It’s a question all of us have probably asked ourselves (or google) at least once in our lifetimes: How can I get fit fast? Whether you’re a stay at home mum or you just don’t have time to hit the gym after a long day at work, fear not – you can lose those stubborn pounds from the comfort of your own home.
Here are 9 great ways to get fit at home:
Yoga & Pilates
Yoga is more than just exercise; it will help you build strength, burn calories and improve flexibility. Instead of showing up in a live yoga class you can simply roll out a mat in your living room. If you’re on the hunt for gymnastics mats in the UK, find one that works for your home personally. There are so many benefits of taking up yoga – it has been found to improve quality of life, reduce stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression and back pain.
Cardio training
If cardio is your thing, then it’s time to invest in a treadmill, exercise bike or rowing machine. For home exercise, we recommend an exercise bike as it won’t take up as much space as well as being reasonable in price, such as some of the best treadmill brands reviewed by Barbend.
High-intensity interval training: HIIT workouts are a must if you want to eliminate calories — just twenty minutes a day of HIIT is shown to target belly fat, strengthen your cardiovascular activity and boost your endurance.
Home workout video
Use an app, YouTube video or DVD for home workouts. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, home workout videos are an incredibly effective way to tone up and shift body fat.
Zumba
Put on some music and dance! Zumba emphasizes moving to the rhythm and having fun regardless of your fitness level. Zumba is a great one for the whole family to get involved in.
Move more during office hours: We’ve all read the reports about how sitting all day is bad for you, being hunched over a keyboard and not even getting up for lunch because we’re too busy. But enough is enough! Whether you’re working from home or you’re at the office, make a conscious effort to get up at least once an hour – go to the bathroom, get some fresh air or catch up with colleagues.
Diet
Yes, you can lose weight through daily exercise, but diet is also an important component. The food choices we make may, in fact, be more important than the amount of exercise we’re doing. Bin the junk food, avoid processed food and reduce your sugar intake. Instead, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and base your meals on higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, rice or pasta. Introduce beans, pulses, fish, eggs and other protein.
Drink more water
When you think you’ve drank enough water, drink some more. Drinking water will help hydrate your body, curb your appetite and improve your metabolism.
Whether you want to improve your overall health, lose weight or simply clear your mind, daily exercise workouts from home will help serve this purpose as well as being more convenient and cost effective.