4 tips to fire up your at-home workout

There are no shortcuts to getting in shape and the only way is to sweat it out. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to hit the gym day in and out and end up paying a hefty membership fee. While you may not have access to dedicated functional trainers and ergometers at home, there are various exercises that you can perform within the confines of your home to meet your fitness goals. In any case, the pandemic this year has caused gyms across the world to pull down shutters to curb the spread of the disease. Furthermore, it seems unlikely that the situation will improve anytime soon. What then, would be a better time than now to start working out at home. You will be surprised to know the different types of exercises that you can perform to target different muscle groups, without the need for specialized equipment.

Here are 4 tips to fire up your at-home workout.

1. Have a Dedicated Exercise Space

Building a dedicated space for working out at home helps keep you motivated. Your dedicated workout space should have enough space to store your equipment, maybe a shelf and a rack. The space must be well ventilated and having access to some natural light would be an additional plus point. Another great addition would be to have a set of speakers and a music player to keep you motivated during your workouts.

2. Master Body Weight Exercises

Performing bodyweight exercises are a great way of strengthening your muscles without putting excessive strain on your joints. Moreover, these exercises are great for people of all fitness levels, and as you progress you can increase the intensity of the exercises. Pushups are considered to be amongst the most versatile exercises that you can perform. They let you condition your shoulders, chest, triceps, biceps, and core muscles, all during the same workout. Another great bodyweight exercise that lets you perform a full-body workout is burpees. It even helps improve your cardiovascular health. Here are a few more bodyweight exercises that you could benefit from:

- Planks

- Squats

- Lunges

- Tricep Dips

3. Follow a Dedicated Training Regimen

A lot of people tend to focus on upper body workouts and ignore lower body workouts. However, ignoring specific muscle groups can harm your progress and it is important to make sure that your workouts have a good blend of different exercises. A simple yet effective way of doing this is to follow a proper training regimen. There are apps on the Play store that let you create customized exercise routines based on your current fitness levels, fitness target, and the time you are willing to dedicate to working out. This lets you create a well-balanced training regimen that caters to all your muscle groups. Further, these apps also help you stay motivated by letting you participate in challenges and by providing you with updates regarding your progress.

4. Get Some Multifunctional Exercise Equipment

When it comes to working out at home, expensive state of the art ergometers and full-blown gym equipment does not make much sense. Primarily due to their cost and real estate requirements. However, there are some types of exercise equipment that you can use to kit up your home gym. These are multipurpose in nature and do not need much space. 

- Resistance Bands can be a great addition to your bodyweight workouts. They can help increase the intensity and difficulty level of your workouts and on the plus side, they don’t need any space at all. 

- Another great addition to your home gym would be kettlebells which let you perform different exercises and target various muscle groups. They are primarily used for high-intensity workouts.

- A yoga mat is an essential component of your home gym. Having one makes it a lot easier to practice stretching exercises along with your warming up and cooling down routine. That said, as the name suggests, you will need one if you practice yoga.

Working out at home may seem like an ineffective way of getting back in shape, but with some basic equipment and a little motivation, you can burn some serious calories. While you may not have the luxury of being guided by a fitness trainer, various mobile applications can help you create personalized workout regimens based on your skill level and body type. That said, you may not have access to all the fancy equipment that a gym offers, but through bodyweight workouts and some equipment, you can target each and every muscle group and achieve your fitness goals.