Top 10 Ways to Get Fit & Healthy at Home
Top 10 Ways to Get Fit & Healthy at Home | True Energy Socks
Many people believe that you must commit to going to a gym if you’re going to get fit. The truth, however, is that while using your local gym is a good way to lose weight, it’s far from the only option! Whether you don’t have a lot of spare time, are pinching every penny, or simply don’t feel like working out around a lot of other people, there are plenty of alternative options.
Benefits of Working Out at Home
If you still think you have to go somewhere else—and pay for it—to work out, think again! In fact, if you choose to do your exercise routine at home, there are actually a lot of terrific benefits, including:
- It exercises your brain.
- It’s budget-friendly.
- It’s convenient.
- There is never an availability issue.
- It’s versatile and flexible.
- You’ll have privacy.
- There’s no need to worry about germs.
- It limits your excuses.
- You can focus solely on fitness.
- You’ll always have a comfortable environment.
Using a gym will provide you with a good resource for getting fit, but as you can see, it’s only one of many resources. Some people find that they do their best working out around their house. If that’s you—or if you’d like to give it a try for the first time—read on to discover some of the many ways you can get fit and healthy without leaving your neighborhood.
How to Get Fit Fast at Home
Your local gym employees may try to tell you it’s impossible, but nothing could be further from the truth. As long as you’re committed to making yourself look and feel better, you’ll succeed!
1. Set Up a Routine
If you want to know how to get fit as soon as possible, here’s a tip: Establish a routine. Make sure it’s moderately challenging but also provides room to grow. The type of routine you set will vary depending on your exact goals, but it could look something like this:
Monday – 30-minute walk, 15-minute stationary bike ride, stretching.
Tuesday – 15 minutes on a rowing machine, 30 minutes with dumbbells, stretching.
Wednesday – Free day (Alternative: 30 minutes of Tai Chi)
Thursday – 30-minute run, 15-minute stationary bike ride, stretching.
Friday – 45 minutes of various exercises (sit-ups, jumping jacks, planks, push-ups, etc.), stretching.
Saturday – 30-minute walk, 15 minutes with dumbbells, stretching.
Sunday – Free day (Alternative: 30 minutes of yoga)
Allowing yourself to take one to two days off per week is a good idea for your physical and mental health.
2. Count Calories
As much as we’d love to say that you can lose tons of weight by working out alone, that’s just not the way this works. If you truly want to learn how to get fit and healthy, you’re also going to need to reduce your daily caloric intake.
Hopefully, you’re in it for the long haul, meaning you should cut out around 200-300 calories daily. Reducing more will help you lose weight faster, but it’s not recommended for long-term weight loss. When you first start working out, you might even want to cut back by just 100 calories to get used to it.
Ideally, you’ll reach a point where the weight is coming off, but you never feel like you’re starving yourself.
3. Choose a Fun Exercise
Another common misconception is that you have to feel the burn for your efforts to pay off. Most people quote this when they’re doing something they don’t enjoy, but why would you do that in the first place? Instead, choose an exercise that’s fun for you to do, such as dancing or hula hooping.
Even better, why not turn your exercise session into an excuse to play your favorite video games? As long as you’re actively moving, it’s going to help you. You could play an old-school game such as Dance Dance Revolution or Wii Sports or choose a more modern game such as Just Dance. Soon, you’ll be burning calories without even realizing it!
4. Don’t Forget About Walking
Going for a walk can be fantastic exercise. It’s often overlooked by fitness enthusiasts who, once again, feel that your workout session needs to hurt in order to help. Of course, you know by now that’s just not true! As a matter of fact, walking is one of the essentials to getting fit & healthy no matter where you are working out.
There are several health benefits to taking a 30-minute walk, including:
- Improved balance and stronger bones.
- Reduced risk of stroke and heart disease.
- Increased endurance and muscle strength.
- Increased pulmonary and cardiovascular fitness.
- Reduced body fat.
- Improved management of conditions such as diabetes, muscular and joint stiffness or pain, high cholesterol, and hypertension.
As you can see, walks have been very underrated. Even if you simply choose to go for a 30-minute walk five times per week, you’ll see your health improve dramatically.
5. Use Stairs to Your Advantage
Whether there are stairs at your home or work, you can use them to help you hit your fitness goals! In fact, if you were to ask, ‘how to get fit without going to the gym,’ using stairs would be near the top of the list.
To begin, simply walk up and down the stairs. Also, make sure the lighting is suitable for indoor staircases since you don’t want to trip. You can do this in sets of five or 10. Don’t be discouraged if you’re out of breath by the time you reach the end. Soon, you’ll be able to jog up and down the stairs without losing your breath!
How to Improve Fitness at Home in as Little as 2 Weeks
Let’s say you need to improve your fitness in two weeks. So, how to get fit at home in 2 weeks? Seems impossible, right? Well, the good news is that it’s not. Of course, the right way to become fit is through slow, steady development of an exercise routine. But even if that’s what you’re doing, you should still begin to see results in as little as two weeks.
6. Exercise Daily
One big thing you can do to get the most out of the first two weeks is to exercise daily. This will put you on the right track to becoming more fit and healthy. It can be important, too, as daily exercise is the best way to ensure you keep going. Once you’ve firmly established your routine, you can take a skip day every so often without messing up all your hard work.
7. Remember to Eat Healthy
Many foods pretend to be healthy, but they’re not. For instance, Vegetable Chips may sound healthy, but it’s a lie. Therefore, you’ll have to pay attention to the nutrition label and ingredients. Or, even better, you could primarily eat food that doesn’t even have a long list of ingredients.
There are four main tips we can provide that will make it easier to get fit:
- Eat lots of veggies (at least five servings per day).
- Stay away from processed food.
- Eat whole grains, not refined grains (half or more of your grains should be whole).
- If you’re going to eat meat, use it as a side dish instead of as your main course.
8. Choose Your Workout Partner with Great Care
Many people believe having a workout partner is the best way to ensure you meet your goals. After all, you’ll be there to cheer each other on, and what could be better than that? The reality, however, isn’t quite so simple. You see, your workout partner may push you to meet your goals, or they may enable you to take it easy more often than you would on your own.
If you still decide to have a workout partner, be sure to choose them very carefully. You’ll want to find someone with the same basic commitment level as you. If they’re not committed enough—or too committed—it could cause you to give up.
9. Housework IS Exercise
Cleaning your house can get complicated with your exercise schedule. The good news is that it doesn’t need to be! You’ll burn between 170 and 300 calories per hour as you clean your house, so you should definitely count it.
10. Intensity Trumps Duration
You’ve been working out for a while, and you’re just not losing enough weight. So, you decide to add more time to your daily workouts. It’s got to work, right? Wrong! Studies have shown that working out for longer than 30-45 minutes per day won’t help you burn fat any quicker. Instead, focus on giving it your all within the designated 30–45-minute time frame.
Take Care of Your Body
While working on the various health and fitness tips listed above, don’t forget to take care of your body. The last thing you want to do is suffer an injury that’ll put you behind.
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FAQs
How can I increase my motivation to exercise?
Increasing motivation to exercise requires a combination of internal and external factors. Here are a few suggestions to help boost your motivation:
- Set Clear Goals: Understand what you want to achieve, whether it's weight loss, muscle gain, or simply staying active.
- Track Your Progress: Use fitness apps or a simple journal to keep track of your exercises and improvements.
- Create a Playlist: Music can be a great motivator. Curate a playlist of your favorite pump-up songs.
- Join a Group or Find a Workout Buddy: Having someone to work out with can make the process more enjoyable and hold you accountable.
- Visualize the Benefits: Think about the health benefits, improved mood, and increased energy levels that come with regular exercise.
2. What are the 5 tips for fitness success?
The keys to fitness success include:
How should a beginner work out?
For beginners, it's essential to start slow and gradually increase intensity. Here’s a basic plan:
- Warm-up: Start with 5-10 minutes of light cardio, like walking or stationary cycling.
- Strength Training: Begin with basic exercises targeting major muscle groups. Use light weights or bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, and lunges. Aim for 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Cardio: Engage in low-impact cardio activities like brisk walking or cycling for 20-30 minutes.
- Cool Down: Finish with 5-10 minutes of stretching to relax your muscles.
How many days a week should a beginner work out?
A beginner should aim for 3-4 days a week, ensuring rest days in between to allow muscles to recover. As their endurance and strength improve, they can gradually increase the number of workout days and the intensity. Remember, listening to your body and resting if you're feeling fatigued or sore is essential.