5 Tips to Make Your Home Workout Space One You’ll Actually Use

It’s hard to be in the mood to exercise when the couch is calling your name from just a few feet away. And once you pull out your phone to watch a workout video, it may be just a matter of seconds before you’re cleaning out your email inbox or getting sucked into the Tik Tok empty. Who needs exercise, anyway?

Well, we all do in some shape or form. maintenance about 30 minutes of physical activity every day (and possibly double if you sit all day at work) is one of the most important things you can do for your health, besides getting sleep and eating a balanced diet. regular exercise can help prevent disease, keep you from developing chronic health conditions like diabetes, and heart diseaseand at the same time help improve your mood and feeling of well-being.

But gyms cost money, and finding the motivation to exercise in the same space where you eat, sleep, and relax can be difficult. To rethink the way you exercise at home, some simple tweaks or additions may be needed to make your routine more enjoyable, something you’ll want to return to again and again, without distractions.

Here are some quick and easy tips to keep you off the couch and on your living room floor exercising.

1. Leave your favorite exercise equipment in plain sight

Rolling out my stained turquoise yoga mat has conditioned my brain to know when it’s “exercise time.” To keep it a priority, I keep it in plain sight, under my table. By the time it’s flat and ready for action, I have to start the routine.

Because time is of the essence to riding the wave of motivation once you get the idea to start exercising, it’s important to make the most of it with exercise equipment that you’ll actually use, and that really to enjoy wearing. For me, that’s an ab roller and an old pair of boxing gloves. I’ll take them out in case I feel like including them in the workout routine mix. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t, but there really is something about having something in sight, in mind.

Another tip: Don’t bother with equipment you don’t like to use. I don’t like lifting weights or running on a treadmill, so I don’t even bother incorporating that into my home workout routine. Keeping things nice and cool is key to a balanced active life, even if you’re only active for a few minutes at a time.

2. Dress to sweat

This one is pretty simple, but once you commit to doing any number of minutes of exercise, put on your gym clothes or whatever your “exercise gear” is. Some surveys of gym-goers have suggested that simply putting on training gear can provide the motivation sometimes needed to exercise.

To ride this wave, move right after changing into your workout clothes. Try not to slack off, take a phone call, start sorting your clothes, or start any activity other than exercise. Doing so can fuel a sense of procrastination and erode the careful balance that must be managed in the home-space-as-exercise-space.

However, it’s up to you how soon you change out of your workout clothes once you’re done. We will not judge.

3. Set the mood

While candles have been the subject of debate in terms of how healthy their vapors are, few things have been as available and effective as setting the mood of a room. (To be on the safe side, consider lighting a candle in a well-ventilated room or cutting the wick, according to Healthline.) Whether you’re adjusting to a yoga routine, a Pilates workout, or anything else you’d like to spice up with the right vibe, lighting a candle before your exercise routine, or as a reward for cooling off, can really shift the energy of the room. room.

Another mood-altering tactic is selecting specific music playlists for your workouts. Choose playlists that you know will lift you up, or adjust your headspace to be in tune with your body, then let go. Being picky about songs can also be useful for sleep.

4. Listen to a dialogue-heavy podcast or TV show

I’m a movie snob and dialogue junkie. So when I’m not in the mood for exercise, or any of the “mindfulness” or “present” elements it may bring, I turn on a favorite podcast or sitcom with consistent, easy-to-follow dialogue to help me out. the training. While some have balked at watching TV during exercise (and the chances of injury it could bring), listening to a show might give you pleasure and make the workout experience more enjoyable overall.

For this reason, I am extremely specific about which TV shows or podcasts I play: I won’t put any part of a movie I haven’t seen yet or a show I’m watching. Really wishing to see. I will stay away from anything that distracts my eyeballs from the task at hand. The current of ingenuity and word is key. Apple has also taken advantage of people with this preference, with the company Time to walk series.

5. Remember ‘done is better than perfect’

Sometimes you can do everything you can to set up your exercise space and get into the headspace for a workout, and your body or mind just won’t comply. It’s okay. Repeatedly putting yourself down will bring a negative connection to your training space/home. Even 10 minutes of stretching, or a five-minute jumping session in the living room, works your muscles and gets your heart rate up. Your body will thank you for this effort and you will always have another chance tomorrow or next week.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or healthcare goals.