Are you ready to jump into the new year with healthy habits? Look no further than your apartment's living room.
From your apartment rental in Fort Collins, you can have a killer workout and start moving towards your fitness goals. You don't even need a fancy gym or equipment to get or stay healthy. You can take advantage of the space you have to create a great at-home workout, even if you live in an apartment with limited space. Are you ready to jump into the new year with healthy habits? Look no further than your apartment's living room.
With gyms closed or limited due to the pandemic, at-home workouts have never been more popular. Even in healthy times, there are lots of reasons you might not want to go to the gym, such as not having time to make the drive, not having the budget to pay for a gym membership, or simply not wanting to follow the crowds to the fitness center. But knowing what to do and where to start with exercises from home can be intimidating. These seven tips for apartment workouts can help you improve your fitness and enjoy your health journey.
It's easy to avoid exercising if you don't have space in your apartment or have to move things around every time you want to work out. To find success in your health journey, set your apartment up for success. Start by de-cluttering your space and getting rid of what you don't use that could get in the way of your workout. It could be as big as a piece of furniture you don't need or as small a container of things you never use. You don't need to have a huge dedicated space, but even just a small open area or a basket to put your yoga mat can make it easier to exercise.
When it's time to work out, get in the right mindset. Open the curtains and blinds to let in some natural light to energize your body. Make sure you have water nearby and find a playlist to pump you up. When your apartment is set up with the essentials of an at-home workout, it's easier to make room for it in your day.
Many at-home exercises don't require equipment, but you can also invest in a few small items to expand your workout options. These items don't take up much space and can be used in many ways. You likely don't have room for a treadmill or weight bench, but you can create a fairly robust at-home gym with just a few items.
Start with a yoga mat. It's for more than just yoga. A yoga mat acts as a soft surface for any kind of ab work or for floor exercises that work other parts of the body. Even if you're just stretching, it helps to do so on a comfortable surface. A yoga mat also gets you off the carpet and sets aside a specific place for exercising, which can be motivating. As a bonus, a yoga mat can roll up for easy storage when you're not using it.
Next, try a light set of free weights. The actual weight will depend on your strength level and where you are in your health journey. One or two sets of dumbbells in varying weights can open up strength training. You don't need to be at the gym with a huge rack of weights to gain muscle.
Resistance bands can also expand your workout possibilities and take up barely any space. Use these bands for leg or arm workouts and to maximize your bodyweight exercises. With a quality set of resistance bands, you can get in a good full-body workout without any other equipment.
Other at-home exercise equipment can include a yoga ball for balance or a pull-up bar that fits in the doorway.
If you don't have the space or budget for at-home exercise equipment, you can also get a great workout simply with bodyweight exercises. These moves use your body's natural weight to train and tone your muscles. As a bonus, bodyweight exercises can often be done without disturbing the neighbors around you.
Take advantage of the architecture or furniture in your apartment to get creative with how you exercise. You may not have a sit-up bar, but you may have a couch that can hold your feet in place. Do upright pushups against the wall, arms raises with your coffee table as your weight bench, lunges between the chairs—the possibilities are endless.
One of the cardinal rules of apartment workouts is to avoid high-intensity moves that could disturb your neighbors. This includes running and jumping that could shake the ceiling of your downstairs neighbor or dropping weights and making noise for the people on either side. You want to get in a good workout, and it's possible to do so while still being considerate to the people in neighboring apartments.
If you want to jump or run, wait for a sunny day and go outside instead. Take advantage of the trails or parks near your apartment for your high-intensity cardio. If you want to stay inside, look for movements or routines that include low-impact variations. Even without jumping and running, you can still work your body with a killer workout.
If you rely on group fitness classes or gym equipment, or even if you are entirely new to fitness and don't know where to start, take advantage of online resources. There are countless fitness channels on YouTube that offer free workouts. Simply search for whatever type of exercise you want to try, what area of the body you want to work, or how long you want to exercise, and you'll find thousands of results that can lead to a perfect workout.
A simple search of "apartment workouts" on YouTube yields thousands of results with moves that are specifically designed to be done in small spaces with limited equipment.
Once you find a program that matches your exercise preferences and goals, you can also pay for a subscription from many gym and exercise professionals. The prices on these vary, and in many cases, they also come with stretching recommendations and healthy recipes.
From yoga to strength training and dance workouts, there are a wide variety of exercises you can do at home to burn serious calories. But no matter what you do, doctors and trainers recommend following the five steps of an effective fitness program. You don't have to spend a lot of time on each one, but going through the right steps can help maximize the effectiveness of your workout and help you avoid injury.
No matter if you work out for 10 minutes or an hour, try to follow this basic routine every time you exercise. You can change the movements and the times, but this formula helps lower the risk of injury while ensuring you get an effective workout.
Exercising is more fun when you do it with someone. As a bonus, working out with a friend also holds you accountable for your health goals and can encourage you to push yourself harder. Grab a friend or roommate and work out together in your apartment. You may need to get creative and move some furniture around so you have enough space, but having another person with you can make the effort worth it.
Exercising with a friend or roommate can also expand your horizons to new techniques or types of exercise. Your friend may enjoy Pilates or barre and can potentially introduce you to new moves. There are also a lot of partner exercises available online that can strengthen your teamwork as you use each other for support in the various exercises. It can be easy to fall into a rut when you work out from your apartment, but grabbing a friend or roommate can mix things up.
Don't let your fitness goals pass you by. You can still get in great workouts from the comfort of your own apartment and be on your way to an active and healthy lifestyle.
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