Can You Really Get an Effective Workout at Home?
The temptation to join a gym can be a strong one. If only you shelled out that $50 per month for a membership; then you’d have the body you wanted. But that $50 adds up fast, and not everyone has a spare $600 lying around for a year’s worth of gym access. But the gym isn’t the only place to work up a good sweat. Working out at home can become a literal lifesaver.
It is entirely possible to get a good workout at home. Even without the flash and flair of a fancy fitness center, getting your body moving in and around your house can make a huge impact on your health, wellness and longevity. So skip the membership and save that $600 a year for new clothes to match your new, svelte figure. All you need to do is get started.
Starting A Routine
The hardest thing about starting a workout routine is actually starting. A study in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport noted that people who hadn’t yet started exercising had the lowest faith in their ability to do so. Once you get over the hump of starting your new program, your confidence in yourself will continue to grow.
Working out at home can keep you moving and making progress towards your goals without facing the intimidation of a gym – not that that should stop you. But keeping it local can knock all sorts of excuses out of your way. You can make time without having to leave the house. There’s no worry about pushy sales people trying to get you to up your membership. You can make progress at your own pace using the routines in Dr. Vonda Wright’s “Guide to Thrive.” There’s no reason not to clear some space on your living room floor and get started today.
Sticking To It
A workout routine, no matter where you do it, isn’t going to do you any good unless you stick to it. In a review published by the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group on the health of older adults, two groups were compared – one group worked out at home while the other got their bodies moving at a fitness center. The review determined that, especially in patients participating in a cardiovascular trial, home fitness routines had a higher adherence rate than programs conducted at fitness centers.
A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise of mothers and daughters who exercised at home or at a fitness center showed that both groups significantly improved their muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and aerobic capacity. The biggest difference between the two groups? Those that worked out at home didn’t have to spend big to see big results. “[Home-based] physical activity programming is a cost-effective means to increase physical activity and improve health-related fitness,” reads the study. And not having to shell out your hard-earned cash is a surefire way to make sure you stick with your new routine.
Seeing The Results
We all know that exercise can slim our waists and give us the physique we’ve always dreamed of, but the benefits of sticking to a home exercise routine extend far beyond a smaller jeans size. In a meta-analysis of the anxiety-reducing effects of exercise published in Sports Medicine, researchers stated that in order for significant changes in anxiety to occur, you have to stick with your exercise regimen for at least 10 weeks – perfect for home routines with higher adherence rates.
Older adults showed a significant increase in balance after 18 month center-based workout programs and 15 month home-based workout programs.
Interested in learning exactly how to get the best at-home workout possible? Fitness expert Jackie Polak of Pittsburgh’s Club One Fitness will be discussing home workouts on Day 1 of this year’s Women’s Health Conversations 2016 Conference. To hear her speak along with dozens of other experts in women’s health and wellness, consider registering for the conference today and becoming part of the conversation around women’s health, empowerment and education.