How to Increase Fitness and Improve Health at Home

Common fears of attending a commercial gym or group fitness space include: 

• Unsure what to do at the gym. Walking into a commercial gym or group fitness space can leave you feeling unsure of where to start and what to do. A variety of classes exists…but what is best for you? Cardio equipment, free weights, machines…where do you start and what is going to give you the best results? Hutton Health offers structured programmes that can be done anytime, anywhere! 

• Feeling like other gym users may judge the crazy amount you feel you are sweating or panting. It is common to feel self-conscious of your current level of health and fitness, fearing looking ‘unfit’ to other gym users.

• Comparing yourself to other gym users, many of whom seem to have the ‘perfect’ body. It can feel like most other people at the gym have the ‘perfect body’. Many people feel inferior because their body doesn’t ‘fit’ with what society believes a ‘gym body’ is. 

• Feeling uncomfortable in their gym clothing. The gym can feel like a fashion show; the matching crop tops and leggings, the best brands, and mirrors everywhere to be on show. Not all gym clothing leaves us feeling strong and healthy and instead highlights insecurities of what we may deem our body blunders to be.
  • Well fitting, comfortable clothing can make you feel SO much better walking into a gym. One pair of gym leggings can squeeze my stomach and leave me feeling like I have a muffin top and huge thighs, but another pair the same day can transform that to feeling more confident and healthier.
  • Find a brand that works for you! Sportshoes is a great website that has discount leggings, shoes, tops and accessories. I buy a lot of my workout clothes on this site!

• Awkwardly trying a new exercise or feeling unsure how to use the equipment. With the variety of equipment on the gym floor, it can be difficult to know what the best exercises are to achieve your health and fitness goals. Learning the proper technique for exercises and how to use each piece of equipment can be daunting. 

The good news is that you CAN lose weight and improve your fitness and health without ever stepping into a commercial gym or group fitness space. There are numerous benefits of working out from the comfort of your home.

• Don’t need to feel self-conscious. When you workout at home, there is no one to judge the way you look in your exercise clothing, the amount you are panting or sweating while you exercise, or that you don’t look confident using a piece of equipment.
  •  Without anyone in your home, you can exercise with the confidence and comfort of knowing that you are moving your body in a way that will leave you feeling stronger in your body and stronger in your mind.
• No crowds. You don’t need to worry about waiting for your favourite machines, the class you would like to attend or crowds in the changing room when you workout at home. 
• Less germs. Commercial gyms and group fitness spaces can be breeding grounds for germs. Sweaty bodies and heavily touched surfaces on equipment can leave you more susceptible to picking up the latest cold or flu virus. Working out in the privacy of your home removes the germs from the community space.
• Convenient – schedule the workouts around YOUR schedule. Working out at home means that you can workout at a time that fits your schedule. When you travel to a gym, the added commute means that your 30-minute workout requires a much longer commitment of time. It also means fitting your workout around the schedule of the gym or the class schedule.
• Lifestyle. When you go to a physical gym space, it can become compartmentalised, and ‘heath’ viewed as a part time action that is only associated with that space. Exercising at home helps to integrate healthy habits in your home life.
  • Connecting ‘health’ with your home space can help carry the positive changes as a lifestyle change rather than a part time vision that only kicks in when you are in a gym or group fitness space. Exercising at home helps to build a strong connection between ‘home’ and ‘health’. 
• Connect with your loved ones through movement! When your family members and friends see you enjoying movement, it can inspire them to make healthy lifestyle changes as well. Some of my favourite memories are sharing active moments with my son!

Decathlon offers a huge range of affordable equipment for home workouts!

“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” Edward Stanley

Here are 5 suggestions to fuel your motivation

Get started with a home workout program and keep on track with your home workout routine.

1. Focus on progress, not perfection.

Workouts will not always go to plan. Do not let a missed workout or a session that did not go as you had planned put you off of your future progress.

Focus on showing up each day for YOU. 

2. Choose a routine that fits your schedule.

Shift your mindset from thinking that a workout needs to be a long and challenging bootcamp that leaves you panting and dripping in sweat to simply purposeful movement. Choose movement that fits in to your day, even if that means a 5-minute strength session or a 15-minute walk. 

Focusing on moving your body every day has benefits for your mind and body. By incorporating shorter workouts into your busy days, it provides a routine that is easier for you to follow. 

3. Find workouts that you enjoy doing.

There is a huge variety of exercise options available. Finding a type of workout that you enjoy doing will make it easier to motivate yourself to participate regularly. Participating in activities that you enjoy will also help to incorporate these into your schedule for the long term.

If you need to force yourself to workout in a way that you don’t enjoy, it is unlikely that you will continue exercising this way for years to come.

4. Listen to your body.

Our bodies are all different. Tune in to how your body is feeling to ensure that you move in a way that agrees with your body and your current fitness level. 

Easing into new activities or exercise programs will help ensure long term success. If you push too quickly, you can risk injury or soreness that will make it more difficult to stick to your program. 

5.Share your goals.

By creating goals and sharing your health and fitness goals, it keeps you accountable for your progress. Finding a workout partner or hiring a trainer can keep you motivated through workouts if you prefer having additional support and encouragement to stick to your goals. 

Download Hutton Health’s free goal setting workbook for a guide on successful goal setting.

Find out more about the benefits of working with a health and fitness coach.

Many people feel like they should KNOW WHAT TO DO to make positive lifestyle changes and to increase their health and fitness. Asking for help is not a weakness, it can be the KEY to helping kickstart your action. 

Hutton Health strives to bring fitness, nutrition and mindset together to get optimal results for people’s health and wellness from the comfort of their own home. Our mission is to remove barriers to starting a health and fitness journey through flexible online coaching that fits in to each person’s schedule. 

Commit to YOU and your journey to be the best version of YOU for life!