Who doesn’t want to get fit? With other fit people around us and all those Instagram models providing enough motivation, one is bound to feel the enthusiasm of starting their own fitness journey! But also, with many of us being super-busy in today’s time, be it our 9-5 (mostly sedentary) jobs or hectic lifestyles, it seems difficult to hit the gym. Well, that ideal body needn’t be made only there. This is where a home workout routine comes to the rescue. A goal, a deadline, determination and whatever little time you have daily can help you achieve the body of your dreams! Here are the only 5 steps you need to create and implement your own home workout.
Determine Your Goal What do you want? Do you want to lose weight, tone your body, be more flexible or all three? Being specific about your goals is instrumental in designing and implementing a home workout plan. Stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself. You should be able to see the problem areas. Extra fat? You need to burn it with cardio. Does your body look loose? It needs to be toned up with strength training. If you lack flexibility, you need a good stretching routine or Yoga. home workout home workout stretching
Determine How Much Time You Can Devote Be realistic about this one. Don’t overestimate yourself, or you may get disappointed. A basic fitness routine consists of giving a minimum 30 minutes a day for 3 days a week. But having 10-20 minutes a day is also enough to reach fitness goals. Its all about creating a plan that suits your schedule best. You can always give your workout 15 minutes per day for 6 days a week.
Set a Deadline It is very important to give yourself a deadline. This enables you to figure out how to go about achieving your goal. It can act as a reminder, prevent you from getting lazy and make you get up every day determined to workout. You must be realistic here as well. Don’t just aim to lose 10 kgs in a month! Be kind to your body. It needs adequate rest and a healthy diet along with the workouts. The best way to remind yourself of your deadline every day is to write it and stick it on the daily planner or journal you use. You can also stick it right in front of your bed. This reminds you of your goal immediately after waking up and is also the last thing you see before sleeping.
Keep Your Interests In Mind Gyms have the attraction of good music and interacting with like-minded people who motivate you. A home workout can get a bit boring. Not incorporating activities that interest you will only demotivate you and you may give up mid-way! If you like dancing, make sure you incorporate a dance-based workout (check this dance workout video and make a playlist for yourself) at least once a week. This helps you enjoy your workout and keeps you motivated towards achieving the goal. If you like being outdoors, try incorporating a 10-minute run or brisk walk.
Design and Implement This is the most detailed, and obviously important part. Now, keeping the results of the above 4 steps, it is time to design your home workout plan. This can be best explained using examples of A, B, C and D. A wants to lose weight. B wants to tone and tighten her body. C wants to increase her flexibility and; D wants to lose weight, tone up her body and also increase her flexibility. Sample Home Workout for A Using this plan (15-20 minutes a day), A can lose up to 3 kgs in 1 month. Preferred mode of workout – Aerobic Centered. Modalities – Jogging/running on a treadmill or outdoors, cycling on a stationary bike or outdoors, dancing, kickboxing, jump rope, swimming etc. Interval training – Only after doing steady state cardio for 25 minutes at a stretch. Recommended Strength Training – Squats, Push Ups, Crunches, Lunges (6-12 repetitions each)
Sample Home Workout for B Types – Strength training (exercises mentioned above) in rep ranges of 12 to 16 Such rep range works to increase muscular endurance without adding bulk. Adding in planks, squat holds may help to give a greater muscular pump. Sample Home Workout for C Types – Various types of stretching (Static, Active, Ballistic, PNF). Static stretches should be held for at least 30 seconds. Active and ballistic stretching to be added before the workout as warm-ups. Static stretches after the workouts as a part of the cool down period. PNF(Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) is an advanced form of flexibility stretching, which is to be practiced with the help of a stretching partner. This is optional. At least one day in a week maybe dedicated solely for stretching. Sample Home Workout for D Types – Use modalities suggested above and distribute days of the week (alternating between strength, followed by cardio days and again intercepted by strength days). Stretching routines can be incorporated as parts of warm-ups and cooldowns. Active and ballistic stretches will be relevant during the warm-up phase to make the body ready for the upcoming activity. Static stretching for cool down phase because it reduces chances of muscle soreness after a workout. It also helps increase flexibility. Warm up phase should last for a period of 5-10 minutes and the cool down phase for a period of 15 – 20 minutes. Using the above 5 steps, and the sample workouts, you can confidently create your own home workout routine and go about achieving your fitness goals! However, remember that no workout is enough to get a fit and healthy body without a proper diet. Check out some foolproof diet tips to stay healthy and fit forever. SEARCH Search for: Search… Designed by VelaThemes. All Rights Reserved.
