In the wake of the current lockdown, we’re all finding new and inventive ways to stay in shape. Deprived of the use of gyms, people all over the world are taking their fitness into their own hands and carrying out rigorous exercise regimens at home with the help of remote personal trainers and online resources. Yet, while working out from home (even in a tiny home) has a lot of advantages, it also has certain caveats. In your zeal to push yourself to new heights of fitness on lockdown, you could find yourself making mistakes which at best impede your progress and at worst could result in injury.
Image by Valeria Ushakova via Pexels
As such, here are 5 things to remember when working out at home…
Always warm up and cool down
Potentially the most important part of any workout, this is also arguably the most oft-neglected. We’re in such a rush to get to the challenging bits that we forget to limber up our joints, warm up our muscles and get our bodies ready to work out. This means that we risk injuring ourselves or at the very least failing to properly engage our muscles when we exercise. A body that hasn’t warmed up will find it more difficult to get the full range of motion and engagement in any given exercise. So you won’t get the results you were expecting.
The right clothing is so important!
Speaking of range of motion, the right clothes are extremely important. You may be forgiven for assuming that any comfortable and / or loosely fitted clothes. But even baggy clothes can inhibit your movements and potentially impede your technique. A pair of black workout leggings, for example, represent a modest investment but will give you the flexibility you need in your hips, knees and legs to ensure that you get your technique spot-on. Which is especial when you consider that…
Technique is more important than weight
Lifting heavier weights makes us feel like we’re working harder… but perhaps we should be working smarter? Your technique or form is always more important than how much weight you’re lifting. If we’re lifting heavy weights but using poor technique, we’re not engaging the muscles properly. As such we’re less likely to experience an increase in growth and strength of the muscles engaged. Not to mention increasing our risk of injury yet again.
Don’t push yourself too hard, too early
Your zeal to get into the swing of things and exercise regularly is admirable. But don’t make the mistake of pushing yourself too hard, too fast. This will accomplish nothing more than ensuring that you wake up in agony over the next couple of days (especially if you haven’t cooled down to drain the lactic acid from your muscles). It’s much more important to be consistent and challenge yourself more as you grow more proficient.
Keep tracking your progress
Finally, it can be difficult to remain motivated when working out at home. Without a personal trainer to guide you or hold you to account, you may start to feel like your endeavors aren’t worth your time and give up. Tracking your progress by weighing and measuring yourself and logging your increases in reps / weight will keep you motivated and on the right track.
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