Ready to Elevate Your Home Workout? Here’s How
| 3 min read
Home gym rats know a little secret: It’s amazing to be able to get in a good workout from the comfort of your living room, basement or garage. But it can also be easy to get into a bit of a rut when you exercise at home. After all, there aren’t the wide variety of classes and equipment found at the gym. Luckily, there are some things you can do to keep yourself challenged and motivated. These six ideas are a great place to start:
- You already work out solo, now try it with a partner: Whether you’re doing cardio or strength training, a partner can help you push yourself a little more than you would on your own. Their feedback and coaching may motivate you to overcome your latest plateau—and you’ll be doing the same for them! Your partner doesn’t have to be at your house to workout with you, video calls are a great way to hold each other accountable and still have someone to talk to while you’re working out.
- You already do push-ups, now make them even more challenging: Push-ups can strengthen your core, arms, shoulders and back, but there are lots of other variations besides the kind we’re all familiar with. Try doing it one-handed, balancing on a medicine ball or bringing your hands closer together under your chest.
- You already do squats, now make them plyometric: Making moves plyometric basically means adding a jumping element. That addition combines resistance training with a cardiovascular activity, which gets your heart rate up and improves the speed, performance and power of your workout. On top of that, this kind of high intensity interval training helps increase your metabolism, so your body burns calories more efficiently. How do you do it? Turn your standard squat into a jumping squat, make a push-up a clapping push-up or add a jump between lunges.
- You already practice yoga, now try it with a wheel or foam roller: When used properly, a yoga wheel or foam roller can intensify an already-challenging yoga pose (like camel pose or a spinal massage), working wonders on your back and muscles.
- You already plank, now add some variety: We all know how great planking is for your core, but don’t stop with the standard version. Get creative by adding in variations like side planks and plank jacks. Even rolling forward and backward on your toes can increase how hard your core needs to work.
- You already make after-workout fruit smoothies, now try adding protein or fiber: It’s natural to feel famished after a workout, which is why so many people whip up a smoothie. Although fruit is an excellent, natural base, it can quickly add up in calories and sugar. Balance your recovery drink with a protein, like milk or golden pea milk, yogurt or nuts, or a fiber-rich food like avocado, flax meal, oatmeal or chia seeds.
How will you amp up your next workout? Tell us in the comments!
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