In the search of the lost motivation – how to stick with your at-home workouts

online fitness classes And here we go again. You set the matt on the floor and instead of doing 20 push-ups you ended up scrolling on Instagram, browsing through the last posts David Beckham uploaded. You don’t even like David Beckham, so why are you checking his profile? Well, everything is better than doing push-ups by your own, in your poorly lit living room. Don’t be harsh on yourself, at-home workouts are so easy to quit, especially when you do it alone. 

In comparison to gym memberships, working at home is more convenient and cheaper, but it’s difficult to stay motivated when there is no trainer to scream at you when you miss the last squat, you have no equipment to use, and you don’t feel like moving from the couch after a long day at work. 

Help is on its way. Roll out the yoga mat, dust off the dumbbells, pull that pair of sports pants on, and play your favourite tune. You’re going to complete this workout.

Ditch the all-or-nothing mindset (no one gets up from the bed at 5am for 100 push-ups)

You do 100 squats or you do none. You get up in the morning at 5am for a complex workout, or you don’t exercise at all today. The all-or-nothing approach is common not only for people who train at home, but also for the ones who hit the gym regularly. But is it helpful? Is it healthy? Certified personal trainers move their heads disapprovingly right now. 

It’s just wrong to have the misconception that you have to do the workout exactly how some blogger did it on Instagram, full 60 minutes of high-intensity exercises at 5am before heading to the office. If you wake up at 5:30 instead of 5.00am or your back hurts and you cannot perform some movements, the entire plan falls apart. Why would you throw the towel? You’re already up, you’re already in your sports gear, and the matt is lying on the floor. You may not feel energized enough to complete a 60 minutes workout of high-intensity exercises, but you can still do some. 

Yes, it’s amazing to have some structure to your training plan, but when things don’t go accordingly, do it anyway. 40 minutes of exercises is best than none, 10 push-ups are better than none. 

Don’t get yourself distracted (yes, leave your phone in the bedroom while you work out and get the pet out of the living room)

In the era of technology your smartphone is the greatest distraction that keeps you away from exercising. Although you have all the intentions to start the training at 10am, and do at least 50 squats and four series of dumbbell exercises for arms, your social media notifications keep you away from the matt until 11am, and your cat asking for pets adds another 30 minutes to your already postponed workout.

 This happens daily, and you fall into a patten of swearing that you won’t left social media distract you from completing your workout tomorrow. But you still take your phone in the living room and place it close to you not to miss the buzz when someone sends you a message. 

You won’t exercise if you don’t consider your workout as another vital obligation you must complete away from your phone and pet. Dedicate yourself to this activity and don’t allow anything distract you. Leave the smartphone in another room, turn the music volume higher to prevent outdoor noise from disturbing you, and put this activity first for the next hour. Your workout is a non-negotiable appointment, when you cannot reply to messages, cook dinner or play with your pets. 

Choose short, funny, entertaining, and varied workouts (squats aren’t the only exercises that tone your legs)

Let’s face it, who feels motivated to repeat the same exercises daily? You don’t even like planking. Lack of motivation is a common roadblock for people exercising at home. You overcomplicate your exercises, and you lose interest in performing them because you don’t feel you do it right anyway.

 Instead of repeating the same combination of exercises register to online fitness classes and follow the program certified trainers created for people who don’t like hitting the gym. An online fitness class would teach you how to utilize different pieces of equipment to avoid boredom, bring a new routine daily, and keep your muscles guessing. 

Use your furniture and bodyweight to variate exercises and try different workouts. 

Don’t compare yourself with someone else (they don’t compare with you)

Why would you compare to a blogger who makes a living from creating fitness videos for their social media profiles when your couldn’t be more different than theirs? It’s easy to watch their 10-minute long tutorial on how to get the perfect abs and feel intimidated, ashamed, discouraged, and resentful over the fact that you cannot perform all exercises, and you don’t look as slim and toned as they are. 

But have you ever considered the fact that you have another body type? That your body responds differently to working out? They’re practising for hours before changing into their sponsor-offered equipment, and shooting a 10-minute tutorial looking top-notch with their makeup up and glowing skin. You work for 8 hours at the office, walk your dog, cook dinner for the entire family and find time to exercise before going to bed.

You are new to the single-led deadlift exercise, you have never trained your ab before, and you have never planked, so you have a lot of work to get to reach their current fitness level. Also, there are other individual factors that influence your fitness level and productivity. Your health may not allow you to perform the same exercises David Beckham does, he is a top athlete at the end of the day and has trained for years. 

Don’t stack yourself against someone you admire, but shift your mindset to achieve a goal customized for your fitness and health. 

If you feel a little lonely, joining an online class can help you find some extra motivation and support.