Working out at home has become a common thing these days with all that is going on in our world. While we love the interaction and connection we get with our gym companions, working out from home can save time and keep you feeling safe while getting fit. It is really important to make sure you are working out wisely when training from home. Let’s take a look at common mistakes people make when working out from home and what you can do to avoid them.
MISTAKE #1
Over-training – When we get on a mission we might tend to dive head first into a program and begin training every day thinking we will get to our results faster.
WHAT TO DO:
Make sure you are factoring in rest days. A minimum of one rest day per week is a start but you definitely want to mix up your training with lighter and harder days. If you are fatigued and just not “feelin’ it,” it may actually be better for you to take the day off. You can also factor in active rest days where you are going for a leisure walk, stretching, doing mobility work or a gentle yoga class.
MISTAKE #2:
Doing the wrong workouts – Getting motivated and grabbing a daily Pinterest workout can be great for inspiration for sure, but if you don’t understand the HOW of putting a smart workout routine together you may be setting yourself up for injury or over-training.
WHAT TO DO:
It is important to have balance (challenging a mix of muscle groups AND movement patterns) not only in each workout but in your fitness plan as a whole (ie. throughout the month). Think about adding movements that move your body forward and backward, laterally as well as in a twisting motion. Make sure that your workout includes upper, lower and core exercises. You’ll also want to make sure that the broad scope of your workout plan includes workouts that will provide you with:
- Cardiovascular strength
- Cardiovascular endurance
- Muscular strength
- Muscular endurance
- Flexibility
- Balance & coordination
MISTAKE #3
Not staying hydrated- Working out at home can kind of play tricks on the mind. Because you are not at an actual gym where you might get cues from other exercisers or your trainer to take a swig or take a break from your fitness routine to go to the water fountain, you may just forget about hydrating all together.
WHAT TO DO:
Take a drink before your workout. Fill a water bottle before your workout and put it right in your workout area where you can see it so you won’t forget. Drink a 20 ounce bottle after your workout, especially if it was a super sweaty one!
MISTAKE #4
Repeating the same workout over and over- It’s great that you found a workout that you love but repeating it too often may cause several problems:
- You will be training the same muscle groups in the same way over and over and may cause injury.
- You may be excluding important muscle groups. The forgotten muscle groups can become weaker while the ones you are working become stronger. This causes muscle imbalance and injury.
- You may burn out. Doing the same routine every day can bring on workout boredom very quickly.
There are a lot of movement patterns to consider when putting together a workout. It is important to have a variety of intelligently designed workouts to make sure you are getting those movements in throughout the week. A variety of stimuli is important to produce change in the body. Some moves may be very slow, others a bit faster, some heavy with fewer reps, some lighter with more reps. Some using different kinds of resistance equipment to challenge the body in different ways… you get the point.
WHAT TO DO:
If you are doing a full body strength training workout make sure you give yourself 48 hours to recover. Same is true for HIIT workouts. You can definitely alternate between the two ie, strength one day and HIIT the next. (Want more info-Check out THIS blog post about switching up your workouts!)
MISTAKE #5
Pushing past your limits- I love that people want to workout hard to get the results they want but it is important to make sure you have the proper modifications for your fitness level or movement limitations.
WHAT TO DO:
Make sure you know your limits. In the studio we use a scale of 1-10. We ask our clients to rate themselves along the scale to make sure they are pushing just the right amount but not too much. This helps to achieve the result we are going for that day.
MISTAKE #6
Not having the right form- Following a workout on a blog post picture or printable PDF can be motivating but remember to learn HOW to do the exercises properly.
WHAT TO DO: Take time to get educated as to the proper techniques. Make sure you understand the right modifications for your fitness level or limitations. This will keep you exercising longer and get you to your goal fast!
MISTAKE #7
Not warming up and cooling down properly- Let’s face it, many people workout from home because they are short on time and often the warm up and cool down get chopped off to save even more time.
WHAT TO DO:
Make sure:
- You DO warm up and cool down
- That the warm up includes similar movements to those that you will be doing in your workout.
If you will be squatting with weights in your workout, warm up with some body weight squats. If your workout will be fast like a HIIT Workout make sure that you include some explosive type movements (ie high knee jogs, jumping jacks) in your warm up to let the nervous system prepare for high heart rate and quicker movements.
MISTAKE #8
Undervaluing stretching- I have to admit, I was totally the culprit of this before I got certified in teaching yoga. After going through the training I felt so much better and my body started to crave the flowing movements and stretches. #confessiontime
I know it is tempting to burn as many calories as you can with the time you have available but consider this… If you feel better when you move and don’t get injured due to the time you’ve spent stretching, you will be able to exercise better, more and for a lifetime 😁
If you are ready to dive into a home workout routine and want to easily avoid all of these common mistakes, My Fit Zone is your solution!
No need to map out a plan. WE have done that for you saving you time AND making sure you get the results you want!
My Fit Zone Includes
- Monthly fitness programs designed by a certified personal trainer- This is not a just a “log in and pick a workout” program. We have designed these programs to get results for you just like we do with our in person clients in the studio.
- Accountability- You’ll get access to our private Missi Balison Fitness Client Community where you can check in with us and get answers to your fitness questions.
- Meal Plans- I mean like full on breakfast, lunch, dinner & snack DELICIOUS meal plans that are easy to make. All meal plans come with a shopping list that will save you time and money in the grocery store. You are going to LOVE clean eating on these plans
- Check Ins- Each week you’ll be reminded to check in with your weight, measurements and to do a weekly reflection to find out what is working and what isn’t. We believe that what we measure, we manage and weekly check ins are the way to keep the progress going.
Click HERE to learn more.
