Today I’m sharing some tips on how to make the transition to home workouts for beginners when you usually workout at the gym.
How are you all doing? This was my third weekend social distancing. As different as the world is right now it’s slowly becoming a new normal to stay at home and avoid other people as much as possible. I’m also trying to limit my news and Twitter consumption. I want to stay informed but it’s so easy to get overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty.
Today I’m sharing some tips on how to starting a home workout for beginners. I love my gym, but since they’ve all closed in my city I’ve transitioned to working out at home. I’m sure that a lot of you are in the same boat.
Give yourself grace.
Remind yourself that you don’t have to workout if you don’t want to. Don’t push yourself to workout at the same level or at all if it adds to your stress and anxiety levels. The world is a very different place than it was three months ago, and with that comes changing priorities.
Do what you can.
Go into your at home workouts knowing that they won’t be the same as your usual workouts at the gym or studio. You’re most likely not going to be able to use the same squat rack, barbell, and plates that you would have if you were at the gym – and that’s okay! You may not have a spin bike at home, so you won’t be able to get the same workout from your favorite spin instructor.
Be honest with yourself about what you have to work with and be okay with that. You’re not going to be able to stick to the exact same training plan that you were on before. And that’s not something that you should be worrying about.
Get creative.
Along with the above point, think outside the box to come up with equipment alternatives that you have around the house. You don’t need to have a ton of equipment to get in a really good workout.
- Try paper plates to swap in for sliders. Use cans or bottles for dumbbells. I find that they’re great for barre workouts since they don’t have to be too heavy.
- Use pillows or blankets for yoga props. Try using some big, heavy books for blocks.
- You can use a study chair for tricep dips, modified push ups, and even step ups.
Challenge yourself in different ways.
Just because you can’t lift heavy or use the treadmill like you would in the gym doesn’t mean that you can’t challenge yourself in other ways. Work on your balance, speed, or flexibility. Work other parts of your fitness composition that you can at home with the equipment that you have available. Think outside the box about how you can challenge yourself physically.
Use online resources.
Take advantage of the internet! Lots of yoga studios in my city are streaming yoga classes. Check out for favorite local studio to see if they offer something similar. Not only do you get in a great yoga class but you’ll also be able to support a local business when they’re most likely having to adapt their business in a big way.
I’ve also been doing quite a few barre workouts online. Not only do they not require a lot of equipment, but you also don’t need a lot of space. I really enjoy Barre 3, but there’s also lots of alternatives online like Pure Barre. A few years ago when I subscribed to online Barre 3 workouts I wrote a review, so be sure to check it out here if you’re curious to know what I thought about it.
There are also a ton of fitness videos on YouTube. Some of my favorites include Fitness Blender and Jessica Smith TV. Jessica has the cutest little dog who sometimes makes guest appearances in her videos. I actually shared some of my favorite YouTube channels for workouts back in 2017. You can find the post here if you want to check it out.
Are you doing at home workouts while practicing social distancing or taking a break from them? Do you have a home workout for beginners that you like? Share it in the comments below.