The Hot New Trend in Fitness: Staying Home

March 22. 2021

If anything, last year forced everyone to completely shift their mindsets in the way they live, work and learn. With nearly everything closed for months (and still closed in some cases), doing everything from home became the new norm—and exercise was no exception. While some already had the luxury of having their own home gyms, many were suddenly hit with the harsh reality that they could not go to the gym or attend their favorite fitness classes. But, thankfully, that was not the end of the story.

Move Over YouTube

Gyms, YMCA’s, boutique fitness studios and independent fitness instructors wasted no time making the shift to the virtual world. While not perfect, it was certainly a better alternative than offering people nothing especially if they were still paying a monthly gym membership. Through some savvy camera work and a video conferencing tool, your favorite fitness instructor was, and still is, able to provide you with the same great workout you always looked forward to doing. Even with limited equipment, or none at all, instructors got creative, and they did so with much success. Now there are endless opportunities to take a live class from home where the instructor can see you, speak to you and correct your form in real time.

A Home Invasion of Gym Equipment

When it became apparent that gyms were not going to open up any time soon, purchasing home exercise equipment became hotter than a Superbowl ticket. Store shelves were bare and online retailers were sold out with most things on backorder for months. Of course, prices also went up due to the high demand. Even high-end home gym equipment saw tremendous growth in sales as they also provided workout videos and live streamed classes for their customers—for a fee, of course.

So What Does This Mean for You?

Well, for starters, fitness has become a lot more accessible for people. You don’t have to worry about investing in a gym membership. Honestly, you don’t have to invest in much of anything. You can find livestreamed and prerecorded classes like Zumba, yoga and HIIT that require no equipment. If you do find a class that you like where weights are required, you can use household items like water bottles. Or, you can fill a half gallon or gallon milk container with water. Their handles make for easy lifting and you can add or spill out water depending on how heavy you want it. 

Another perk to this home fitness trend is that you never have to leave your house which also means you have no excuse to skip a workout. You can exercise whenever you want whether it’s first thing in the morning or right before bed. Your home is your gym and you are the manager. Find the time of day that works for you as that is the best way to form a routine that you can stick with on a regular basis.

Having easier access to fitness also allows you to branch out and try something new. Perhaps a diehard boot camp goer may enjoy the ease of yoga. If Pilates is your thing, maybe you’d like a Barre class. This is a great way to try different modes of exercise that you might not have otherwise tried because the class times were not good, the class was too crowded or the gym was too expensive. Plus, if you don’t like it, you can simply turn it off without worrying about having to physically walk out in the middle of a class which, for some people, can be an embarrassing situation. And don’t forget to try different instructors even if it’s for the same style class. Every instructor has his or her own style and you may find you prefer one over another.

One other added benefit to exercising at home is that you can make it a family affair. No doubt if your kids and spouse see you exercising, they may want to get in on the action. You’re setting a good example for your loved ones by showing them how important it is to exercise and take care of their bodies.

Here are a few tips from weight loss clinic Chicago for getting the most out of a home exercise program:

1. Designate a space: Find a dedicated space in your house that’s for exercise whether it’s your basement, garage, living room or bedroom. Make sure you have plenty of room if what you’re doing requires you to move around a lot. Keep all your equipment and whatever else you need in this space so everything is at the ready when it’s time to get to work.
2. Schedule it: This one bares repeating. Schedule exercise into your day or you’re bound to skip it. There are no excuses especially if you are exercising from home. Bad weather, a broken down car, a far commute are no longer excuses you can use. So block out a time of the day that works best for you and dedicate it for exercise. 
3. Head off distractions: The time you set aside for exercise is yours so don’t get distracted by stopping to do household chores or tend to your family (unless it’s an emergency). Let everyone know where you’ll be and what you’re doing and you don’t want to be disturbed. You owe it to yourself to take some time for yourself and do something good for you. No guilt allowed.

Conclusion

What’s great about this new trend in home workouts is that there is something for everyone—from the first-time exerciser to the advanced fitness goer. And with the convenience it offers, you may decide not to go back to a traditional gym saving yourself both time and money. Remember, where you exercise is not important—it’s what you do and the consistency of what you’re doing that will turn any workout program into a successful one whether you’re at home or not.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.