How You Can Workout at Home 30 Minutes a Day

Let me just admit this right now, I was never the type of person that enjoyed doing a workout or made time in my day to exercise. I was a gymnast as a child but I haven’t been that in shape in years. Every year or so I would run in a 5k race or swim laps in a pool during the summer, but I never had a workout routine. It wasn’t until we were forced to stay at home that I realized that I needed to be more active during the day.

Since I have been working from home the past couple of months, I created a daily routine of how my day would go. I would make time for reading, taking walks outside, and doing chores around the house, so I added in an hour for workout time before dinner each weekday. Working from home can create extra tension and stress, so by exercises after a long day of work can help to relieve stress and improve your mood.

I started seeing all of these social media advertisements for online workouts that I could watch and workout with the trainer on the television. I was motivated to be active and it was one of my 2020 new year’s resolutions to build up strength, so this was the perfect time to do so. The only problem was that I didn’t have any equipment besides small 5 pound weights and there wasn’t much space in my apartment to do certain exercises. But, what I found out is that you don’t need all this fancy equipment to get a full-body workout in. You just need your own body-weight and you could even use some household items.

Here are 5 tips that helped me to stick to a 30-minute workout during the week:

CREATE SPACE

In my apartment, there are only a limited number of spaces that I can use to workout. That is if I want to be doing side lunges, burpees, and pushups, and more. So, I had to make a space in my living room to be able to stretch out and to see the workout video on my TV. Each afternoon I move the coffee table, any clothes, or cat toys out of the way so that I have space to move around without any hazards to trip over. 

You can see from the image above that it’s not a very big area but it works for me. If you want to workout at home, maybe try cleaning out space in your bedroom or living room to exercise in. If you have outdoor space like a patio or backyard, you can workout outside! 

FIND THE WORKOUT THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU

This was the biggest struggle for me because I didn’t know what type of workout I wanted to do. I wasn’t all that familiar with all the different kinds of workouts so I had to do some research before I began. All those advertisements I saw on my Facebook page were for a company called Daily Burn, which is a workout app that has hundreds of videos for every type of person. You can choose what kind of exercise you want to do that day and you take it at your own pace. I signed up for a 60-day free trial and I am happy to report that I stuck with it for the past 2 months! It’s 30 minutes each day, which I think is the perfect amount of time for a good workout. 

My favorite types of workouts are barre classes, strength, and mobility, workouts that focus on flexibility and fun cardio sessions. There are so many different types of workouts out there so I suggest finding what is right for you. There’s yoga for people who want a slow-paced exercise or AMRAP or HIIT workouts that will challenge and push you towards exhaustion. And don’t worry if you don’t have the proper equipment to workout. I’ve used heavy candles, books, a water jug, and heavy backpacks! You can also use a chair from your dining room in many exercises. It can be used to support your squats or work your upper body with tricep dips.

OPEN A WINDOW

If you can exercise outside, then, by all means, do that, but if you are stuck inside or the weather isn’t the best outdoors, then there are ways you can still feel the breeze on your face from indoors. Every afternoon when I workout, I like to open up all the windows that I don’t get too overheated during my exercise. This helps me to feel the wind and reminds me to breathe in the fresh air. Also, I stand in front of the window when my workout is done because I am usually sweating so much haha.

MAKE TIME FOR IT

What I’ve learned is that I have to carve out time in my day to work out or else I won’t do it at all. I’ll make excuses and then my exercise routine becomes non-existent. That is why I dedicated an hour block of time from 5 pm-6 pm Monday through Friday to workout. It helps to stay consistent with the time because I will never forget it then! 

I prefer to work out after my day is finished and before dinner time because it is a great transition time so my mind can switch over from work mode to relaxing with my family. You may like to workout in the morning before work or school, or if the middle of the day when you are most active. Whatever works for you, as long as you dedicate 10-30 minutes each day for it. 

REMEMBER TO REST

I chose to only workout 4-5 days a week and only during the week. Saturday and Sunday will always be a day of rest from working out. Before I started exercising so often, I was aware of the importance of taking breaks and letting your body recover from hard workouts. One of my favorite things on Daily Burn is that they have videos just for those rest and recovery days. So if you are feeling extra sore or want to stretch out your muscles, they have short 10 minute workouts that will help you. 

It’s also important to note that when you are in the middle of a workout, don’t push yourself too hard. Don’t push yourself to the point of exhaustion or feeling ill. You know your body and what it can handle. After a couple of months, you may be feeling more confident to do more vigorous workouts but remember to take it at your own pace. 

I am proud of myself for being able to workout 4-5 times a week for the last 2 months. My free trial of Daily Burn will expire this week but I actually don’t mind paying the $14.99 a month from now on because I know that I like the trainers and workouts and will continue to workout daily. There are days when I am excited to workout and then their are days when I just want to be lazy and sit on the couch, but I push myself to get in a quick workout. I feel better after I am done exercising and I feel good about my abilities and body when I am finished. Plus endorphins are a great thing!