How to Start Exercising At Home in Easy 4 Steps

There are so many reasons why someone would like to start exercising at home.

You might be a beginner who is not yet comfortable with big crowds and prying eyes at the gym.

You might be overstretched with your budget and can’t afford gym fees at the moment.

Or, you might just be comfortable exercising in your own space, at your own pace.

Whatever your reasons, making home exercise a habit comes with lots of discipline, and if you are not yet there, these 4 steps will teach you how to start exercising at home.

How to make exercise a habit

If you want to make exercise a habit, start by setting realistic fitness goals.

It also helps to dedicate a specific time in your day to exercise and have a workout plan that speaks to your current fitness level.

Since you will be exercising at home, you must also ensure that the exercises you will be doing match the equipment you have in your house. Let’s take a closer look at what all of this actually means for you.

1. Set realistic fitness goals

Defining your fitness goals will help you know what you are doing and why you are doing it. You will wake up every day and exercise with intention.

For example, setting the goal to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks is unhealthy and delusional. A realistic goal should be something achievable.

The fact is you can only lose a maximum of about 8 pounds a month. Therefore, setting your goal to shed 20 pounds in 3 months will help you stay the course without feeling like you are not making any progress.

Choosing to be fit and healthy for life is a lifetime commitment. Your fitness goals should not be for the moment but focused on the long game.

That means that keeping the weight off should also be part of your journey.

At the beginning of the year, lots of people set fitness goals, but only a few follow through by the second month of the year because they get demotivated by unattainable goals.

People who give up on their fitness resolutions give up because their goals were a pipedream or there was no clarity about what they wanted to accomplish.

2. Create an action plan to achieve your fitness journey

Once you have a clear picture of what you want to accomplish, plan how to reach your fitness goals.

A plan is crucial because it shows you how you will achieve your goals.

If you are new to exercise, you must use a workout plan that is for beginners. A beginner exercise plan that outlines exercises for each day and week for at least four weeks will help you get fit at a slower but effective pace.

This 4-week at-home beginner program is a fantastic fit for you if you are looking for a workout routine that you can do at home.

Having a fitness plan will help you stick to a routine and boost your confidence.

3. Establish the best time for you to exercise

While exercising at home allows you to work at your own pace and time, it can also be easy to get sidetracked or skip a workout.

A specific time dedicated to exercise will help you make exercise a part of your day. It is harder to stick to something that is not part of your daily routine.

If your exercise time is not specified, you will eventually start working out less and less every day.

It will get easier each day to fall into the habit of putting off a workout because you are just not feeling it. This is how most treadmills at home end up being clothes hangers.

Your home gym equipment will start gathering dust if you do not make exercise a habit.

Once you get a routine going, you will be amazed by how many goals you accomplish.

What is the best time to exercise?

A review of several studies was recently conducted to determine whether regular morning exercise was beneficial to obese individuals.

The studies revealed that exercising regularly in the morning helps people make exercise a daily habit and improve planning skills.

The research also found that exercising in the morning promoted long-term weight loss.

Exercising in the morning should be part of your self-care and ‘me time.’

Working out requires energy, and if at the end of the day you are exhausted, you will find reasons to hit the couch instead of hitting the home gym hard.

If you prefer to exercise in the evening, set aside a specific time and stick to it every day.

4. Get only the necessary home gym equipment

One of the reasons exercising at home is so good is that you can make decisions based on your needs and not the whole neighborhood.

You only buy the equipment you will be using, not what looks cool.

For example, you do not have to buy a treadmill if you enjoy walking or running outside.

With your home gym, you can figure out the equipment you need based on your fitness goals and workout plan.

You will spend your money only on what is useful to YOU.

Also, just because every picture-perfect person has a kettlebell or stability ball does not mean you must also need to get one. If your fitness goals change, you can add equipment as needed.

Conclusion

Choosing to start exercising at home is great especially for beginners, because it allows you to exercise at your own pace without comparing yourself to others.

The hardest part about working out at home is that you have to show up and do the work. Therefore, you need to be disciplined. All of the steps above will mean nothing if you lack discipline.

Remember, you get out what you put in.