Home workouts are an easy and affordable way to stay fit and healthy and an accessible way to exercise without a gym membership. However, like any form of training, they come with their own set of challenges. In this article, Jackson Anderson, at PT at Juniper, reveals three evidence-based tips for maximising your home training results.
1. Have a plan
According to Anderson, “No plan = no progress.”
Your body responds best to regular stimuli, which is why scheduling your workouts like you would schedule an appointment works so well. Take things a step further by dedicating a specific space in your home for workouts. This helps create a mental boundary between fitness time and other tasks.
Before each workout, it’s also a good idea to plan out your exercises. “Map out your session beforehand, including which exercises you will complete to maximise your time working out. Ensure to include adequate time to warm up like you would if you were in a gym environment,” Anderson advises.
2. Challenge yourself
One of the most common barriers women face with at-home workouts is hitting a plateau. If it feels like you’re not making progress, it’s time to dial things up. Anderson emphasises the importance of progressive overload — a structured way to push your body to adapt and grow stronger.
Here are actionable ways he recommends to elevate your routine, even without gym equipment:
- Increase reps or sets to gradually build endurance and strength.
- Slow down the movement — focus on the eccentric phase of exercises (e.g., lower into a squat in 3 seconds).
- Engage stabilising muscles by trying unilateral (single-side) exercises like split squats or single-leg bridges.
- Use what you have — turn household items like water bottles, backpacks, or chairs into makeshift weights or resistance tools.
To keep things fresh and challenge your body in new ways, you can also mix it up with alternative forms of movement, like Pilates, yoga, or HIIT sessions. These are types of workouts you can easily do at home and there are plenty of routines you can follow on YouTube for free.
3. Stay focused and accountable
“Distractions are everywhere at home,” Anderson notes. And he’s right. With everything from phone notifications to household tasks pulling at your attention, maintaining focus is a top priority. The key? Tools and structure.
Here are Anderson’s strategies to prevent distractions and stay engaged during your workout:
- Use timers or interval-based routines for higher-intensity sessions. For example, try 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest instead of traditional rep counts.
- Track your progress — whether it’s in an app or handwritten journal, monitoring your workouts can increase motivation and help you see incremental improvements over time.
- Commit to a virtual challenge or use workout apps with structured programs. Seeing others achieving their goals in the same space as you can foster consistency and accountability.
No matter where you exercise, with the right strategies, you can get stronger and achieve your fitness goals. Now that you know how to supercharge your home workouts, it’s time to grab those dumbbells (or water bottles) and get moving.
