The time of New Year’s resolutions and gym memberships is upon us once again. And, while it’s great to want to take care of your body, it can be difficult to start going to a gym if you aren’t already used to a daily exercise routine.
To make matters worse, gyms are packed with new members this time of year, making it a less than friendly place to start learning machines and developing a routine.
The good news is there are several resources at your disposal to start to develop an exercise routine right at home.
Why starting at home is a good idea
Home exercise routines are ideal for beginners for numerous reasons. First, you probably don’t need over an hour’s worth of heavy exercise each day when you first start working out. It’s better to start small and gradually increase the time of your routine. Why drive all the way to the gym for just a short visit?
Another benefit to home exercise routines is the ability to learn exercises without worrying about what those around you are thinking. With the help of the internet, you can learn numerous exercises and endless information about fitness without ever paying a dime and every leaving your home.
Where to begin
We’ve all seen the commercials for intricate home exercise machines. We’ve also seen them sit in the corner of people’s houses unused and collecting dust.
Rather than spend lots of money on exercise machines, try starting off with a simple Yoga mat. Once you have your mat, head over to YouTube and start checking out some of the beginner Yoga videos from channels like Yoga with Adriene.
There are videos for people at any age and skill level, letting you start at an intensity that you are comfortable with.
Sticking to your routine
The hardest part of any exercise routine, be it at home or the gym, is to stick to it. You’ll have to think about what type of motivator you need. Some people need their exercise to be fun, interesting and varied. If you’re one of those people, doing a different activity each day might be the solution you need to keep going.
Other people rely on organization and self-discipline. For these people, they might have to make sure that exercise is scheduled for a specific time of day and written directly into their calendar.
Regardless of the home exercise routine, you build for yourself, it’s important to remember that you might have off days, get sick, or just need to change things up. In those cases, don’t be afraid to try something new and don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss a day. Just get back on schedule the next day and keep moving toward your goals.