Connect
Tag Archives: fitness
4+ At Home Workout Ideas
After my first week of staying home, I realized that I need movement and working out in my life! It gives me energy, calms me, and helps me sleep better just for starters. Starting week 2, I began trying out different workout plans and types of workouts to find the best ones for my space and time. I think it is so important right now to stay active and moving!I rounded up 4 at home workout ideas that I’ve found to work for me, plus a few extra ideas if mine aren’t your cup of tea.
My daily workout schedule includes a daily walk, strength training or pilates, and yoga. I included links to FREE videos, fitness apps offering free trials, and a few other resources that can all help you stay active everyday. At the bottom of the post, I listed a few Houston area studios and my top club gym offering classes. Some are free and some have a small fee. If you are looking to support a small business, buying a few online classes from your favorite local studio is a great way to help them out!
GO FOR A RUN OR WALK OUTDOORS – If you have the ability to get outside and get some fresh air, a walk or run is a great way to get in cardio. I have knee issues which prevent me from running long distances, so I will alternate between walking days and interval running. You can use apps like RunKeeper to build in custom interval workouts. This app also gives you time cues. I set it when I go on my daily lunch break walks to give me the time every 15 minutes, so I know when to turn around or head back inside. To make an hour long walk go by fast, I listen to music on Spotify or audio books on Overdrive that I online borrow from my library.
CLIMB STAIRS AROUND YOUR BUILDING – If you live in a building, apartment or multi-story home, another cardio idea is to walk up and down the stairs. If you have multiple sets of staircases, go up one walk to the next and go down that one. Repeat your way around the building.
WALK THE PARKING GARAGE – I’ve seen people do this before, and I think it’s a really smart idea! It’s a good way to get in some incline walking and stay covered on rainy days. Just watch out for cars!
YOGA – This workout is great for both the body and mind. I’ve been doing yoga almost every morning, and it has been the perfect start to my day. Yoga can help you stretch out muscles that may be cramped from less activity, strengthen your muscles, and yoga breathing can help calm you and reduce anxiety. Yoga With Adriene is a great free yoga option. I found her videos to be great for beginners! If you want something more advanced, I have been using the Intermediate Yoga Flow classes in the Peloton App. These classes remind me of the classes that I take at yoga studios. FYI – The Peloton App is running a FREE 90 day trial right now. I’ve been taking full advantage of it and their workouts!
STRETCHING – If yoga is not your thing, a few light stretches will help keep your muscles limber. I like to stretch my legs and back the most especially after long walks or sitting all day. If you type in Stretching to Pinterest, you will find tons of different stretches you can do. Also, the peloton app has stretching workouts.
STRENGTH TRAINING – Keep your muscles strong and engaged with strength training. You will need some weights for this one, although you can also look for bodyweight only moves too! I have had this weight set FOREVER, and it’s really come in handy this month! You can pick up a similar set at a sporting good store, Target, or Walmart. Below are some places I like to use for FREE workouts:
XHIT DAILY on YouTube – This arm video is my Favorite from this channel.
The Peloton App – A variety of class length options are great for getting in quick workouts.
Lauren Gleisberg – She posts lots of circuit workouts for both gym and at home. I find them super easy to follow and effective.
Alexia Clark – She posts workout videos on her Instagram that are effective and easy to follow.
MAKE YOUR OWN PILATES/ REFORMER CLASS – I spent the first couple of months falling in love with MegaFormer class, and I had planned on trying out a reformer pilates class but then everything closed. I have seen so many people post about simulating some of the moves using paper plates or socks. Search Paper Plate Workout on Pinterest for workout ideas. This article also has some good moves. I did a few moves from my Megaformer class the other day, and man I could feel this in my abs! I do the movements slow which is similar to the slow controlled movements of my megaformer class.
I live above someone in my apartment complex, so I’m choosing to be a good upstairs neighbor and not do too many jumping around workouts. Below are a few other workout options that I think are awesome, but not good for my environment.
DANCE CLASS/JAZZERCISE – This You Tube channel offers a variety of dance classes for FREE! The Sculpt Society App also has upbeat dance and cardio classes. You can try Free with a 14 day trial.
UPBEAT CARDIO CLASS – You can find these in fitness apps like the Peloton App or Aaptiv.
CALL YOUR LOCAL STUDIO FOR EQUIPMENT – Many studios in my area rented out equipment like spin bikes, trampolines, and weights. For most of them you had to have a monthly membership, but it may be worth looking into. Many local studios are also offering online classes for a small fee or for FREE!
A few of my top studios offering classes:
Revolution Studio (this is where I take spin and yoga) – Fee Required offering strength, spin, and yoga
Define Body (I take their Barre classes) – free for one week, must enter email
Orange Theory – Daily Free Circuit Workouts
Atrium Yoga – Fee Required offering live yoga workouts
Black Swan Yoga – Free Yoga Workouts
Lifetime Fitness (my favorite club gym!) – offering free at home workouts
SHOP MY MINI GYM
PIN THIS PIC TO SAVE THIS POST FOR FUTURE USE!
How to Stay Motivated to Workout
January comes around, and we are all about the healthy habits and hitting the gym and cardio classes almost daily. February kicks in and starts strong, but we start slipping and skipping our workouts. March hits with a reminder that swimsuit season is approaching and we go searching for motivation to get back into the gym. I always notice the gym and my cardio classes fill up every January and by March suddenly many of the new kids are gone leaving just the regulars.
In addition to physical benefits of exercise, I also love the mental and emotional benefits. Regular workouts keep my energy levels high, my focus and productivity raised, and help me stay in a good, positive mood. I do however fall prey to workout slumps (usually when I start getting really busy or eating unhealthy) when I just lose my motivation. I know I need to get back to my workouts, and the perks are so good but I struggle to get back into exercise sometimes. Below are a few of my tips for breaking through the slump and getting back into a workout routine.
Add variety to your workouts.
Mix it up whether that be trying a new cardio machine at the gym, a new workout class, or taking your gym workout to the outdoors. Whenever I feel myself starting to lose motivation, I find someway to change up my routine. For gym days, I always try to rotate the machines to keep my variety constant. My goal is to not do the same cardio back to back. If you are more of a class person, try a new studio or class. I love using ClassPass for this purpose. I’m able to head to a different studio and class whenever I want.
Schedule a class.
This brings me to my next tip, schedule a class! If I have paid for a class, I am going to go. I’m much more likely to skip out on gym time. Whenever I start skipping my gym workouts, I add in a few extra classes. A few of my favorites to help kickstart me are spin class, megaformer pilates, yoga, and barre. My experience is that these workouts help motivate me to get back to the gym too.
Commit to just 20 or 30 minutes.
When I have zero motivation to get up and go to they gym, I tell myself that I only have to go for 20 or 30 minutes and then I can leave. I pick a time limit that sounds short and not so bad. Majority of the time, I end up doing a full workout. A few times, I have left after my required 20 minutes because some days you just are not feeling it.
Find a new playlist, audio book, or podcast.
If you need a distraction while you knock out your cardio, audio books and podcasts are perfect! I like to do a mix of high and low intensity cardio. Incline walking on a treadmill with an audio book has become one of my favorite ways to get in an hour of light cardio. For my high intensity days, I’ll look for new music on Spotify to give me new motivation and to keep pushing.
Phone a friend.
Call in some reinforcements! Meet them to try a new studio or class, go for a walk at a local park, or just be each others accountability partner at the gym. A few years ago, some friends and I would do fitbit challenges each week. It was a fun way to motivate each other to get our steps in daily without having to live near each other.
Put your workout clothes on.
Just get dressed. I do this on weekends and evenings when it’s easy to get distracted by other more fun things like binge watching Netflix or scrolling through Instagram. I’ve also had friends sleep in their workout clothes for a quick morning workout.
Schedule it.
If a busy schedule is keeping you from your workouts, then start scheduling gym time in your calendar or set a specific time or day that will be designated for workouts.
What tips help you keep your workout motivation? Share them in the comments below and maybe they can help someone else kickstart that motivation!
| OUTFIT DETAILS |
Define Jacket | Pace Rival Leggings (teal sold out) | Similar Sneakers | Tote Bag | Water Bottle
Photography By: LA Photography
SHOP THE LOOK
Fitbit Alta HR Review
Last Black Friday, I took the plunge an ordered a new Fitbit. I originally had the Fitbit Flex 2. I liked the slim design of that one, but I really wanted to be able to see my step count on my wrist verse having to sync with the app each time. I decided to go up to the next slim design that showed step count, the Fitbit Alta. Originally, I was not going to purchase the heart rate version. It added $50 to the price tag, and I didn’t really think I needed the feature. Then a Black Friday sale happened. The HR version went on sale to $50 below the regular version, so I decided why not try it out. I wanted to share my Fitbit Alta HR review in case you are in the market for this fitness monitor.
I’ve know been using the Fitbit system for about 1 1/2 years. When I bought my first Fitbit, I just wanted to monitor my step count. I loved being able to add in my cardio workouts to the app. You can also monitor water intake, weight, and get movement reminders with the help of the app.
The heart rate version of the fitbit was really a game changer for me. I am SO happy that I went with this version. With this added feature, I can measure the intensity of my workouts, the different stages of my sleep, and keep track of my resting heart rate. It’s one of those didn’t know I needed it until I had it kind of features.
The sleep feature has been my favorite part. I wear my fitbit to bed and it monitors my heart rate throughout the night. I’m able to see how long I was in deep sleep, light sleep, REM, and how much I was awake throughout the night. I used this data to pay attention to what I was doing the night before a restless night or a night I spent in a deep sleep. It also tells you how long you sleep each night. I have learned that I sleep about 6-7 hours each night.
The other benefit of the heart rate version is measuring my workout intensity. It gives you three intensity levels – Fat Burn, Cardio, and Peak. I head to spin class about once a week, and I like to see how hard I was working and compare past spin workouts to see if my cardio level is improving. I also like being able to see how much of my normal cardio and strength workouts were in the fat burn and cardio zone. The Fitbit registers running and walking automatically. I enter all my other workouts (spin, strength training, stair climber, etc) in the My Fitness Pal app. You enter the exact times of your workout, and these two apps sync together, so I can see my heart rate for all workouts.
As for the Fitbit Alta, I love the slim design of it. The screen gives you so many options. My screen cycles through the clock, step count, heart rate, miles, calories burned, and activity minutes. The screen settings are completely customizable in the app to whatever info you want to see. You can also set up to receive text and call notifications. This feature doesn’t interest me, so I have never tried it out. I have friends especially mom friends who like this feature.
I purchased the dark gray version and ordered a few different wristbands off Amazon. You can get an array of colors for a low price. I ordered a package of ten colors because it was just a few dollars more than ordering just one. Unfortunately, that package isn’t available anymore, so I just linked this cute pink one. It’s my favorite because it blends in with my skintone and doesn’t stand out too much. You can find other brands selling group packs for a low price if you want to get a multi pack.
Overall, I love the Fitbit Alta HR. It’s a slim design, but still has all the screen features. The heart rate is totally worth the extra expense in my opinion especially if you want to monitor workout intensity or sleep stages. I hope this review was helpful! If you have any other questions, leave them in comments and I will get back to you!
| OUTFIT DETAILS |
Blue Workout Tank Top | Gray Sports Bra | Zella Crop Leggings | Fitbit Alta HR | Pink Wristband | Nike Sneakers | Nails: CND Cashmere Wrap
Photography by: Banavenue Photography
SHOP THE LOOK
