5 ways to prepare for your first day of home exercise 💪🏽

Does the thought of driving to the gym, sharing sweaty equipment, and then having to shower in public make you not want to exercise?

Exercise at home! With minimal prep, you can easily squeeze a workout into your day without ever leaving your home.

Before starting the workout, it's important to have a goal for why you are working out in the first place.

Do you want to:

• lose weight?

• build muscle?

• stay in shape?

• get in shape?

• maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Figuring out your goal will help inform the type of workouts that will be most effective for you. The overall goal will also help you set smaller goals that will keep you motivated.

Most at-home workouts will require at least a yoga mat's worth of space.

• Find a space in your home where you can stretch out your arms and not hit anything.

• Be sure to gather all your materials in one area to have easy access to them and to create a space designated for your workout.

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⚡Check your knowledge!

Cary has a large open area in the basement. There is a rack with dumbbells nearby.

Pat lives in a dormitory where space is limited. However, there's some space next to the bed that's wide enough for walking.

Jen has a space for a yoga mat in the living room of her apartment.

Daisa has an at-home gym, equipped with a treadmill and weights.

Based on your exercise goals, determine what kind of gear you will need to workout. You'll definitely want a towel, yoga mat, and water bottle. You may want to keep a mirror nearby to ensure your form is correct.

If you want to invest in large pieces of equipment, some options are:

• treadmill

• stationary bike

• rowing machine

• elliptical machines

• aerobic steppers

You could exercise with no equipment, but here are some low-cost options:

• weights

• exercise bands

• yoga mat

• jump rope

• exercise ball

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Where to start?! There are so many options for workouts.

Determine what kind of exercises align with your goals. Choose to stream a workout for free, design your own workout, or invest in an exercise program that you can follow at home. Think about how much time you can commit to your workout.

Some types of effective workouts include:

• HIIT (high-intensity interval training)

• cardio

• strength

• yoga

• Tabata

• flexibility/mobility training

Help yourself stay motivated by joining a community, connecting with others on social media, or finding an accountability buddy.

Some other ideas to help you stay motivated include:

• picking workouts that are fun

• keeping distractions to a minimum

• blocking out time in your day

• finding exercises that are appropriate and feel good to you

• doing mini-workouts

• setting small goals for yourself

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You can do a few simple things to get started on your at-home fitness journey: