Pre COVID-19 lockdown:
Pre-lockdown, did any of these excuses sound familiar to you?
You are too busy to fit exercise into your day.
There aren’t enough hours in the day.
You say you really want to get started, but suddenly it’s Sunday and you haven’t done a single workout all week.
There are too many options out there, you have no idea where to start.
Now everyone is in self-isolation.
There are no excuses. Most of us have a little more time in the day, even if it’s just that time you used to commute to work.
I realise those who are now juggling kids, work and staying sane may be thinking I definitely do not have more time in the day. Maybe you can find a time to work out with your children; a PE lesson? I promise you, exercise will give you a little bit of sanity.
There is no time more perfect to start and stick to your home workout.
Okay, you’ve done a couple of home workouts now but you are finding it really hard to stick to them. Why?
1. Plan your workout routine for the week.
Write it down in your diary. Everyone is different but I find getting into a morning routine really sets me up for the day. You have fewer excuses in the morning. I also love to break up the day with a lunchtime home workout.
Join HH Training for live classes Monday 12-12.45pm (BST), Wednesday & Friday 8-9 am (BST).
2. You are working out on your own.
You are really trying to get into a home workout routine but you are doing it on your own. Why not try a workout with others, you will have no excuse ‘to start 10 minutes later’. Join us for a live class, you don’t have to have your video on so no need to be self-conscious. It will give you the support and accountability to stick to that home workout routine. It’s also great because you don’t have to think about what you are doing, you are told and just have to follow. If nothing else, it’s 45 - 60 minutes of your day that you can switch your brain off!
3. Now is the time to find a coach that you enjoy.
You really do have the pick of the bunch. Everyone is coaching online, there is a wealth of knowledge out there. Most coaches are charging a lot less than they would usually charge, so it is very affordable at the moment. If money is a barrier to getting started, please get in contact. I am offering all of my classes for free to those who need them to be.
4. Variety is the spice of exercise!
Your home workout should be varied. If you’ve never done any exercise before, don’t start with six extremely intense HIIT workouts per week. Exercise should be varied, try to include strength, stamina & stretching into your home workout. Check out my previous post here for my yoga and joint training picks. Yes, joint training is really important. See below for my varied home workout routine.
What to expect from HH Training live classes: Mobility and activation work incorporated into the warm-ups. These workouts will always be full-body workouts, incorporating some strength training (even without equipment) and there will always be a challenge to test your stamina at the end. I always finish the class with a stretch of the main muscle groups we have worked.
5. Even though you are in lockdown and you can’t go anywhere, there are other things you’d rather be doing.
If you are not a fan of exercise there will always be something else you would rather be doing. However, surely there is some point in your day that you want to move your body! Even if that is dancing to your favourite song on repeat for 20 minutes - that really is better than nothing! If you are sitting at a desk or on the sofa a lot, I really would recommend incorporating stretching into your home workout routine - 10 minutes per day will suffice.
This is what my weekly home workout routine looks like:
Monday: Try out the workout before I teach at lunchtime - full body bodyweight workout.
Tuesday: Run - between 5 & 10km and 30-60 minute yoga practice.
Wednesday: Strength-based workout - using tempo and time under tension rather than weights and maybe a sprint finisher.
Thursday: 90-minute yoga practice.
Friday: Run - between 5 & 10km.
Saturday: A fun partner workout with Jack: this one will generally be high intensity!
Sunday: Active rest - a bit of gardening or a gentle walk.
Get yourself into a home workout routine, workout with others (online), find a coach that you like, vary your workouts - high-intensity training, yoga, running, walking, stretching, strength training. If nothing else, dance every day!