You don't have to go to the gym and hire a personal fitness trainer to stay fit. After all, you can study at home. We tell you how to work out correctly and effectively at home
We will tell you what is the secret of effective home workouts and how to do sports at home
Can home workouts replace the gym?
With the onset of the pandemic, the popularity of home sports has skyrocketed due to the temporary lack of opportunities to work out in gyms. However, exercise at home has been popular in the past. According to statistics, in Russia 13% of the population is engaged in home, including online, while only 3% go to the gym.
Fitness clubs scare off with high prices or, if the price is not high, with small basements, overcrowding and stuffiness. Besides, at home, unlike in a hall full of strangers, there is no one to be ashamed of. And the culture of training in a fitness club obliges you to buy not only a subscription, but also a fashionable modern uniform and, in general, do a lot for show.
Other factors also affect: the gym is too far away, there is no one to leave the child with, there is no money for personal training, without which there is a great chance only to harm yourself.
Finally, those who work out at home are a potential audience for fitness clubs. You try it at home and if you like it, you go to the gym with knowledge of the matter, deliberately giving money for an annual subscription.
The gym and sports at home do not compete, but rather complement each other and are designed for a different target audience. But be prepared for the fact that if you decide to play sports at home, much more work falls on your shoulders, because at home you will have to act as a personal trainer for yourself, to motivate and discipline.
Home workouts: where to start?
The technique of performing the exercises is important not only when you work with a lot of weight in the gym, but also in the classroom at home. For example, the wrong squat technique inevitably leads to joint problems and loads the wrong muscle groups that were planned. It is best to start with simple exercises without weights: planks, different types of squats, lunges, stretching. How to do them correctly, you can spy on Youtube by typing no equipment workouts or "exercises with your own weight" into the search bar.
The next step is to exercise with dumbbells, fitness bands, or arm and leg weights, which will add extra weight and improve the effectiveness of your workouts at home.
But for aerobic exercise, you can purchase an exercise bike, treadmill or ellipse. But we do not recommend starting with this. Get into the habit of exercising at home first, otherwise there is a great chance that the machine will become covered in dust or turn into a clothes hanger.
Psychologists say that the simulator standing in the corridor does not motivate you to classes, but on the contrary - demotivates, instilling a sense of guilt for the money spent and reminding you of your worthlessness and lack of willpower by its very appearance.
Home Workouts: Schedule and Discipline
We advise you to immediately determine the schedule of classes: specific days and times. Don't be confused by the fact that you can work out at home at any time and the schedule is useless. This approach is fraught with endless procrastination and postponing training until tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, and so on.
What time of day is it better to go in for sports?
A question that is relevant both for training in the gym and for home workouts. If you are not tied to a tight work schedule, then try all options: morning, afternoon, afternoon, or evening.
The general rule is as follows: the greatest effect is brought by training at 17.00-19.00 in the evening. This is due to the body's circadian rhythms and body temperature, which fluctuates throughout the day. A few hours before waking up, it reaches its minimum, and around 18.00 in the evening - its maximum. It is at this time of day that sports activities will bring the best results.
But do not neglect the individual characteristics of the body. Someone, for example, is charged with training in the morning, and someone is exhausting. Others enjoy taking a break for sports in the middle of the day. But what experts definitely do not advise is to train intensively before bed. Late in the evening is best left for meditation, yoga, or a walk in the fresh air to help you sleep better.