Last updated on March 21st, 2023 at 06:34 am

Right now it is a bit easier than ever to workout at home since all the gyms are closed and we are all staying home. But yet it still can be hard to find the motivation to workout from home. Home school, Kids, Husbands, Wives, house work, working from home, Netflix… the list can go on…

The motivation to work out at home: You either have it or you don’t, right? Wrong. Working out at home is a routine that you can teach yourself to enjoy and be successful at if you go about it the right way.

THE BENEFITS OF WORKING OUT AT HOME

Before we get into the tips, let’s talk about some of the benefits of working out at home …

• You don’t have to pay for a gym membership or for expensive studio classes.
• It’s convenient, flexible and versatile.
• Workout on your own time
• You don’t have to drive to or from the gym, which cuts down on a lot of transportation time there and back.
• The locker room is always functional and private because you can get ready in your own bathroom.
• The equipment you need is never in use by someone else or the floor space is too crowded with other people doing what you need to do.
• You don’t have to worry about group fitness classes filling up or being canceled.
• You don’t have to worry about gym germs.
• Nobody is ever watching or judging your movements, grunts, noises or sweet dance moves.
• Your workouts never get rained out.
• You can even workout in your pj’s

Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s get into the tips on how you can get the motivation to work out at home …

HOW TO GET THE MOTIVATION TO WORK OUT AT HOME

FIND A WORKOUT (OR WORKOUTS) THAT YOU ENJOY AND THAT YOU CAN DO SAFELY AT HOME.

Easy, right?

This is my number-one tip, and it may sound silly, but it’s the most important step. If you don’t find something that you enjoy, then there’s not a high likelihood that you will want to do it or stick with it. This is always true for fitness, but especially true when working out at home, because there’s not the added element of having people you like around you to motivate you. 

Your first step is to try several workouts and see what you like. Think about what motivates you or what you like at your gym. Streaming workouts online has never been easier. You can find tons of free workouts on YouTube. I have several workouts and even quick exercises you can do at home with or without equipment on my channel. Check it out here. another great option is Les Mills On Demand (check out my review here and get a free trial here).

You’ll be more successful with getting excited to work out at home if you have a plan or program to follow or a structured group fitness class workout to watch. That’s just the way it is, because if you like to make up your own workouts, then you probably fall into the category of already motivated. 

Give each program a little bit of time to see if it’s for you, then move on to the next and keep going until you find something that clicks. 

SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUTS IN YOUR CALENDAR DAILY AT A TIME THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU, AND SCHEDULE WHAT TYPE OF WORKOUT YOU WILL DO TOO.

The key to fitting in workouts consistently at home is putting that time in your calendar in advance.

This is my current schedule my workouts:

Monday – BODYPUMP

Tuesday – CXWORX

Wednesday – BODYCOMBAT

Friday – BODYPUMP

I used to just do Mon, Wed, Fri but recently added a core workout to my Tuesdays.

You should try to get your workout in around a certain time each day, or around a certain event — like morning naptime or baby’s morning play session on the floor, when the kids are working on school work. (That ca be track if they need your help. I’ve found myself doing my workout after the kids are done with school. I like to have my workouts done in the morning for several seasons. One it gives me the energy to get everything done around the house, two I feel accomplished once I’ve completed my workout three it gets crazy in the afternoons around here.

Right now, I shoot for starting my workout by 10 am a the latest and so if it’s nearing ten, I know it’s almost time to get moving, and I make sure I’m already in my workout clothes which let’s be honest here. I live in my yoga pants! LOL

The next part of this tip is actually planning what day you will do which type of workout, and this is another one of those things that may make or break your motivation to work out at home. If you are following a workout program or plan, then you won’t have to worry about deciding what’s on tap for the day, but if you are merely doing classes or streaming workouts, you’ll want to layout which workouts you want to do.

GET DRESSED IN REAL WORKOUT CLOTHES, AND YOU GET BONUS POINTS IF THEY ARE CUTE. 

You may think that the benefit of working out at home is that you can work out in your pajamas, which is true you totally can!! However, I always change into real workout clothes, including leggings, a tank, a good sports bra, and most of the time I put on makeup. I think that helps with my motivation. In fact, just getting dressed in my activewear puts me that much closer to completing my workout, because I know I am dressed for it the part.

Kinda like dressing for the job you want, not the job you have — you should dress for the workout you want to do that day too. Pull your hair back and secure it in a ponytail or top knot, and get ready to workout!

When it comes to shoes, it’s up to you. I personally don’t wear shoes to workout at home. The main reason is we don’t wear shoes in the house. I also feel I can grip better without them during planks, squats, and lunges… But if you feel more comfortable in shoes wear them!

CREATE A DEDICATED SPACE FOR YOUR WORKOUTS AND HAVE YOUR EQUIPMENT EASILY ACCESSIBLE.

Your workout space doesn’t need much, but I would recommend a mat, a foam roller, a water bottle, a resistance tube, and at least a set of dumbbells. Other fun things to add include a barbell, kettlebell, stability ball. But that’s a huge list, so really just get one weight if that’s all you can get.

But, if it’s not in the budget to have or you don’t have any gear, at least have an area where there is enough room to do a full plank and a few jumping jacks without hitting any other furniture. Perhaps you can devote a corner of your living room or family room? Or your garage? Or an empty guest bedroom? Or in your kids’ playroom? Or next to your bed in your studio apartment? Whatever you’ve got, make a “workout corner” and use it.

DO YOUR BEST TO AVOID DISTRACTIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS AHEAD OF TIME.

This can be super challenging especially right now ith everyone at home all at once! When it’s working out, I don’t answer phone calls, check my email, texts or social media notifications, I think that’s important for staying focused. 

So if you’re able to be “off the grid” during your home workout, you have a better chance of completing it without stopping for something that could derail your energy, motivation and focus. Also — leave the chores and household to-dos until after your workout too. They’ll be there waiting for you at the end, I promise.

JOIN ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS, AND SHARE YOUR SUCCESS.

One of the best ways to get the motivation to work out at home is the fact that you can tell your accountability group — whoever that maybe — that you followed through. But an accountability group can be as small as texting your best friend when you’ve finished a workout, logging it into MyFitnessPal, or posting to a Facebook group. I’m not saying you have to tell everyone when you work out, I’m saying it could be motivating to have a place to share your successes. If you’re not part of it yet, come on in to the 30 Day FREE LES MILLS On Demand Challenge Group, because we’d love to hear your workouts and keep you accountable there too.

If you’re not into selfies, that’s totally okay, maybe you just keep a workout log and hang it happily on your fridge. Whatever you do, be proud of your work!

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, JUST COMMIT TO DOING SOMETHING.

There are going to be days when you just don’t feel like it, or you are late waking up and need to get housework done or go to work. Instead of saying “forget it” on the workout, try doing something short, small and manageable in your workout space instead. Maybe hold a plank, do some squats and lunges, or even a bunch of push-ups or stretching or foam rolling or even just the warm-up of a streaming workout to get your heart beating and body mobile. Something is always better than nothing in fitness. And you never know, once you get started, you may choose to do even more than you set out to do.

You are your own best motivator, and I know you can do it! Take your time finding the right workouts for you, set up some space, schedule the time and get committed. Good luck!

That’s it for today, friends! I’d love it if you have any tips or suggestions about home workouts that have worked for you to add to my list, please leave them in the comments below. Have a fantastic day!