8 Ways Working Out at Home Changed My Life

Andrea
Andrea
Aug 22, 2017 · 6 min read

We all have those new years resolutions goals of finally losing those 10–20 pounds, get fit, finally get those abs and feel amazing in a bikini when it’s time to hit the beach.

How many years has May come around and I tell myself, next year I will have the body I want? How many more Mays need to come before I actually do something about it?

The thing is, it’s not about having that perfect body, or rock hard abs, or that perfect Instagram picture in a bikini.

It’s about the mental transformation and confidence, being on the beach or pool or whatever event — and feeling good in your own skin.

Working out at home has done a lot to help me reach my health and fitness goals, including cutting my excuses.

As a busy graduate student, I barely had time to sleep, never mind wait in long lines for machines in the crowded university gym. And on my stipend and cost of living in Los Angeles, I couldn’t afford a gym membership on top of all the rest of my bills.

Streaming my workouts and working out at home has changed my idea of fitness in so many ways:

  1. Time efficiency.
    No more does a workout take whole 2 hours — driving 20 minutes to the gym, workout, and another 20 min drive home. I save about 40 minutes each day just working out at home. And I don’t have to deal with crazy Los Angeles Traffic and Drivers. Oh, and dealing with Parking too. I can use that extra 40 minutes relaxing, finishing my experiments, or meal prepping food.
    Another perk — I can sleep in until the latest time I can before I have to be ready to leave for work. I just throw on my workout clothes, and be done with my workout in 30 minutes. Ready to tackle the day in the most time efficient way possible for a grad student/professional.
  2. No more excuses, as my workout can be streamed anywhere.
    I usually work out in my living room, streaming on my Smart TV/Roku/iPad/Computer. It has been the most convenient thing ever. When I can’t workout at home due to too much jumping bothering the neighbors, I can download the workouts to stream offline and head to the nearest park or open space. I don’t have the excuse to say I don’t have enough time, as I don’t have to commute anywhere if I don’t want to, and I don’t have to wait in line for machines.
  3. I learned the importance of consistency and self control.
    Not having any one holding you accountable of whether you are showing up for your workouts or not can be a tough hurdle to get across — so I suggest having workout accountability buddies. Online accountability groups are amazing at this, as you have other people also streaming workouts at home, and checking in. Also, having a friend who checks in with you daily can give you the push to get those workouts in. In order to see results, whether you go to the gym or workout at home, you need to be consistent. This includes working out on a consistent schedule, but also sticking to a healthy eating plan. Those splurges and donuts sound like a good idea and the urge lasts for a few minutes, but you’ll be happy you passed it later. Little changes here and there have a compound effect that you only see after.
  4. Reduced my Stress and Anxiety.
    My experience in Grad school came along with really bad stress and anxiety. Working out was my way of dealing with the stress and anxious feelings in a cheap, natural way. Many a time I felt extremely tense, on the verge of an anxiety attack, but I still pressed play. It helped me get out of my head, and focus my thoughts on something else other than the swirling thoughts in my head. Once I got moving, within 5 minutes I usually was so into the workout I forgot about that anxious energy. While this doesn’t mean it will help everyone who deals with anxiety, give it a shot. It’s a risk free thing to try before you take those meds.
  5. I learned what foods actually bothered my digestive health.
    I never thought I was a sensitive eater, until I started following different meal plans and cutting out certain foods I thought I could eat. For example, ever since I was a kid, I never really liked the taste of milk. Yet I still ate a lot of cheese, drank milk with cereal, and would eat sandwiches and foods with cream based sauces. I always would get stomach aches after I ate out, and I could never pinpoint the cause, always just thinking, “oh it’s something I ate that didn’t sit well.”
    Well, yea. After following a PCS meal plan where I reduced my intake of dairy, I started noticing how I felt after I ate certain things, like eating some cheese. It all started to make sense!
    I even was able to pinpoint the cause of my uncomfortable and never ending bloat when I decided to start following a more paleo-based diet.
    I never considered my gut health either, until I started doing more and more research into what could be causes for my bloat!
  6. I gained a sense of community.
    I started off doing workouts and keeping accountable by posting into accountability groups, eventually becoming good friends with some of the women who I would see their posts everyday. And knowing other people were trying to change their lives and health — it was all the more motivating. Instead of feeling down and insecure of posting my workout accountability posts on Facebook (we all know of those people who judge the gym posts and selfies…), I had a safe space to post my progress photos, food pics, and workout selfies.
  7. I can do any workout I want whenever I want.
    I don’t have to comply with any gym hours (yes, I’ve worked out at midnight before after a long day in the lab), I don’t have to scurry and be in the back of a crowded Zumba room, and I don’t have to deal with expensive monthly gym memberships (especially here in LA). The streaming service I use contains a Yoga Studio, Dance workout programs, Agility, Endurance, Athletic Training, and anywhere from 7 day to 90 day workout programs. If I decide I’m not in the mood for that strength workout today, I can do a hip hop dance program. Again, leaving myself with NO excuses to not do a workout.
  8. I feel the healthiest I’ve ever been, and have a great relationship with my health.
    I’m the heaviest I’ve weighed in my life in my 28 years, but I don’t look that much different from 10 years ago, with the difference of maybe 40 pounds of muscle and more definition, and feeling STRONG. My recent lab tests at the doctor showed amazing levels for everything I was tested for in my check up, and my doctor said to keep it up. My endurance is through the roof, and for once, I feel like I’m an athlete. Not bad for someone who never played sports in high school ;)

The mental transformation: After completing 3 weeks of the newest agility program and sticking to the meal plan, I have seen great results and broke my plateau, and FINALLY felt good to be on the beach, and not self conscious about myself.

What are some ways working out at home has changed your life?

If you want to check out some of the programs and meal plans I have been using, feel free to send me an email (labcoatsandlegday @ gmail . com ) and I’d be happy to discuss what I’ve been doing, or you can also just jump right in and subscribe to the streaming service I’ve been using (tinyurl.com/workoutwithphdfash) to pick your path! I can work with you to check in one on one or join a private Facebook group to check in!

Why wait until January to start a new New Year’s Resolution? There are still so many months left in this year to make a HUGE difference in your health and life!

Andrea is a blogger at www.phdfashionista.com, and can be found on Instagram and Twitter @phd_fashionista and in particular on @labcoatsandlegday on Instagram for fitness related posts and journey.

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Andrea

Written by

PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Fashion and science blogger at phdfashionista.com

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