Exercising is the best thing you can do for your body and mind. Once you start visualising your dream body, working out will become a habit that nurtures your mind with motivation, and your routine will surely lead to a healthier lifestyle.
As a beginner, it can be hard and overwhelming to keep on track with a disciplined plan, but it’s crucial to start with small steps and stay consistent with your actions.
From embracing a healthy diet to learning how to use workout equipment, it is crucial to have a clear goal in mind and understand the importance of what you’re doing because it doesn’t relate just to the looks to boost your fitness, but it’s also the best way to improve your overall health.
So, if you are choosing the path towards a better life, in this article, you can find a beginner’s guide to working out at home so that you can start your journey on the right foot:
Establish Your Goals
When you choose to begin your fitness journey, you first need to establish some clear and realistic goals. First of all, know your current fitness level to have a clear understanding of your starting point.
This step requires a self-assessment to see your endurance level, which relates to your abilities and how long you can sustain the physical effort, your muscular strength, the range of motion that reflects your flexibility, and the level of fat and muscles in your body. By identifying your strengths and weaknesses, you can craft your goals in a realistic way and create a routine that suits your needs best.
You might want to lose weight or maintain it, boost your fitness level and build muscles, or just work out to be healthy and improve your well-being for the body and mind. No matter your intentions, it’s important to put thought into it so you can research the best types of exercises for you and develop a plan that can easily become a habit; of course, don’t forget that consistency is the key to success.
Embrace a Healthy Diet
To commit fully to your fitness journey, it’s crucial to embrace a healthy diet if you aim for an overall better lifestyle. A healthy diet consists of a good ratio of protein, carbs, fats, and a good amount of water. First of all, make cooking at home a habit. This is because you know exactly what you put in your body and have full control over the portions.
Also, it is vital to avoid eating processed foods like frozen meals, sweets, chips, soda, fast foods and instant meals. Make sure you eat well-balanced meals every day that are high in nutrients and low in fats and sugars.
You should have on your plate a good amount of protein together with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Understandably, to boost your health, it’s also essential to cut sugar and limit salt and unhealthy fats. You don’t have to give up completely on your beloved snack either, but you must find healthier versions.
For instance, you can snack on whole grain bars, nuts, homemade granola, fresh fruit and whole grain cereals. To make the shift easier, it would be best to create a written meal plan for the week so you know exactly what to buy and stick to your goal of filling your fridge with healthy foods.
Purchase Basic Equipment
When you don’t have time to hit the gym, you might find excuses not to work out at home either, as you may think that without the proper machinery, your fitness sessions would not be as efficient.
Still, it is indeed possible to achieve great results if you choose to purchase the right equipment. For instance, first of all, it’s crucial to have a yoga mat for your exercises; consider some weights like kettlebells and dumbbells, and buy a jump rope to train your whole body and test your endurance.
Of course, if you have enough space in your house, consider creating a home gym in your basement, where you can also integrate heavier machinery like a treadmill, a training rack if you are willing to lift heavy weight plates and a sling trainer to work out your upper body.
Work with What You Have in Your House
When you choose to begin your fitness journey, there are no excuses. Even if you don’t have any professional equipment, you can still work with what you have in your house. For example, you can take advantage of your stairs, fill up a backpack with something heavy to do some squats, use a towel for lateral lunges, water bootless for shoulder presses, and even a broomstick for seated twists.
So, as you might understand, if you really want to commit to this path, it’s crucial to find solutions, even if you are not a pro in the gym and the regular equipment gives you a hard time.
Some Last Tips to Consider
Lastly, here are some valuable tips for beginners you should consider to make your journey easier and motivate yourself to live a better life:
- Be proud: results are not immediately visible, and it takes a lot of patience to achieve your dream body. However, be proud of yourself just because you chose to begin your journey and you’re trying your best to change your lifestyle.
- Reset and repeat: rest after hard work is essential. Try to get eight hours of sleep every night, and give yourself a break to reset your brain and body at least once a week. Of course, when you feel like you’re well-rested, get up and start over again, with a fresh mind and a better physical condition.
- No excuses: There are no excuses. Repeat this to yourself every day. No matter how tired you are, how long your day has been, focus on your goal and do not give up.