Leading a healthy, what I call “vibrant” lifestyle requires three main commitments. Consistent exercise; an anti-inflammatory, plant-based diet; and getting enough sleep and downtime. That means some habits and systems have to become pretty structured, even non-negotiable in your life. With exercise, to be really consistent in your life, you need the perfect at home workout program.
Why Work Out at Home
In order to follow through consistently, reaching a higher level of fitness will likely require you to have two or three small workouts, rather than one big workout. Doing these smaller, at home workouts and breaking them up into doable chunks of time every day will help you be consistent and make exercise more enjoyable.
At home workouts can be done alone or in addition to workouts you do ‘at the gym’, depending on your preferences and goals.
“Motivation is overrated. Environment often matters more” says James Clear in his book “Atomic Habits”. The easiest workouts to follow through on happen in my own environment: at home in our den and out in nature around the neighborhood.
At Home Equipment
In my own home, I have a simple stationary bike; a rebounder; a yoga mat; stability ball; ankle and wrist weights; 5 lb. and 10 lb. hand weights; resistance bands; a 7-inch inflatable core ball; a lightweight kettle ball and various fascia tools.
On my wish list, a half dome for balance and core workouts and walking sticks. A barre is another great addition to at home workouts. Barre programs are great for getting hard to access muscle groups. None of this equipment takes up a lot of space or costs a fortune.
The actual scheduling of exercise in your daily calendar is a huge shift from just hoping you’ll get your workout done to actually doing it consistently.
The three most effective ways to do this are:
- Schedule one to two small workouts daily, Monday through Friday.
- Split your workout into two shifts, one in the morning before work, say a 20-minute session on your stay bike or 15 minutes on the rebounder and one in the afternoon, such as yoga and abs. For me, a 7:30 a.m. stationary bike session and a 4:30 Yoga session work extremely well. And lastly,
Nothing is as important as your wellbeing. Being healthy physically and emotionally is the foundation for everything you do from feeling and looking great to how you show up as a partner or parent, to how you perform at work, to how you enjoy life in general.
Action Steps
Get out your digital calendar. If you don’t have one, get one on your phone today. Digital calendar’s allow you to type in an activity and repeat it on a daily basis without the need to retype it over and over again. Starting next Monday, schedule your morning exercise at 7:00 am. Choose from walking, treadmill, stationary biking or rebounding.
Next, schedule your afternoon workout at 5:30 (or whatever time you know without a doubt you’ll follow through. Wait too late in the day and it won’t get done.) The afternoon workout should be devoted to weights or yoga. Having set routines will keep you successful.
And if you fall off your routines, don’t beat yourself. You’re going to slack off, just accept it as part of life. I do. Come the following Monday, get back on the pony. Monday is a non-negotiable day and sets you up for success the rest of the week.
Make it Enjoyable!
When you work out, allow yourself to listen to your favorite podcasts, books on tape, music, or stream movies and special series. Reserving these passive forms of entertainment for working out helps you make positive connections to exercise.
On Saturday, do an hour or two of non-structured activities like bicycling, golf, hiking, kayaking and tennis.
Save Sunday for an enjoyable walk with the dog or take Sunday off completely. Down time is important enough to schedule too.
Lastly, it’s important to reward yourself weekly for your hard work. I like to treat myself to a So Delicious Cashew Milk Frozen Salted Caramel Bar or two on Friday after a week well done.
That’s it for today. Thank you for tuning into Joy of Nesting!
And if you’d like to delve deeper into my health and wellness plans, take my new and improved 7 Day Wellness Challenge for Women. When you’re healthy, in shape and feeling vital, taking care of yourself is an incredible joy! You can read each module in under thirty minutes.