realiTEE

Hey, and welcome to my blog. It’s officially that time of year when motivation does not exist, and the idea of getting out of our cosy beds at 5:30 in the morning seems ridiculous. Look, I get it; you don’t always want to get up, face the cold and go to the gym. Some mornings, it’s a win if I wake up to put the heating on and get out of bed at 6:30. However, this still gives me enough time to get in a workout from home without compromising on the workout, and I’m going to tell you how you can as well.

When I first got into fitness, I tried a few at-home workouts on YouTube because I was scared of making a fool of myself in the gym. I’m going to stop here and just say, please do not worry about what you look like in the gym; everyone in the gym is way more interested in what they look like anyway. If you’re nervous about getting in a gym for the first time and how to work equipment, then arrange a viewing at a local gym, and a PT will take you around and show you everything safely.

Since not having a car, it has been harder for me to get in the gym, and I’m reliant on trains or my partner, which can be frustrating, so I have utilised home workouts more to help balance out running.

There are many different ways to work out from the comfort of your home. It has its own benefits, such as saving time on travelling and not needing to worry about open hours or waiting for equipment. However, unless you invested in a fully kitted home gym back in 2020, it’s likely you only have basic equipment at home to work with, but that’s okay. You can still get a full-on sweat.

Fitness apps:

There are an array of fitness apps out there that all offer at-home options. I posted a breakdown of the best apps on the market here if you want more detail about each of these. For the purpose of this post, here are some of the top fitness apps that offer at-home programs.

• Shreddy– easy to use and have crazy competitions with each new challenge.
• EvoleYou– is easy to use and has programs designed for all fitness levels, whether at home or in the gym.
• WeGlow– has hybrid programs such as Pilates and strength training. Easy to switch exercises from gym to home-friendly.
• Sweat– ideal for time-poor people.
• Beyondyou– strong wellness aspect.
• Body Coach– personalised programs to suit you.

All of these apps have either one-off workouts you can do as and when you’re in the mood or structured programs to help you achieve your goals and remove decision fatigue; they all also have food plans and lots of healthy recipes to help you stay on track. However, they are all subscription-based; you can pay monthly, quarterly or annually.

Most of the home workouts in these apps don’t require any equipment, but if they do, it tends to be the same handful of items, such as dumbbells, resistance bands and a chair.

Youtube workouts:

There’s nothing wrong with a YouTube workout; it’s how Joe Wicks branched out, and they can be really convenient and help to build your confidence and fitness. I know fitness apps can get pricey, especially when you need to pay for a gym membership on top, and right now, both of these can seem like a privilege. If you don’t have the disposable income or are unsure if the apps are right for you, there are countless channels out there that provide free content.

The downside to YouTube now is the vast amount of workouts on there can mean you spend 20 minutes trying to find one you want to do, and if you are tight for time, that doesn’t leave you any time to do the workout, and the increase in ads can be annoying. My tip is if your video has an ad break, just fill it with squats.

I would also suggest that if you go down the YouTube route, you plan out which ones you want to do so you don’t waste time or get distracted looking.

Recommended Youtube Channels:

• Stef Williams- Stef is the owner of WeGlow and a PT. As an influencer, she does post a lot of lifestyle videos, but she still posts full workout videos outside of the WeGlow app, and it’s a great way to get a taster of the type of workouts you can get.
• Yoga with Adrian– this is my go-to yoga channel on Youtube
• Joe Wicks– you can’t talk about YouTube fitness without mentioning Joe Wicks. With workouts for all abilities, various times, and without equipment, you can’t tell me there’s nothing here. Also, if you go back far enough (I think it was 2020), you’ll see videos of Joe in his living room with a broken arm and still finding ways to get his heart rate up.

What to wear when working out from home:

The obvious answer is the same as what you’d wear to the gym, but it might be cooler at home (honestly, sometimes I do a homework out over putting my heating on). I also enjoy working out in my favourite sweats; it usually doesn’t take long to warm up, and I usually end up in joggers and a crop. Fells cute but strong. Just because you’re staying home doesn’t mean you can’t look and feel just as confident. On the flip side, if you’re short on time, have toothpaste on your T-shirt, and it’s two days post hair wash day, and you still haven’t washed it, no one will ever know.

I hope this helps set you up to either start your fitness journey or pivot to homework’s when you need to instead of just not working out at all when life happens.

Let me know in the comments if you found this helpful and what else you’d like to see on this channel.

Love tee, xo