The best workouts I have ever done during the quarantine were at home, but the problem that I am suffering from is that there has been a huge lack of motivation to work out at home. With more people working from their couches or kitchens than usual, I have noticed that many of my fellow gym-goers are struggling with motivation, and not being able to get into the routine and structure of getting in at 5 a.m. each morning. So as much as this is frustrating for me, I think it’s important to recognize how difficult it can be to stick to a fitness regimen when everything around you seems so familiar…and most importantly how easy (or hard) it would be to maintain a routine if everyone were following it. If we look at what makes us feel like exercising at home versus at the gyms, we’ll see that working out at our own houses is easier to do because we live alone in our separate households, so all of our routines revolve around getting up early every morning and returning to bed. We might also prefer to go somewhere where we only have one commute and can work out in the evenings. On top of these factors, some of the greatest reasons why I wanted to bring exercise home with me were to maintain social distancing requirements within the household, so I could continue to enjoy my daily walks and runs with friends and family, but also to keep track of any upcoming gym/workout appointments that I had scheduled for the year ahead of time.
I had never thought about doing anything to motivate myself while I was isolated in the apartment and my colleagues couldn't come in, but then one day on January 17th, 2020, I decided that I should give moving outside my mind. After weeks of thinking, I finally got up to head over to a spot near the beach, and after an intense workout, I felt like I had nothing to show for it, so I just kept going for another quick walk around the neighborhood. Since it is now 2 months later and I still haven't gotten back into the habit of waking up early in the mornings, I know now that walking isn't that bad for my body and has given me enough stamina to tackle workouts at the gym once again. One thing I did in preparation for my first-ever gym/workout schedule in June, I had begun researching different equipment for cardio at the store to try on, and although I didn't want to rush through them, I decided that the extra money I had saved at the beginning of lockdown wouldn't hurt.
For example, when I found out about free weights in July, instead of having to buy expensive dumbbells and barbells that often cost thousands of dollars, I signed up for those days by buying a set instead. In September, though, I decided to buy kettlebells and barbells for the sake of consistency, and then I began working with other gym trainers in October to choose which pieces of equipment worked best for me and tried out. By the end of November, I'd managed to buy kettlebell sets and pull-ups that I used throughout the rest of the month and even started using both pieces of equipment for longer periods, so I knew that if I continued working out with kettlebells, I'd build muscle and stay healthy. Of course, I don't have time to sit down on these machines, and so I've only been utilizing them for 10 minutes or less per day, but I think that since they're so affordable, and because I've already figured out their benefits, I would love to continue working out for at least 30-40 min or longer every day. Even though they aren't as high quality as traditional weight machines, free balls, and barbells, they still offer significant advantages over traditional machines and make workouts even more challenging. If you still feel like you can't handle training yourself on your own, consider the benefits of group classes, like fitness centers or clubs. These can help you meet new people and maintain interest in your workout sessions and will provide you with the necessary motivation that you need to train at the gym regularly and consistently.
I have tried to work out at home without too much trouble, but there have been times when I didn't feel comfortable working out, and I needed an incentive to get back into the swing of things when I'm stuck inside. My next goal is to find the motivation to use what little spare time I have left at home to continue training at the gym. It's easy to let all of our habits go south when we're sitting alone doing nothing, and I do believe that there is a lot of inspiration and motivation to take with us as well when we go out for a walk or bike ride. But during quarantine, one of the biggest challenges that I have faced is the inability to train during the week, and I think that exercising at home helps me more than anyone else, especially since, at times, I find the same challenge with starting, that everyone experiences from feeling unmotivated to wanting to lose motivation.
A few days back, for instance, I went out for a short walk on the beach almost every morning before breakfast, only to return home at night after spending hours and hours putting sweat on my thighs. That walk helped me overcome the boredom that came along with working out at the gym during the week. Many times, I wasn't motivated and frustrated working out at the gym when I wasn't giving my best effort, but after the day I returned home, I knew the next day I would be excited to start up again, so I found ways to boost morale during my home workouts. As I said earlier, I did everything that I could think of to increase motivation with personal tasks and tasks that I do after the housework comes in, such as writing posts on Facebook during my break, journaling, or cleaning my house for hours upon hours.
You can also include fun activities and challenges to add a bit of excitement and lift your spirits and achieve the type of results that you're looking for. There are multiple apps available online to enable you to connect with others who have similar interests and goals to your own. Keeping active and learning how to stay motivated has become extremely crucial for me during the past ten months. I remember the very last time that I had a workout at home and I felt positive and good after! I now realize that I was only able to practice the techniques that I learned at the gym. When I can't be in the gym or class for long periods, I must rely on something that I can't do on my own. Working out at home allows me to interact with people, but even better, I don't have to go inside the gym for an hour or two each morning. I do most of my exercise sessions at the house, except for the ones that I'm unable to fit into the evening, and if I'm unable to keep up at 5 AM every morning, I can simply call in sick or stay away to catch up on my yoga or Pilates workout. This is a great advantage for me!
I hope that sharing what worked for me during lockdown will inspire a person of any age to stick to a healthy lifestyle but in particular, any individual who would like to improve in fitness and maintain motivation to stay up at the gym. Most importantly, always remember that exercising at home is a great way to burn down whatever negativity takes over you during the day, and this is true if you're stuck inside your apartment or not in the public with your colleagues. Everyone gets tired and frustrated with the same situations in life sometimes, and no one wants to experience that when stuck indoors in their house together. When I have done a workout at home for the past two months, I have discovered that even my partner likes to participate. He loves it because he doesn't have to leave his couch to spend half an hour to an hour or two in the gym, and he can do it anywhere in the entire world.
When we go for a stroll, we will have the ability to talk to our neighbors and each other about the problems that we have, all without leaving our own homes. Not only does this bring us closer to each other, but because it is usually late in the evening or on holidays, some fewer people can participate in workouts, so everyone can feel included and encouraged. I guess you can say the exact opposite to me.
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