A lot of people haven’t been physically active during lockdown. Staying at home for months meant that they could not play sports with their friends or go to the gym with their trainer. The pandemic could go on for much longer so we need to find ways to cope for the long haul. Rather than going on a downward spiral, we could start getting fit at home today and reap the rewards tomorrow. Below are some tips that can help towards this goal:
Maximize What You Already Have
Before you open your wallet for a getting fit at home splurge, do check what you might already have in your house. Maybe you bought dumbbells that you never used. Perhaps someone you live with owns a yoga mat, a jump rope, or other useful tools. If you don’t have free weights, then consider lifting large jugs of water for now. You can always upgrade to serious equipment later. You might also want to dust off your pair of trainers and athletic clothes.
Exercise Early in the Morning
Schedule your exercise and make it a habit. If possible, this should be part of your morning routine. Get it done early in the day. You won’t have to worry about finding time for it once work, family, and other responsibilities get in the way. At night, you might already be too tired to lift a finger. You won’t be in the best mood to sweat it out. If waking up early is a struggle, then sleep early and bank enough sleep to feel fully rested the next day. Drink a cup of coffee if you have to for that morning jolt.
Get Everything Ready Before Bedtime
There will always be a temptation to press the snooze button and ignore the alarm. You need to make yourself primed to get up at your self-prescribed time. If this is 5am, then you need to be in bed by 9pm for eight hours of sleep. This means that you should have eaten your dinner at 7pm, put down your phone at 8pm, got your workout clothes ready by 8:30pm, and so on. Some people even go to bed wearing their exercise outfits so they don’t even have to change. They can just get up and go.
Be Patient with the Results
All the effort makes people want to see major results. However, fitness is a game of patience with improvements happening in trickles rather than big splashes. Don’t weigh yourself obsessively every day. Once a week is enough to track your progress. You might not see a noticeable transformation on the mirror but you will feel yourself getting stronger day by day.
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