Many of you reading this have started, or are considering, working out at home. With gyms closed and our time outside curbed, home workouts are often the only option left open to us.
If you’re considering exercising at home but are apprehensive about it, fear not — there are plenty of ways you can make your workout that bit easier and enjoy better results into the bargain.
Read on for five easy ways to get the most out of your home workout.
Stay hydrated throughout the day
While supplements and powders have their place, you can’t beat water for a workout-enhancing drink. When you exercise, you lose fluids. This makes your workout feel more difficult, impacting your performance and making it harder for your body to recover afterward.
As well as drinking water during your workout (especially during these summer months), remember to stay hydrated throughout the day too. Starting your workout dehydrated will only cause you more harm in the long run.
Professional health authorities advise drinking eight 8oz glasses (two liters or half a gallon) of water a day. This is simple to remember too — 8×8. The better hydrated you are, the more productive your workout will be.
Add a soundtrack to your workout
You already know that music has a powerful effect on you. Whether it’s a sad tune or an upbeat vibe, music has the power to make you feel an assortment of emotions.
That effect also applies to your workout as well. High-energy tunes help keep you moving and motivated during an intense exercise session, the rapid beat spurring you onto completion.
But surprisingly, slow music can help you get the most out of your home workout too. Studies have shown that listening to slow music after exercising helps the body recover more quickly.
Enjoy the benefits of high-intensity interval training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has soared in popularity in recent years. Short periods of intense effort broken up by short, low-intensity rest periods offer better benefits for cardiovascular health, plus greater fat loss too.
HIIT workouts usually involve burpees, pushups, lunges, and squats, intense exercises that burn a lot of calories. The general pattern is 20 seconds of as many reps as possible, followed by a 10-second rest. This repeats for a total of four minutes, with a minute rest then the same again for a total of four times.
HIIT is especially good for beginners too. There are plenty of videos online that offer gentle entry points to this beneficial style of exercise, although Daily Burn offers a number of bespoke programs that will suit beginners of any experience.
Try some supplements and powders to boost your results
There’s a reason so many pro athletes and gym enthusiasts use supplements, powders, and shakes to complement their workout. It’s essentially a type of body hacking — by knowing what your body needs in order to develop and consuming it in a concentrated form, you can enhance your workout significantly more.
Take probiotics, for instance. If you’re looking to take up running and want to get the most from your workout, probiotics are a great way to boost your immune system. This, in turn, reduces your recovery time by helping you absorb as many nutrients as possible from your diet.
If you’re undertaking a mass-building program, pick up a protein powder. These help build muscle and repair tissue after an intense weight session. It’s not cheating — it’s just a smart way to ‘hack’ your body and enjoy better results, faster.
Don’t underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep
Last but not least: get a good night’s sleep. The value of sleep for physical (and mental) health is often underestimated. Poor quality sleep doesn’t just negatively impact your performance during your workout, but it also means you burn fewer calories as a result.
A good night’s sleep also helps you recover faster after each workout. Sleep is your body’s way of recharging and repairing. The better quality your sleep is, the better you’ll be able to perform during your next workout.
As a rule of thumb, aim for between 7-9 hours of sleep each night — no exceptions. Obviously everyone has different expectations for how much sleep works for them, but aiming for 7-9 hours every night is a good place to start.
The tips above are just a few ways you can get the most out of your home workout. But above all, remember to start small and progress at your own pace. Know your body and understand your limits, and you’ll enjoy a better workout as a result.
