, it boosts cardiovascular health, improves muscle endurance, strengthens your immune system, and more.
There are a few things to bear in mind when walking to make it a more effective workout. First, keep your head up! It’s easy and second nature to want to look down at your feet or even just look at your feet or the sidewalk as you go, but you risk neck injury in doing so.
Second, keep your stomach muscles tight to engage your core. Walking isn’t exclusively for legs or cardio; it can be full body if you engage your muscles properly.
Finally, keep your posture relaxed. Your shoulders should be down and back so that you don’t risk stiffness in your neck and back.
Yoga
Our third exercise is yoga, which is a Hindu discipline that is similar to yoga, that focuses on controlled movements and intentional breathing. However, pilates is more of a strength-based exercise that encourages you to improve your posture and engage your core in all movements.
It is extremely effective for toning your abs, glutes, and thighs, and is good for increasing flexibility and body awareness.
You’ll need a mat, lots of space, and an incredible amount of focus. Some workouts may also include glute bands, light weights (1-5 lbs), blocks, ankle and wrist weights, and a few more things, but exercises can always be done and will remain effective without the extra equipment.
Sample Exercise:
Hundreds
Lie on your back, and imprint your lower spine into the floor, ensuring there is no gap between your back and the floor.
Lift your legs into the table top – knees at a 90-degree angle and arms extended by your side.
Carefully, lift your head, neck, and shoulders off that mat (as if you are doing a crunch) as high as you can.
Keep your shoulders lifted and begin to pump your arms up and down, inhaling for five and exhaling for five.
Repeat this for 10 rounds.
At the end of the day, fitness isn’t about perfection or following the latest trends. It’s about finding what works for you and making it sustainable. Whether it’s the intensity of HIIT, the calm flow of yoga, the strength-building focus of Pilates, or simply taking a daily walk, there’s an at-home workout out there that can fit seamlessly into your life. So take a deep breath and get moving in a way that feels good.
