fitHow do I get fit at home?
Although a gym membership can be nice, you don’t have to have one to get into great shape! In fact, you don’t even need equipment to get fit.
All you need is a little bit of time and space to yourself along with a basic workout plan. If you’re struggling to fit in workout time, don’t worry — you can sneak physical activity into your daily routine.
1- Creating an At-Home Fitness Routine
Spend 5 to 10 minutes warming up before every workout. Do a progressive aerobic activity that uses the same muscles you want to work out. For instance, slowly jog if you’ll be going for a longer run.
Not sure what to do? Try jumping jacks, leg or arm circles, or even dancing. Just get your blood pumping. Then, spend a few minutes stretching so you reduce the risk of injury during your workout.
Stretches can be as simple as you like. Try bending over and touching your toes, rotating your torso with your hands on your hips, or doing walking lunges.
2- Aim for 30 minutes of cardio or aerobic activity 5 to 7 days a week.
Aerobic activity is what gets your blood pumping and increases your heart rate which is why it improves cardiovascular fitness. 10 to 30 minutes a session is a good start for beginners, but you could bump it up to a total of 300 minutes a week to really get fit.
It’s totally fine to break up your workout time into smaller sessions. For instance, if you can’t do 30 minutes of cardio in a single session, aim for 3 10-minute sessions.
3- Do strength training 2 times a week to build muscle.
Strength training, also called resistance training, makes you stronger and builds endurance. Try to do exercises that work a lot of muscles and add weights to increase your resistance.
This helps you do a harder workout every time you exercises. To start, do basic strength training exercises like squats or push-ups.
4- Spend 5 to 10 minutes cooling down after each workout.
You might be tempted to just stop your workout when you’ve finished your last set or activity, but take a few minutes to do low-intensity exercises that lower your heart rate. You might drop your run into a walk or slow down your cycling, for instance.
The cooldown prevents your muscles from cramping and can prevent dizziness while you get your breathing and heart rate back down.
Gentle cool-down stretches can also improve your range of motion.
5- Schedule your workouts.
It’s totally normal to have great intentions of getting fit, but you might find that the day passes you by or you forget! Prioritize your fitness and make time in your daily routine for a workout so you really stick with it.
Making a schedule can help you plan which exercises to do each day. For example, you might do cardio on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while on Tuesdays and Thursdays you do strength training.
6- Set achievable goals that you can break into smaller tasks.
It’s one thing to say you want to get fit, but that means something different for everyone. Figure out what you plan to achieve and make that your goal. It should be specific, realistic, and meaningful. Then, break down each goal into small, actionable steps so it feels like you’re making progress regularly.
For example, your goal might be to lift 50 pounds, lose 5 pounds, or run in a 5k.
If you want to swim 10 laps and you can currently do 4, make it a smaller goal to swim an extra 2 laps within 1 week. Then, add an extra 2 laps by the following week, etc.
If your goal is to lose 10 pounds, smaller steps might include working out 5 days a week, swimming 2 days a week, and avoiding fast food.
7- Write down or track your physical activity.
Journaling or logging your fitness journey can help you hold yourself accountable and motivate you once your logged exercises start adding up. You can write down your progress in a notebook or type it into an app.
Highlight your successes! Make a special note if you felt more energized or you lost a few pounds, for instance.
The next part is going to talk about nutrition, but first if you want to know how this mom managed to lose so much weight… watch this now!
2- Following a Healthy Diet
Aim for 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
Fresh produce contains lots of vitamins and minerals so try to eat variety. If you find it hard to add fruits and vegetables, try gradually including them in your meals. For instance, eat 1 serving at breakfast, 2 servings at lunch, and 3 at dinner to get all of your recommended produce. Not sure what a serving is? Here are a few examples to get you started:
1 small apple
1 cup (190 g) of berries
1/2 cup (82 g) of dried fruit
2 cups (200 g) of leafy greens
1 cup (90 g) of raw or cooked vegetables like broccoli or carrots
Eat foods rich in whole grains.
Half of the carbohydrates you eat should be whole grain so you get dietary fiber, iron, and B vitamins. Make simple swaps like eating whole-grain bread instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white rice, and oatmeal instead of breakfast cereal. These foods will keep you fuller for longer and can help keep your cholesterol low.
You can usually find whole-grain versions of pancakes, tortillas, pasta, bread, and bagels.
Choose nutritious, lean sources of protein.
You’ve got tons of healthy options! Reach for eggs, fish, beans, and meats like skinless chicken, pork roast, or lean ground beef. Don’t forget that low-fat dairy like milk, cheese, and yogurt are also good sources of protein and calcium.
Try to go for unprocessed sources of protein. Processed foods like deli meat, sausage, and bacon are high in sodium and saturated fat.
Nuts, legumes, and beans are all fantastic sources of protein for vegan and vegetarian diets.
Cut back on the amount of sugary food you eat every day.
Too much refined sugar can damage your heart, increase your risk for diabetes, and contribute to obesity. The American Heart Association recommends that women limit their sugar intake to less than 6 teaspoons (25 g) a day and men limit their intake to less than 9 teaspoons (38 g) a day.
Keep in mind that refined sugars are often snuck into processed foods like crackers, bread, and condiments. Read food labels to see the added sugar content so you can track how much sugar you’re consuming in a day.
Limit your intake of saturated fat.
Diets that are high in saturated fat can cause high cholesterol and heart disease. This means cutting back on cookies, pastries, fried food, and fast food. Try to make healthy swaps, like eating baked potatoes instead of french fries or a handful of nuts instead of potato chips.
Avoiding these foods can also help you cut out excess sugar in your diet.
Please vote for my content if it is helpful to you, thank you.
