How I stay motivated to exercise without going to the gym
When it comes to fitness, I’m somewhere between motivated and meh. Anyone else? I love the way exercise makes me feel — strong, accomplished, capable — but between work, my kids, and all of my responsibilities, it can get tough to motivate, especially since I workout from home. No home gym or fancy equipment here, it’s just me and a few key items to help me get moving.
I haven’t had a gym membership in about 10 years, since my older son was born. I’ve sprinkled in a few random spin classes here and there, but for the most part, it’s just me trying to squeeze in a home workout in between conference calls and making dinner.
Here’s how I do it:
My home gym set up: I don’t have one, haha. My “gym” is the space between my bed and my dresser. I don’t own any gym equipment and I have limited space, but I make it work! I keep my workout gear in a closet: a variety of free weights, from 2 to 30 pounds, resistance bands, and a yoga mat. I also have an old bench from a program called “The Firm” that I did in the 90s and early 2000s!
Aim for 10,000 steps: This is a daily goal of mine and it’s harder than you think, especially during the winter months. I wear an old fitbit to track my steps (it may be time for an upgrade, haha). Since I work from home, I added a walking pad and a walking vest into the rotation about a year ago — I have a small home office right off my bedroom — and I love getting my steps in when checking emails.
Stream workouts: I love using free weights for strength training but also like to sprinkle in Pilates or yoga to keep it interesting. I have a yearly subscription to Bodi (formerly Beach Body) and it’s worth every penny…I’ve been a huge fan since back in the day when you had to order DVDs! Bodi has thousands of workouts of all different varieties and I highly recommend it to anyone! I also stream free workouts via YouTube, namely Sydney Cummings, Move with Nicole, and Pilates by Izzy.
Prioritize myself: This part isn’t easy when you have two elementary-age kids and your bedroom is right off the living room, haha. However, my family understands that my workouts are important to me, so I let them know that I’m going to close my door and exercise. I still get interrupted at times, but I find that if I start, I’ll finish. It’s the getting started part that’s tough! I don’t allow myself to feel guilty for taking this time — plus I think it sets an important example for my kids.
Being realistic: If a workout is more than 30 minutes long, I won’t do it. I can squeeze in 30 minutes while dinner is in the oven or my kids are watching something on TV, or even right after my workday ends. But anything longer? It’s not going to happen. I’ll be honest — I can’t concentrate beyond 30 minutes anyway. There’s a never-ending To-Do list and when you workout from home, and it’s easy to be distracted by the laundry you need to fold or the floor you need to sweep.
Think about the long term: Exercise used to be about aesthetics — and it still is — but also so much more as I get older. I want to be a healthy person for as long as possible, and I need to exercise to do that. I’m going to be an old lady someday, and I want to be mobile and active, and live my best old lady life!
Comfy workout clothes: I find that if my workout clothes are comfy and cute, I enjoy putting them on! I want leggings that stay put, sports bras that don’t dig into my neck, and shorts that don’t give me a wedgie every time I squat! I typically don’t wear sneakers when I exercise indoors — I’m either barefoot or wearing Pilates socks that have the little grippers on the soles.
Look for other ways to get in movement: A walk or hike, the park with my kids, dancing in the kitchen — it all adds up, right?
