Given the current lockdown situation happening in Ontario, training at home has become the only option for most people. But how do you stay consistent and accountable when you are forced to train at home especially when this isn’t something that’s the norm for you?
First off, I want to say, give yourself grace. Getting into a health and fitness routine is hard for most people at the best of times. If you are a regular gym-goer remember how much your routine just changed. Yes, it’s easy to say that you will just do it at home, but if you find yourself struggling give yourself grace in the fact that your routine may have changed drastically (depending on what a typical workout in the gym looks like for you).
When working out at home the first thing I would recommend is to schedule it in your calendar. You probably had a time when you were going to the gym so why not stick to it. Schedule your workouts at the same time that you would have been going to the gym and put them on your calendar. Set a reminder for those workouts and when it goes off do them in and around that time. Don’t push these workouts off in the moment or you may realize that the day is gone and you didn’t get to it. Treat your workouts like you would treat a meeting with your boss, don’t snooze the alarm and don’t skip out in the moment. Having a backup plan can also help when last minute things do come up (because let’s be real…they will especially with kiddos running around). Decide what that plan may be ahead of time. If you can’t get your workout in during your typical morning time could you re-schedule it after the kiddos are in bed when you need to? Or maybe if you have to miss one day, you are pushing the workout off until the next day, but adjusting what you are doing in those workouts for the rest of the week. You choose what your backup plan is going to be, but having one never hurts anyone.
Try to designate a space for your workouts and your workouts only. I do realize that this isn’t always achievable for everyone depending on the space you have available. If you have a single room that you can make your “home gym” that is best, but if not there are still ways around it. Choose a small area in any room in your house that is only for training. Maybe there is a spot next to your couch in the living room or a spare bedroom that you don’t spend a lot of time in. If it helps you visually map out a box on the floor with masking tape or painters tape. When you enter that box you know it’s time for your workout. Designating this space helps you to eliminate distractions and focus in on your workout at hand. Let this space be your saving grace.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have access to equipment. Some people might have some equipment at home but backpacks filled with books, soup cans, water bottles, or laundry soap containers all make great options to add some resistance to your home workout routine. Your own body weight or even your kids make great resistance as well. There are tons of different things you can use around your home, try and get creative and find what works for you. You can get a great workout in with no equipment…it is possible, I promise.
Start small. I’m not going to harp on this too much because I have an entire blog coming up in a couple of weeks on starting small and creating tiny habits, but I will give you a basic gist here. If you are just starting out on a health and fitness journey, if you are transitioning from gym workouts to home workouts or if you are on a pregnancy to motherhood journey anywhere choose something small to start with. If you can get 2 workouts in a week and that doesn’t overwhelm you then start there. If the thought of doing even one workout in a week sends you spiralling then start with 5 minutes of stretching. The point here is to start with something that is sustainable for you…not something that is going to leave you disappointed. Sometimes it might seem like you aren’t doing enough, but if you are successfully doing whatever the small task is then you are getting somewhere. Everyone’s small will look different and it will depend on what you are doing right now, but set yourself up for success by choosing small fitness goals you can focus on right now instead of goals that are far off in the distant future.
Finally, find yourself an accountability partner. Do you have a friend or family member who is looking to start working out at home as well? Why not join forces and hold each other to the schedule that you set out. Work out with your accountability partner what your weekly schedule is going to look like. If it works you can try to do these workouts together (virtually at this time), but if you can’t then just share your schedule with each other. When your accountability partner is coming up on a workout check in with them. Send them a text or give them a quick phone call. Encourage them to stick to the plan or let them know that you are rooting for them. When we have to report our fitness endeavors to someone else, we are way more likely to stick with those commitments. Accountability partners are probably the best way to help keep yourself accountable on your fitness journey.
Although we are still facing some trying times ahead that doesn’t mean that our health and fitness needs to suffer. If you are interested in a coach or an accountability partner I am offering a new 8-week workout program that will allow you to start small and workout from home (dumbbells or bands are recommended, but not required and I will offer alternatives). You can reach out here if you are interested in learning more about this program.
At the end of the day, accountability and consistency are probably the two hardest pieces of starting or continuing on a health and fitness journey. But these tips can help you along the way as you strive to be your healthiest, fittest version of you!
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